Finance and markets: business, quotes, gold, energy and releases.
Found 559 articles
Precious metals surged in late-afternoon trading Thursday, driven by a cooling crude oil market and a weakening U.S. dollar. Spot gold reclaimed the $4,100 level to trade at $4,120.80, while silver jumped 2.82% to $59.95, as investors recalibrated positions following a volatile session triggered by Fed minutes and geopolitical tensions.
While gold remains a defensive necessity, the surge in artificial intelligence and energy security mandates is shifting long-term capital toward industrial metals. According to FTSE Russell, while bullion faces headwinds from rising real yields, the structural transition toward electrification offers a more compelling secular growth narrative for commodity investors.
Investors grappling with the recent volatility in precious metals and sovereign debt must look beyond immediate rate shifts. According to Erik Norland, Chief Economist at CME Group, the interplay between central bank hawkishness and a global landscape of structurally loose fiscal policy remains the primary driver for both asset classes.
Gold prices are set to remain trapped in a narrow trading range throughout the summer months, according to analysts at Metals Focus. Persistent inflation, driven by Middle Eastern geopolitical tensions and aggressive artificial intelligence investment, is forcing the Federal Reserve to maintain a hawkish stance on monetary policy.
Gold’s recent price retreat is not the start of a bear market, but a necessary cooling phase in a broader bull cycle. According to Nawojka Wachowiak, a senior portfolio manager at Ninepoint Partners, the metal’s underlying fundamentals remain robust, with central bank demand providing a critical floor for prices.
A 2.4% decline in existing home sales during June has provided fresh momentum for gold, pushing the precious metal to session highs of $4,134.10 an ounce. The unexpected slump in the housing sector underscores ongoing economic fragility, fueling investor appetite as the market pivots toward defensive assets.
Gold prices climbed back above $4,100 an ounce on Thursday, buoyed by a geopolitical risk premium triggered by escalating U.S.-Iran tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the recovery, the precious metal remains constrained by sticky Treasury yields and a resilient U.S. dollar following hawkish signals from recent Federal Reserve minutes.
Spot gold climbed above $4,100 per ounce Thursday morning, buoyed by labor market data that arrived cooler than analysts anticipated. New filings for state unemployment benefits totaled 215,000 for the week ending July 4, falling short of the 218,000 claims economists had expected to see in the latest Labor Department report.
A volatile surge in crude oil prices, triggered by escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, has combined with hawkish Federal Reserve minutes to drive Treasury yields higher. The shift in market sentiment effectively stripped gold and silver of their safe-haven status, pushing both precious metals into a sharp Wednesday decline.
Gold endured its worst quarter in 12 years, tumbling 14.1% as surging inflation expectations and the prospect of Federal Reserve rate hikes eroded value. Despite the metal closing at $4,008 an ounce, analysts at Invesco suggest that robust central bank demand serves as a critical floor for the market through 2026.
Federal Reserve officials remained unified on maintaining current interest rates during their June meeting, even as they grappled with a darkening economic outlook. Concerns over the conflict in the Middle East, persistent tariff impacts, and the surging demand driven by artificial intelligence investment have kept upside risks to inflation firmly in focus.
A sharp pivot in global monetary policy and rising real yields triggered a mass exodus from gold-backed exchange-traded funds in June. Investors liquidated 74.3 tonnes of the precious metal, valued at nearly $9 billion, as expectations of prolonged high interest rates increased the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets.
Russia’s state gold reserves fell below the $300 billion threshold at the end of June, marking the sixth consecutive month of decline for the country’s sovereign bullion holdings. Data from the Central Bank of Russia reveals a total reserve valuation of $298.99 billion, reflecting a broader contraction in the nation's official assets.
Rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have failed to provide a safe-haven floor for gold, as a sharp spike in crude oil prices and a strengthening U.S. dollar drive investors toward higher Treasury yields. Spot gold slid to $4,074.10 an ounce, struggling to maintain its foothold above the critical $4,000 threshold.
Three tankers struck near the Strait of Hormuz have shifted market focus from cooling U.S. labor data to renewed inflation risks. As crude oil prices climbed, the resulting surge in Treasury yields pressured precious metals, pulling gold below the $4,200 threshold and ending silver’s recent four-session rally.
Digital gold has the potential to transform bullion from a static reserve into a liquid, 24/7 financial instrument, according to Kurt Hemecker, CEO of Gold Token SA. While the technology promises to modernize the market, he warns that deep-seated concerns regarding trust and standardization remain the primary barriers to adoption.
The People’s Bank of China added 15 tonnes of gold to its reserves in June, marking its largest monthly purchase this year and the 20th consecutive month of growth. This strategic expansion comes as central banks capitalize on recent price pullbacks to bolster their holdings against a volatile global backdrop.
Hong Kong has officially initiated trial operations for a central clearing and settlement system for gold, marking a pivotal shift in the city's ambition to become a premier international precious metals hub. The rollout, supported by the first successful bullion deposits and transactions, anchors a wider effort to integrate regional markets.
Gold’s recent slide from record highs has rattled some investors, but MKS PAMP’s Nicky Shiels insists the secular bull market remains intact. Despite a cooling momentum, the firm is holding firm on a 2026 average price forecast of $4,500 an ounce, viewing the current volatility as a necessary transition to sustainable growth.
After a volatile four-month slump fueled by the Iran War and shifting inflation expectations, precious metals may have finally hit their floor. Craig Hemke of Sprott Money argues that with energy prices retreating to pre-conflict levels, the market has passed its peak of hawkish sentiment, setting the stage for a recovery.
Spot gold prices are hovering near $4,169 an ounce as traders recalibrate positions following last week's payroll data. While the metal maintains a floor above the $4,100 level, rising Treasury yields and a firmer U.S. dollar are tempering the momentum generated by June's softer-than-expected hiring report.
Precious metals softened following the North American market close, as traders tempered their enthusiasm from last week’s jobs-led rally. With spot gold dipping to $4,161.90 and spot silver to $61.90 an ounce, the market remains locked in a tug-of-war between geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and persistent Federal Reserve rate-hike expectations.
Gold has struggled to clear the $4,200 resistance mark, yet analysts suggest the most aggressive selling phase of its months-long correction is likely behind us. As the market shifts from panic-driven liquidation toward base-building, the outlook for precious metals now hinges on shifting U.S. monetary policy and easing inflation.
Despite a sharp retreat from record highs above $5,500, gold remains a strong long-term play, according to Natixis analyst Bernard Dahdah. He is holding his year-end price target at $4,600, betting that central banks will soon ramp up bullion purchases to rebuild reserves and diversify away from U.S. dollar assets.
Gold prices are facing persistent selling pressure, struggling to breach the $4,200 resistance level as the U.S. services sector shows continued, albeit cooling, resilience. Spot gold recently traded at $4,141 an ounce, marking a 0.74% decline, while investors calibrate their expectations for upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate policy.
Spot gold prices retreated Monday as a strengthening U.S. dollar and cooling oil-market tensions overshadowed support from underwhelming labor data. With bullion dropping 0.82% to $4,139.80 an ounce, investors are now recalibrating their expectations for Federal Reserve policy ahead of Wednesday’s pivotal release of FOMC meeting minutes.
Spot gold and silver prices surged in late Friday trade as a weaker-than-expected U.S. employment report eroded the dollar's strength. Spot gold climbed 1.27% to reach $4,174.10 an ounce, while silver gained 2.36% to settle near $62.27, extending its momentum after reclaiming the $60.00 psychological threshold.
Global sovereign gold demand surged in May, with central banks adding a net 41 tonnes to their official reserves. This marks the second-highest monthly accumulation of the year, signaling that despite recent price volatility, major institutions remain committed to expanding their bullion holdings as part of long-term diversification strategies.
While gold prices have faced headwinds from a surging U.S. dollar and elevated Treasury yields, analysts at HSBC believe the metal remains a critical portfolio diversifier. Despite recent price fluctuations that saw gold track closely with equities, the bank anticipates renewed upside potential by the end of the year.
Gold may climb to $5,500 per ounce by the first quarter of 2027 as structural demand from central banks and Chinese retail investors overcomes near-term pressure from Federal Reserve rate hikes. State Street Global Advisors suggests that despite current tactical headwinds, the metal remains a necessary hedge against record global debt.