Gold Prices Fall Amid Rate Jitters; Copper Steady as China Stimulus Eyed 
The UK gilts traded higher Thursday after the country’s Finance Minister Philip Hammond said that there is less uncertainty over the happening of 'Brexit', in a way confirming that UK will disperse from the membership of the European Union.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year gilts, which moves inversely to its price, slumped 1-1/2 basis points to 1.20 percent, the super-long 30-year bond yields plunged 1 basis point to 1.79 percent and the yield on the short-term 2-year trade 1/2 basis point lower at 0.08 percent by 09:20 GMT.
UK’s Hammond, while speaking to the BBC, said that there is now less uncertainty over Brexit and that it is clear that Britain cannot stay in the customs union. He further added that businesses know what the government wants to achieve.
According to a latest survey by The Independent, a greater proportion, 27 percent, said Prime Minister Theresa May should try to renegotiate a deal, 14 percent said we should stay in the EU on new terms that May should try to negotiate and 15 percent said we should stay in on existing terms, a total of 56 percent who favoured options at odds with the Prime Minister’s plan to quit and trade on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
Lastly, markets will remain geared to the release of January manufacturing production and trade balance data, scheduled for March 10 for further highlight on the bond market.
Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 fell 0.42 percent to 7,303.30 by 09:20 GMT, while at 09:00GMT, the FxWirePro's Hourly Pound Strength Index remained neutral at -36.98 (a reading above +75 indicates a bullish trend, while that below -75 a bearish trend). For more details, visit http://www.fxwirepro.com/currencyindex
