The world’s leading economy released important data regarding the manufacturing and industrial sectors ahead of tomorrow’s rate decision, but showing positive signs of continuing improvement throughout the past period in both sectors, supporting growth for the U.S economy in the upcoming period.

The Federal Reserve New York empire manufacturing index showed that activities is still rising in the manufacturing sector where the index reached in the month of March 22.86, compared with the previous 24.91 and the expected 22.0, knowing that any reading above zero in the index is considered growth.

Meanwhile the Industrial production showed an unexpected rise as it rose in February by 0.1% compared with the previous 0.9%, but these optimistic news from both sectors failed to overshadow the slump that was witnessed in foreign investments in the U.S where the Net long TIC flow showed a big slump in January as it reached $19.1 billion, down from $63.3 billion, while the Total TIC flows sank by -$33.4 billion from the previous $53.6 billion.

Due to fears from low investments that would affect the U.S huge debt, which is expected to reach $1.6 trillion this year, investors turned away from Stocks and some metals, where indices sank by opening session and the Dollar gained along with Gold, while Oil sank severely below $80.0 a barrel, as investors turned into low yielding assets as a safe investment as uncertainty about the future outlook of the U.S and global economies is still somehow vague.

According to the U.S dollar index, which measures the performance of the dollar against six major currencies including the Euro, Pound and Yen, the dollar rose on the daily scale reaching 80.179 levels from the opening levels of 79.957 while managed to reach the highest levels for today at 80.196 and the lowest at 79.76.

Therefore we witnessed a decline in Gold fixing that took place earlier today in London as it was set for gold at $1,104.00 an ounce, compared with the PM fixing that was set at $1,104.25, while silver fixing was set at $17.0200 an ounce and Platinum AM Fixing was set at $1,608.00 an ounce that rose by PM fixing to reach $1,616.00 an ounce, finally the Palladium AM fixing was set at $458.00 at the AM fixing which also rose by PM fixing to $463.00 an ounce.

Meanwhile, the REUTERS/JEFFERIES CRB INDEX shed 2.50 points to last trade at 270.81, compared with the previous closing at 273.31, the index managed to reach the highest levels for today at 272.47 and the lowest at 270.69.

Gold prices managed to gain slightly today where it's currently trading at $1104.54 an ounce where it managed to reach the highest levels for today at $1108.48 an ounce and a low of $1100.60. As for other precious metals, Silver managed to follow the lead of Gold and incline on the daily chart reaching $17.05 an ounce from the opening levels of $17.02 an ounce while silver prices managed to reach the highest levels for today at $17.16 an ounce and the lowest at $16.93 an ounce. Platinum which is considered the world’s most expensive metal is currently trading at $1620 an ounce while Palladium is currently trading at $466 an ounce.

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