Indianapolis Colts agree to deal with Eric Fisher, former Kansas City Chiefs left tackle

The Colts have finally found Anthony Castonzo's replacement at left tackle.

Indianapolis is signing longtime Kansas City Chiefs tackle Eric Fisher to a one-year deal worth up to $9.4 million, two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed to IndyStar on Monday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced publicly.

The Colts are taking a gamble that Fisher will be able to recover from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the AFC Championship game in January.

Fisher, 30, was released in March by the Chiefs, who then made a blockbuster trade with Baltimore to get Orlando Brown at left tackle, in large part because of Fisher's injury. A two-time Pro Bowl left tackle who was taken No. 1 overall in the 2013 NFL draft, Fisher is still only 30 and productive when healthy, and because he was released by the Chiefs and signed after the draft, Fisher does not count against the Colts in the NFL's compensatory pick formula. 

UK Halifax House Prices Hit Record High In April

UK house prices reached a record high in April as stamp duty holiday continued to provide impetus to the property market, data from Lloyds Bank subsidiary Halifax and IHS Markit showed on Monday.

House prices grew 1.4 percent month-on-month in April, following a 1.1 percent rise in March. The average property was valued at GBP 258,204.

On a yearly basis, house prices growth accelerated to 8.2 percent from 6.5 percent a month ago. This was the highest annual rate in five years.

In three months to April, house prices were 0.9 percent higher than in the preceding three months.

The stamp duty holiday magnified the shortage of available property for sale as buyers aim to take advantage of the government scheme, Russell Galley, Managing Director at Halifax, said. Nonetheless, the influence of the stamp duty holiday will fade gradually over months ahead as it is tapered out.

“There is growing optimism in the long-term outlook of the UK economy as the vaccination programme continues at pace, yet we remain cautious about the medium-term prospects of the housing market,” Galley said.

“As we said in March, the current levels of uncertainty and potential for higher unemployment as furlough support ends leads us to believe that house price growth will slow to the end of the year,” Galley added.

Gold Futures Extend Gains To 4th Session, Settle At 3-month High

Gold prices moved higher on Monday, extending gains to a fourth straight session, as the dollar continued to slide against its major counterparts amid expectations the central bank will hold rates near zero for the foreseeable future.

Weakness in U.S. stock markets contributed as well to increased demand for the safe-haven precious metal.

The dollar index dropped to a nearly 2-1/2-year low, sliding to 90.04, before recovering to 90.19, still down marginally from the previous close.

Gold futures for June ended up by $6.30 or about 0.3% at $1,837.60 an ounce, the highest settlement since February 10.

Silver futures for July ended up $0.015 or about 0.05% at $27.492 an ounce, while Copper futures for July settled at $4.7160 per pound, down $0.0325 or 0.7% from the previous close.

Data released by the Labor Department on Friday showed a much less than expected increase in U.S. non-farm payroll employment in the month of April, raising prospects for a low interest regime for a longer duration. The data showed the economy added 266,000 jobs in April after surging by a downwardly revised 770,000 jobs in March.

Economists had expected employment to spike by 978,000 jobs compared to the jump of 916,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month.

Biden says unemployed Americans offered a job must take it or lose benefits

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday defended himself against critics who say expanded unemployment benefits offered in the COVID relief bill passed in March are keeping Americans from taking new jobs.

“If you’re receiving unemployment benefits and you’re offered a suitable job, you can’t refuse that job and just keep getting unemployment benefits,” Biden said.

Oil Futures Settle Slightly Higher

Crude oil futures closed marginally up on Monday, recovering after a fall from higher levels, due largely to news about the shutdown of critical fuel supply pipelines in the U.S. following a major cyberattack.

Worries about energy demand outlook due to continued spikes in coronavirus cases in Asia pushed down oil prices in mid-morning trades, and prompted traders to stay cautious till the end of the session.

Oil found some support on hopes energy demand in the U.S. and Europe will increase thanks to re-opening of the economies.

West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for June ended up $0.02 or 0.02% at $64.92 a barrel, after falling to a low of $63.95 around late morning.

Brent crude futures edged up by 4 cents to $68.32 a barrel.

The U.S. government declared a regional emergency Sunday after major fuel pipeline Colonial Pipeline said it was the victim of a cybersecurity attack involving ransomware — attacks that encrypt computer systems and seek to extract payments from operators.

The largest fuel pipeline system in the United States ships gasoline and jet fuel from the Gulf Coast of Texas to the populous East Coast through 5,500 miles (8,850 kilometers) of pipeline, serving 50 million consumers.

Colonial Pipeline said that it had opened some smaller delivery lines, but the main system was not yet back up and running, raising concerns about supply disruption.