Gold prices held steady on Friday (October 3), poised for a seventh consecutive weekly gain, driven by expectations of further US interest rate cuts and concerns over the economic impact of a prolonged government shutdown. Spot gold rose 0.03% to $3,857.25 an ounce at 09:21 GMT, after hitting a record high of $3,896.49 on Thursday. Bullion has gained 2.6% so far this week. US gold futures for December delivery rose 0.32% to $3,880.50 an ounce. The prolonged US government shutdown, now in its third day since Friday, has delayed key economic data, including the non-farm payrolls report...
Oil prices edged higher on Friday but remained on course for a weekly loss of about 7-8% after news of potential increases to OPEC+ supply. Brent crude futures gained 43 cents, or 0.67%, to $64.54 a barrel by 0826 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 46 cents, or 0.76%, at $60.94. For the week, Brent was trading 8% down and WTI was on course for a 7.3% decline. "We are in a wait-and-see mode for what the OPEC+ Group of Eight will decide over the weekend," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo, adding that Friday's modest price recovery is likely to be attributable to positive risk...
Silver slipped below $47 per ounce on Friday but remained on track for a seventh consecutive weekly gain, supported by expectations of further US rate cuts and uncertainty from the government shutdown. Recent US data reinforced bets on more easing, with markets nearly fully pricing in a 25 basis point cut this month and another by December. Politically, the shutdown has so far shown limited direct impact, though it heightened concerns over fiscal policy, inflation risks and labor market weakness. It also triggered a data blackout, forcing the Labor Department to postpone Friday's September...
The Australian dollar (AUD) weakened slightly against the US dollar (USD) following the release of a number of economic data, but then stabilized on Friday. Recent data showed that business activity in Australia is slowing. The Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 52.4 in September, from 55.5 in August. This indicates that economic growth is still ongoing, but at a slower pace, marking the lowest level since June. The services sector also slowed, although it continued to grow for 20 consecutive months. Furthermore, Australia recorded a decline in its trade surplus. In August,...