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Gold prices settled below $1,300 an ounce on Thursday, suffering from their largest one-day percentage decline since early July, after the U.S. Federal Reserve suggested that an interest-rate hike was likely before the end of the year. December gold fell $21.60, or 1.6%, to settle at $1,294.80 an ounce. That was the lowest finish since Aug. 24, according to FactSet data.

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Halloween shopping for costumes, candy, decorations, and more is forecast to reach $9.1 billion this year, up 8.3% from last year’s record $8.4 billion, according to survey data from the National Retail Federation. Consumers are expected to spend an average $86.13, up from $82.93 last year. Shoppers plan to spend $3.4 billion on costumes and $2.7 billion on both candy and decorations. The top costume for children is expected to be a superhero; witch will be the top choice for adults; and pumpkin costumes will be tops for pets. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF is down 8.2% for the year so far while the S&P 500 index is up nearly 12% for the period.

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President Donald Trump said Thursday he’s issued an executive order to cut off revenue North Korea uses to fund development of “the deadliest weapons known to humankind.” Speaking at the United Nations, Trump said the order strengthens the U.S. Treasury’s ability to target individuals or entities that conduct trade in goods, services or technology with North Korea. He also said China’s central bank has told that country’s banks not to do business with North Korea.

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A measure of fear on Wall Street was hovering around its lowest level in its history, even as President Donald Trump unfurled executive orders to cut off funding to rogue nation North Korea. The CBOE Volatility Index , or VIX, was down 1.5% at 9.63 in most recent trade, putting it on track for its 9th lowest level since 1993 when the gauge of volatility and market fear was created, according to FactSet data. The VIX, also known as the fear gauge, measures options bets on the S&P 500 index 30 days in the future, and is viewed as a measure of market expectations for a fall because equity prices tend to fall faster than they climb. U.S. stocks were muted, holding a modest decline on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 44 points, or 0.2%, at 22,373, the S&P 500 index was trading 0.2% lower at 2,504, while the Nasdaq Composite Index retreated 0.3% at 6,434. Trump announced his executive orders following a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. As a part of order the People’s Bank of China has been told to stop doing business with North Korea. Stock reaction was muted following Trump’s news conference Thursday afternoon. The measures to curb North Korea’s antagonism in the Korean Peninsula come as Pyongyang has fired a number of ballistic missile tests in Japanese airspace in recent weeks, and has tested of a thermonuclear bomb.

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Luxembourg-based zinc producer VM Holding S.A. filed Thursday for an initial public offering of stock, which it expects to list on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange. The company did not provide the number of shares it plans to offer, but said it plans to raise up to $100 million, which is likely a placeholder amount. VM (Votorantim Metais) expects its shares to trade under the ticker symbol “NEXA.” In 2016, VM produced 416,869 tonnes of zinc, 41,551 tonnes of copper nad 59,181 tonnes of lead contained in concentrates, as well as 8.3 million ounces of silver and 27,893 ounces of gold. The company had a net profit of $110.5 million in 2016, on revenue of $1.91 billion.

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Analysts at Morgan Stanley on Thursday raised their price target on General Motors Co. stock, saying the car maker “has an opportunity to unlock hidden strategic value.” The analysts set their target to $43, from $40, representing a 10% upside from Thursday prices. They rate the stock their equivalent of buy, and moved it to their No. 3 pick in autos, making GM their highest-ranked U.S. auto maker. GM is likely to host an investor day before the end of the year, where it would explain key strategic priorities, and the analysts expect it to focus on value, a strategy for shared autonomy, and the company’s long-term goals in China, they said in a note. “We see GM moving in the direction of (Fiat Chrysler) and Sergio Marchionne’s philosophy of taking action to unlock value and opening up to partnerships with external firms on applied AI in mobility,” they said. GM shares gained 0.2% and are up nearly 12% so far this year, mirroring the S&P 500 Index’s gains in the same period.

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Target Corp. said Thursday that its Target Restock offering is expanding to eight new markets: Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, St. Louis, San Francisco, and the Washington D.C./Baltimore area. Target Restock offers next-day delivery for essential items like baby products and cleaning supplies for about $5 per box. The service is now live in 10 markets, and will add San Francisco in mid-October. Target announced the pilot for the program in June in Minneapolis. It was expanded to Denver and Dallas in August. Target shares are down 1.5% in Thursday trading, and is down 19.2% for the year so far. The S&P 500 index is up nearly 12% for 2017 so date.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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From:: Stock Market News