The latest Market Talks covering Basic Materials were published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.

0837 ET – The recovery in gold prices reflects a shift away from U.S. Treasurys toward alternative assets amid uncertainty clouding the fixed income market and growing concerns about the sustainability of U.S. public debt, XS.com senior market analyst Samer Hasn says in a note. "I believe it is futile to discuss the potential paths for the yellow metal as a safe haven," he says. The Treasury Department's decision helped weaken the impact of high bond yields on gold and other non-yielding assets, "which might explain capital rotating back toward those assets." Flows into physical gold exchange-traded funds also helped fuel the upward trend, Hasn adds. Gold is up 1.5% at $4,639.80 an ounce.

0558 ET – Arkema delivered a robust second-quarter performance but concerns remain, Bernstein analysts James Hooper and Sebastien Afoy write in a note. The French adhesive manufacturing company continues to show improved cost discipline and higher-margin products are contributing more positively, they say. However, full-year guidance appears cautious and the company still faces prolonged slowdown in residential-construction markets in its key end market Europe and the U.S., they add. "With upwards pressure on interest rates, we are not expecting this to turn soon," they say. Shares are up 1.6% at 60.05 euros.

0454 ET – Solvay could benefit from its ability to separate rare earth elements, Bernstein analysts James Hooper and Sebastien Afoy write in a note. While the Belgian-French chemical company's soda ash business has limited growth prospects and seaborne soda ash shows no sign of recovery, the company could potentially profit from rare earths. "The U.S.-China robotics fracture again highlights the importance of rare earths to technology, and Solvay's status as one of the only companies outside China able to separate rare earth elements is a structural advantage that could matter more with an accelerating industry consolidation," they say. Shares are up 0.3% at 25.34 euros.