Gold and silver prices are solidly lower in midday U.S. trading Thursday. Silver dropped to 5.5-month low. A strong rebound in the U.S. stock market this week has boosted trader and investor risk appetite, which is bearish for the safe-haven metals. A batch of stronger U.S. economic data released today pushed metals prices lower from modest overnight losses. And a firmer U.S. dollar index today is also a negative for the precious metals markets. June gold futures were last down $11.30 an ounce at $1,286.50. July Comex silver was last down $0.267 at $14.54 an ounce. The release of strong U.S. economic data today that included a solid rise in home sales, a very good reading from the Philadelphia Fed business survey, and weekly jobless claims solidly down all worked to push the U.S. dollar higher and help to rally U.S. equities. A market feature this week is falling government bond yields due to concerns about slowing world economic growth. The U.S.-China trade war is mostly to blame for those worries. Bonds yields did rise a bit today following the stronger U.S. economic data. On the U.S.-China trade war front, President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order that essentially bans some U.S. telecommunications equipment from Chinese companies. A U.S.-China trade theme continues in the world marketplace: one day the two sides are upbeat on a deal getting done; the next day their tone is sour. Such will keep the markets very uncertain on the matter. The other key “outside market” today sees Nymex crude oil prices higher and trading around $63.00 a barrel.