Gold (XAU/USD) began attracting buyers on Tuesday after a sharp two-day fall that briefly touched the $4,400 area its lowest level since January 6. This recovery was aided by a slight weakening of the US dollar, moving away from its more than one-week peak reached on Monday. However, the dollar's strength is likely to persist. Donald Trump's appointment of Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve Chair coupled with solid US manufacturing data is seen as encouraging the Fed to remain cautious about lowering interest rates. This combination tends to act as a drag on gold's momentum. On the...
Oil prices rose for the second consecutive day after US-Iran tensions resurfaced. The trigger: the US reportedly shot down an Iranian drone near an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea an event that immediately put the market on alert. The West Texas Intermediate contract moved closer to $64 per barrel, after surging 1.7% on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Brent Crude closed above $67, indicating market sentiment is shifting toward a risk-on scenario. Despite the initial "shock" to the market, the tensions have not yet escalated into a major escalation. Donald Trump emphasized that diplomacy...
Oil prices fell again on Thursday (February 5th) after Iran confirmed it would open negotiations with the United States. This assurance of dialogue eased market concerns over the risk of a direct military strike against Iran, a major producer in OPEC, leading to some risk premiums being released. Brent oil weakened by around 2% to around $67 per barrel, after rallying nearly 5% in the previous two sessions. Meanwhile, WTI fell further, around 2.5% to around $63 per barrel. Abbas Araghchi confirmed the schedule for talks in Oman on Friday, helping to ease short-term geopolitical...
Gold struggled to recover on Thursday (February 5th), despite signs of weakness emerging from US jobs data. The primary reason: the US dollar continued to strengthen (or at least held strong), thus unabated pressure on the precious metal. The initial trigger came from the sharp decline in JOLTS Job Openings data. The December 2025 release showed job openings at 6.542 million, well below the estimated 7.200 million. Normally, such a weak figure provides room for gold to strengthen as the market begins to anticipate lower interest rates. However, this time the effect was restrained because...
Oil prices moved slightly higher in a volatile session on Friday, as investors assessed the direction of nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran. Price movements appeared sensitive to every headline, reflecting a market that remains "vulnerable to change direction" amid geopolitical tensions. In New York, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded above $63 per barrel. The market briefly rallied after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the negotiations a "good start." However, the euphoria was short-lived, as a Wall Street Journal report indicated that Tehran still...