Gold prices briefly caused a stir after hitting a new record, but then slowed. The main trigger: US President Donald Trump withheld the threat of tariffs on Europe and claimed there was a "framework" for a future agreement on Greenland. This calmer tone made the market a little more willing to take risks, thus easing the pressure to buy gold as a safe haven. However, the big picture hasn't changed: gold remains in high territory because the world remains filled with uncertainty. Trade wars could resurface at any time, geopolitical tensions haven't completely subsided, and investors are...
The US dollar held near a three-month high on Monday (November 3rd) ahead of economic data this week that will provide only vague clues about the health of the US economy and could reinforce the Federal Reserve's cautious stance. The Fed cut interest rates by 25 basis points last week, as expected, but Chairman Jerome Powell hinted that it might be the central bank's last cut of the year, citing the risk of taking additional steps without a stronger economic picture. Were it not for the ongoing US government shutdown, this week's scheduled data releases, including US non-farm payrolls,...
Gold prices rose on Monday (November 3), boosted by expectations of further US interest rate cuts following comments from the US Federal Reserve Board's Christopher Waller, although a stronger dollar and easing trade tensions curbed those gains. Spot gold rose 0.5% to $4,020.45 per ounce at 09:05 GMT. US gold futures for December delivery rose 0.9% to $4,031.50. "We're still in consolidation mode. The lack of US economic data is a bit of a complicating factor, but weaker US economic data will support further Fed rate cuts and allow gold to move to $4,200 per ounce by year-end," said UBS...
China ended a long-standing tax exemption policy for some gold retailers on Saturday, potentially discouraging purchases of the precious metal in the world's largest consumer market. Beijing will remove the full 13% value-added tax (VAT) exemption on gold sold by retailers to consumers, initially purchased from the Shanghai Gold Exchange or the Shanghai Futures Exchange. The exemption was lowered to 6% on November 1, according to a new policy announced by the Ministry of Finance on Saturday. This lower exemption will be in effect until December 31, 2027. Joni Teves, a strategist at UBS...
Silver prices stabilized around $48.8 per ounce on Monday (November 3rd) after experiencing high volatility last week. Investors are now focused on the Federal Reserve's policy outlook after the Fed cut interest rates by 25 basis points last week. Although Chairman Powell stated that further interest rate increases in December are uncertain, the market is awaiting the release of key US data, such as the ADP employment data and the ISM PMI report, for further guidance. In addition, easing trade tensions between the US and China have also reduced demand for silver as a safe-haven asset. The...
The Japanese yen remains under pressure against the strengthening US dollar, reaching its lowest level since last February. Markets remain uncertain about when the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will raise interest rates, while Japan's new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, is leaning towards continuing its massive fiscal spending policy and postponing policy tightening. This, despite strong inflation data in Tokyo, continues to pressure the yen. Meanwhile, the US dollar remains strong near its highest level since August, driven by the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance, which increases the likelihood of...
Oil prices rose in early Asian trading after OPEC and its allies (OPEC+) agreed to increase production by 137,000 barrels per day in December. Despite the increase, the group stated that it would not increase production during the first three months of 2026 due to seasonal factors. This decision was considered unexpected by some analysts. Jorge Leon of Rystad Energy called the decision to pause production increases in the first quarter of 2026 another surprise from the latest OPEC+ meeting. In the market, front-month WTI crude futures rose 0.6% to $61.37 per barrel, while front-month Brent...
Gold prices fell early in the Asian session after China's Ministry of Finance ended tax incentives for precious metal sales as of November 1st. This decision surprised the market, as the previous rules had helped ease the tax burden on gold transactions. Following the news, the spot gold price weakened by around 0.4% to $3,987.46 per ounce. According to ANZ Research, many investors in China were disappointed by this rule change. Now, retail investors can no longer offset value-added tax (VAT) when selling gold purchased from the Shanghai Gold Exchange. The impact could be widespread, as...
The Euro (EUR) weakens further against the US Dollar (USD) on Friday, with EUR/USD slipping to a three-month low. The pair remains under pressure as the Greenback draws support from the Federal Reserve's (Fed) hawkish tone after delivering a widely expected 25-basis-point rate cut earlier this week. At the time of writing, EUR/USD is trading around 1.1523, extending losses for the third consecutive day and on track to post its first monthly decline in three months. Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback against a basket of six major currencies, is hovering near...
Gold rises in the early Asian trade. There's a broad commodities uptrend, driven by macro uncertainty, a weaker dollar, and persistent demand for "hard" assets, says Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst...
Oil extended declines after OPEC+ agreed to a bigger-than-expected production increase next month, raising concerns about oversupply just as US tariffs fan fears about the demand outlook.
Brent...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) weakened against its US counterpart and reversed part of Friday's recovery from the lowest level since July 23 following Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda's remarks....