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Showing posts with label Gold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gold. Show all posts

Monday 21 August 2017

Gold expected to cross $1375 mark

Gold prices have risen to the highest level since November last year as investors shift away from risky assets in the wake of geopolitical uncertainty.

Futures for the yellow metal rose to $1,303.90 per ounce, while spot gold remained just below $1,300 per ounce.

A market that was once worried about the nuclear war has now moved on a host of other factors that are creating concerns for various market players.

Let’s have a look at the various factors that created jitters in the market in the past week.

Barcelona Attacks - Heightened terror fears added to the risk off sentiment after at least 13 people died when a van plowed into pedestrians in Barcelona. The terror attack was a reminder of lingering geopolitical risks, with nerves still raw after last fortnight’s escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Investors fled into German and U.S. Treasury bonds and bought gold for the third day in a row, as the appeal of such top-notch assets grew further due to this deadly attack.

US Data - The global risk-off mood accelerated overnight on Trump "stability concerns", coupled with fallout from the Spain terrorist attack and lingering North Korea tensions.

Data released showed that Jobless claims for the week ending Aug. 12 came in at 232,000, versus expectations of 240,000. The Philadelphia Fed Index, gauging overall manufacturing conditions, came in at 18.9 for August, compared with consensus estimates of 18.5.

Industrial production grew 0.2% on the month in July, slipping below estimates of 0.3%.Concerns that Trump’s stimulus is in peril spiked following speculation that his top economic advisor, former Goldman COO Gary Cohn, was set to resign roiled markets on Thursday until reports that he’d opted to stay on board steadied the ship, however the weak dollar and dialling back of US Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary tightening expectations has given a modest lift to the precious metals, which stood up high.

US Dollar - The dollar was pulled lower on Wednesday as traders grappled with the prospect that the Federal Reserve might not raise interest rates again this year following the release of the Fed’s July meeting minutes.

The U.S. dollar retreated against haven currencies like the Swiss franc and the Japanese yen Thursday, following a day of negative headlines.

Earlier on Thursday, the greenback was propped up by weakness in the euro EURUSD, -0.0850% following the release of dovish minutes from the European Central Bank’s last meeting. The U.S. unit also remained stable as initial jobless claims and the Philadelphia Fed Index came in better than expected, but was weaker than the prior period, while industrial-production data missed expectations.

FED comments - The metal started its rise from $1268 on Thursday afternoon after the release of Fed minutes from the July FOMC policy meeting, according to which policymakers grew increasingly concerned about the sluggish inflation numbers. Whilst also on Thursday US President Donald Trump fell out with business leaders over his response to the recent turmoil in Charlottesville.
This followed a mixed session on Thursday in which gold strengthened a little while the rest of the complex was under downward pressure in spite of a friendlier macro backdrop (i.e. lower US real rates, equity losses) due to the release of dovish US Federal Open Market Committee minutes on Wednesday and dovish Fed speech.

Geo political uncertainty - Gold’s status as a safe-haven asset has seen investor demand surge during periods of heightened risk. In recent times, however, President Trump's combative style has seen safe-haven buying reach a sustainable high level. With tensions around North Korea and Iran rising, this is unlikely to subside any time soon.

Gold Supply - political uncertainty has been impacting investment in supply. In fact, global mine supply has fallen in 2017. According to World Bureau of Metal Statistics, gold production is down 2% y/y in the first five months of the year. Production in May alone was down 3.1% y/y. Growth in mine output is at its lowest point since the financial crisis, with risks only getting greater

Although Gold failed to break above $1300/oz today (Friday), it remains in position to do so because of its renewed strength in real terms. As long as the US$ index does not rally hard, we expect Gold to break above $1300 and reach $1375. The gold stocks as a group have been lagging recently but in the event of a Gold breakout, we foresee significant upside potential as the group could play catch up.

Monday 14 August 2017

Fundamentals for Gold are strong

As we have noticed in the past months, it was mainly the dollar and Fed actions that were influencing gold prices. But last week geopolitical tensions were fueling gold prices.

Gold was on the move in the past week after a display of threat of the military force by the U.S. and North Korea pushed the safe-haven metal back onto investors' radar.

President Trump said on Tuesday that threats by the Hermit Kingdom would be met by "fire and fury," which was followed up a day later by a North Korea threat to bomb the U.S. territory of Guam.
The yellow metal climbed to $1,285/oz as tensions rose this week, the best level in about two months, driving year-to-date gains to around 11.5%.




Gold has always been considered as a safe haven asset in times of uncertainty. The current rally in gold prices is because of the rise in safe haven demand for gold.

President Donald Trump intensified up his orotundity toward North Korea and its leader on Thursday, warning Pyongyang against attacking Guam or U.S. allies after it disclosed plans to fire missiles over Japan to land near the U.S. Pacific territory.             

Gold prices rose early Wednesday amid rising tensions between the United States and North Korea after the North responded to warnings from U.S.

President Donald Trump with a threat to strike the U.S.territory of Guam.   

Though prices rose on Wednesday and Thursday, by the end of the week, prices more or less stabilized. 

Gold prices held steady after touching their highest in more than two months on Friday, as rising tensions between the United States and North Korea triggered safe-haven buying.

Geopolitical risks can boost demand for assets considered safe-haven investments, such as gold. Although more hostile magniloquence between the U.S. and North officials would temporarily boost gold prices, we see outright military action as unlikely and upward pressure on gold prices stemming from the confrontation as limited.

Meanwhile, a lower-than-expected rise in U.S. consumer prices in July suggesting benign inflation could persuade a cautious Federal Reserve to delay raising interest rates until December.                

Gold is seen being stable over easing out of the geopolitical tensions. But still, a minor escalation over the tensions can once again trigger gold prices. Hence the situation currently is quite unpredictable. 

On the other hand, The Fed expects "very weak" U.S. inflation to rebound thanks to a slide in the dollar and to a labour market that keeps getting hotter, one of the Fed's most influential officials said in comments that reinforce its gradual policy-tightening plan

Gold edged down from two-monthhighs on Monday, 14th August, , as the dollar inched up from last week's lowsand investors kept a close watch on any developments on tensionsover the Korean peninsula.

Summing it up we can say that though the threats from the Koreans have lowered, the fundamentals for gold still seem to be strong.

Thursday 10 August 2017

Bullish trends for Gold

Gold prices were holding well up during the past week breaking the long term downward trend that started off in 2011.  A weaker dollar and lower treasury yields has been supporting gold prices lately.
Gold steadied on Thursday after nearing a seven-week high in the previous session as investors awaited U.S. jobs data for further clues on the outlook for interest rate rises.Spot gold was 0.1 percent higher at $1,267.30 per ounce.



Gold rallied through most of July as the dollar fell on reduced expectations for a third U.S. rate rise this year. Inflation has been contained even though the labor market appears to be in its best shape in many years and despite double-digit U.S. earnings growth in the second quarter.

Reduced rate rise expectations tend to weaken the dollar, making dollar-priced gold cheaper for non-U.S. investors.

But by the end of the last week, gold prices were slightly bullish after the release of U.S labor report.
The latest non-farms payroll report on the US employment market was published, showing the economy added 209,000 jobs last month and that unemployment was low at 4.3 per cent, its lowest since March 2011.

This smashed economist estimates that 183,000 new jobs would be added. In response the dollar has popped higher, says Reuters.

The dollar is inversely correlated to the gold price, which is often held as a hedge as the global benchmark reserve currency.

Stronger economic data also raises the prospect of the Federal Reserve voting for a third rate rise this year in either September or December (rate rises tend to hurt non-income yielding assets like gold).
In the two hours after the report came out the gold price slumped by around $13, or one per cent, to $1,255 an ounce.

Gold's recent trend has been largely defined by the fortunes of the dollar, which is good news for gold bugs as the greenback was languishing near 15-month lows earlier this week.

The safe haven metal dropped from $1268 as the July non-farm payrolls figure came-in at 209K, beating the estimated figure of 180K. The jobless rate dropped to 4.3%, while the June trade deficit narrowed more than expected. Wage growth rose to 0.3% as expected.

Now the influential factor for gold remains that whether the dollar continues to strengthen or it may go weaker, which is likely to mean the US Federal Reserve has to remain less than hawkish. Apart from these financial drivers, any pick up in geopolitical issues could also fuel the rally.

Monday 7 August 2017

Gold loses its shine ahead of jobs data

Gold drifted away from its seven week high hit earlier this week.  Gold futures settled lower on Wednesday—kicking their typically inverse relationship to a weaker dollar—as sentiment remained cautious following a recent rally on top of expectations that the Federal Reserve could further tighten interest rates going forward.


Gold prices on Thursday lowered, as the dollar firmed on expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could trim its bond holdings in September.

As markets await the data to be released on Friday, a snapshot of the examination of the jobs marketsrevealedthat private-sector hiring remained strong in July as employers added 178,000 jobs, slightly more than expected.

In the Friday report, the U.S. is expected to have added 180,000 jobs last month, keeping unemployment near a 16-year low of 4.4%, according to a Market Watch survey. The pace of hiring in the U.S. has already slowed sharply since hitting a post-recession peak of 250,000 a month in 2015, but continues to churn ahead, so far showing few red flags for wage-induced inflation.

The U.S. economy will likely be strong enough for the Fed to trim its bond holdings in September.
Gold and the U.S. currency unit typically move inversely as a cheaper dollar is beneficial to gold investors using another currency. Both markets are affected by interest-rate policy as higher rates support the dollar but also dull the appeal of non-yielding gold in favour of interest-bearing assets.

Tuesday 1 August 2017

Green back gives backing to gold

It was a quiet Monday for gold on 24th July followed by a little change in gold and silver prices on Tuesday. Spot gold prices were at $1,255.60 per oz and silver at $16.46 per oz, while the PGMs were looking stronger with gains of 0.6%.

Gold’s rebound has found new vigor on the combination of the weaker dollar and the less hawkish US Federal Reserve stance. Dollar weakness has stemmed from the weak political scene in Washington which has resulted in a push in gold prices. Gold is sensitive to moves higher in both U.S. rates and the dollar. Weaker dollar makes gold less expensive for holders of foreign currency, while a rise in U.S. rates lifts the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets such as bullion.


Gold prices held steady on Friday as investors locked in profits from the precious metal's rally to six-week highs on Thursday and as markets awaited the release of U.S. second-quarter growth data due later in the day.

U.S. 2Q GDP figures released on Friday showed the economy grew at an annualized pace of 2.6% q/q, slightly missing consensus, with the Core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) topping expectations with a print of 0.9% q/q. The data did little to shift expectations for a December interest rate hike with markets still pricing a roughly 50/50 chance the Fed will hike again this year.

Gold prices rallied for the third consecutive week with the precious metal rallying 1.9% to trade at 1268 ahead of the New York close on Friday. The advance comes alongside continued weakness in the greenback.

The dollar remained under pressure after the Fed said on Wednesday that inflation remains below its 2% target even as near-term risks to the economic outlook appear "roughly balanced". In the past, the Fed judged that weakness in inflation was transitory. The central bank's cautious tone on inflation sparked fresh uncertainty over the possibility of a third rate hike this year.

The greenback was also weakened by data on Thursday showing that initial jobless claims rose by 10,000 to 244,000 last week. Analysts expected jobless claims to rise by 7,000 to 241,000 last week.
Gold prices have done well, especially with equity markets setting fresh highs, but the weaker dollar of late has no doubt helped fuel the rally and it may be that as equities are setting fresh highs, more investors are expecting a correction so may be putting more into havens. Silver has been following gold, platinum prices have struggled to follow gold and palladium is still consolidating after the strong run in May/June. For now we expect the dollar to be the main driver in gold prices.

This week began with a positive note for gold as it Monday held around its highest price in nearly seven weeks as tensions on the Korean peninsula boosted safe-haven demand for the metal and as the U.S. dollar hovered close to multi-month lows.

News that North Korea has conducted yet another missile test spurred a late-week push higher in gold prices which stretched into near-term resistance just ahead of the European close.

The United States flew two supersonic B-1B bombers over the Korean peninsula in a show of force on Sunday and the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said China, Japan and South Korea needed to do more after Pyongyang's latest missile tests.

Though a weaker dollar is the main driver for gold prices, currently deepening political turmoil in Washington and North Korea's progress on ballistic missiles will all ensure the uncertainty premium continues to support gold's price.

Looking ahead to next week, markets will be closely eyeing central bank interest rate decisions from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) & the Bank of England (BOE) with the highly anticipated U.S. Non-Farm Payroll report slated for Friday. While the broader outlook for bullion remains constructive, prices are eyeing near-term resistance heading into the close of the month and could limit the topside near-term.

Monday 24 July 2017

Chances of interest rate hike in near future fade

Initially gold began on a negative note. Gold witnessed a decline in prices till mid-week.
However by the end of the week gold prices picked momentum and closed on a positive note.
GOLD BULLION headed for a second weekly gain versus the falling Dollar Friday morning in London, trading at $1247 per ounce as the US currency held at its weakest in 14 months against the Euro.

The greenback faced a fresh barrage of assaults on the currency markets. June retail sales figures and inflation levels disappointed, and this led to a selloff of USD. Headline inflation plunged more than forecast, and retail sales reversed course.  Hence, sentiment towards the USD declined
Gold and the rest of the precious metals were up by an average of 0.3% during trading hours on Friday July 21, with spot gold prices at $1,246.44 per oz, a weaker dollar and continued choppy political waters in Washington providing support.



By Monday, 17 July, the greenback was trading near 10-month lows. Further, news reports of improved economic performance in China sent investors scampering away from the USD towards other assets. Safe-haven assets such as gold, silver, platinum, and the JPY and emerging market currencies gained favour as the USD retreated.

Gold’s rebound found new drive on the combination of the weaker dollar, which we think stems from the weak political scene in Washington and from the less hawkish US Federal Reserve stance.

A weakening dollar along with hawkish Fed comments strengthens gold prices as gold is generally preferred as a mode of investment in times of uncertainty and global turmoil.

It is clear that the US economy is not performing as expected. This naturally dampens expectations and results in weakness for the USD. When traders get antsy, they rush towards safe-haven assets such as gold bullion, and this is precisely what we are seeing now.”

The dollar index continued to fall, at 94.00 it has set a fresh low, these levels were last seen in June 2016. A negative impact on the USD is good for gold. Since bullion is a dollar-denominated asset, demand moves in the opposite direction to the strength of the USD. With weakening sentiment about the USD, foreign buyers of gold purchase more per unit of their currency. Plus, the perceived weakness of the USD drives traders to gold bullion.

With softness in inflation figures, members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) are reluctant to move forward with additional interest rate hikes. It is more likely that the Fed will opt for an unwinding of its $4.5 trillion balance sheet than more rate hikes this year.

If data continues to be negative and if the third-longest [economic growth] cycle in US history cannot produce a cyclical uplift in wages and prices then gold prices are expected to rise tremendously as any large disappointment in the [global economic] growth story will lead to an increase in gold prices.

The appeal of gold as an insurance asset is greater today than it was at the beginning of the year. It suggests to us that gold continues to be viewed as a [portfolio] diversifies and this should help keep the market supported overall.

The latest economic data releases once again bring the prospect of a Fed rate hike into question. According to the CME Group Fed Watch Tool, there is a 3.1% probability of an interest rate hike on Wednesday, July 26, 2017. For September 20, 2017, the probability of a rate hike is just 8.2%, and for November 1, 2017 the probability of a rate hike is just 11.6%. These economic forecasts are good for gold. Every time the Fed pushes back the prospect of a rate hike, currency traders take a bearish perspective on the greenback which further drives the demand for gold.

Thursday 20 July 2017

Gold Dips expected to remain Supported




Gold and other metals had a firm start for the week which continued over Tuesday. Gold and the other precious metals were firmer on Tuesday morning, with prices up an average of 0.4% while gold prices were up 0.3% at $1,237.35 per oz. This was seen as an after effect of a strong performance on Monday when the complex closed up an average of 0.8%.

Gold was more or less stable on Wednesday as it opened at 1241.75/1242.75 per ounce. Post which it rose to a high of 1243.50/1244.50 before retreating to a low of 1239.00/1240.00 as the dollar pared early losses and the euro fell back from yesterday’s 14-month high.

Gold prices are gaining from the weak dollar prices and lower bond yields which help in reducing the opportunity cost of holding gold thus pushing its prices higher.  Prices have firmed up in recent days, this despite geopolitical concerns being light but the weaker dollar and a less hawkish US Federal Reserve seem to be underpinning price rises.

But at the same time, buoyant equities are also a headwind for gold and the lull in geopolitical tensions is not getting any good for gold. So the expectations of a steep rise in gold prices aren’t strong currently.

All in all, we are not expecting much from the precious metals camp in the short term, but we expect dips to remain supported.

Tuesday 11 July 2017

Gold likely to be embraced as a Safe Haven

Gold prices have been steadily on decline since early June when the metal traded just shy of $1,300 an ounce.

This week too gold ended on a negative note even though the week began with a different picture.
Gold prices were lying stable at $1,225.24 per oz on Wednesday morning after a prices rise on Tuesday, closing up 0.2%.

However on Friday, gold dipped $5.60 to $1219.10 in Asia before it bounced back to $1227.00 just after morning’s jobs data was released, but it then fell to a new session low of $1207.30 in late morning New York trade and ended with a loss of 1%.  

Spot gold was down 0.7 percent to $1,215.81 per ounce by 1336 GMT, after touching an intraday low of $1,214.40, the weakest since May 9. It has dropped about 2 percent this week and is set for its biggest weekly fall since the week of May 5.



Gold hit a two-month low on Friday after stronger than expected United States jobs data increased the likelihood of another U.S. interest rate increase.

U.S. hiring picked up in June while wage gains disappointed yet again, a mix that may continue to be a puzzle for the economy and policy makers, Labor Department figures showed Friday.

While payroll gains were broad-based and boosted by the biggest jump in government jobs in almost a year, wages were below forecasts, even with the jobless rate close to the lowest since 2001.

It is quite evident from the unrelenatble hiring in June that thelabout market is resiliebt and may lead to a stronger acceleration in wages. At the same time, the month’s data could also reflect a new graduating class and the summer’s seasonal workers joining the labor force -- some likely welcomed by employers who are struggling to find workers.

The data suggested that the job market is attracting people off the sidelines, as the size of the labor force and number of unemployed people increased, indicating more people are actively looking for work. The number of people who went from out of the labor force to employed rose to 4.7 million, the highest in data going back to 1990.

While wage growth is running below the peak of previous expansions, the figures may be depressed by weak.

U.S. non-farm payrolls jumped by 222,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said on Friday, beating expectations of a 179,000 gain.          

The data brought negative news for gold traders as there isn’t really anything in this number which is going to put the brakes on an interest rate hike.

Nevertheless, the report marks a relatively strong finish for the labor market in the second quarter that should support continued gains in consumer spending in the coming months. Federal Reserve policy makers raised interest rates last month and reiterated plans to start reducing their balance sheet and increase borrowing costs once more this year.

Recent selling has placed enormous pressure as prices broke through critical support levels.  Much of that selling was a result of a shift in market sentiment as the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank relaxed their respective multiyear quantitative easing programs.

However, markets remain constructive for gold.The bigger picture for gold is encouraging. Despite the U.S. tightening cycle and VIX bear market, gold has recovered. It appears to be looking ahead to a beneficial endgame.

Gold certainly has a way of getting investors’ hopes up. Most recently, it neared $1,300 per ounce in early June, prompting optimism among bulls about a meaningful breakout to come. Alas, gold prices failed to push through that level, and now sit around the $1,250 mark. There are, of course, bullish and bearish arguments to be made but, on balance, gold is currently facing serious headwinds. That’s not to say, however, that there isn’t a long-term bullish case for gold. There is, but it may take years to play out. Simply put, the world is awash in too much debt, be it household, corporate or government.

According to an October 2016 report by the International Monetary Fund, gross global debt (excluding that of the financial sector) stood at $152 trillion, representing an all-time high 225% of world GDP. This overhang risks prolonged economic stagnation, if not a worse outcome. At some point, central banks will be forced to engineer higher inflation rates to lessen the burden of all this debt. Realizing this, investors can be expected to embrace gold as the ultimate safe haven.

Wednesday 31 May 2017

GOLD EXPECTED TO SHINE IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2017

It was strong opening for gold this week as gold neared its highest in a month on Monday amongst holiday thinned trade. A soft dollar and a pullback in equities helped this rise in gold prices.

Gold hit its highest level since May 1 on Friday at$1,269.50 an ounce, as nervousness over U.S. President Donald Trump's negotiations with other world leaders at the G7 summit prompted investors to buy bullion as an alternative to nominally higher-risk assets such as shares.



Spot gold settled at $1,266.67 an ounce, little changed from $1,266.66 late on Friday.
Though there is not much rise expected in gold prices, but the news from G7 meeting pushed gold prices up.

Under pressure from the G7, Trump on Saturday backed a pledge to fight protectionism but refused to endorse a global accord on climate change, saying he needed more time to decide.

Apart from this, market players await next month’s FOMC meeting to get clearer picture on the U.S. Federal Reserve's stance on interest rate increases.Gold is highly sensitive to rising U.S. rates, which
Increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion, While boosting the dollar, in which it is priced.

Meanwhile this week, market participants will stay focused on the labor market report in the US slated to release during the week. If the data turn out to be positive, there is probably nothing to prevent the (Fed) implementing its next rate hike in mid-June.

The latest FOMC minutes suggest that the Fed may start decreasing its balance sheet later this year.
It is true that the first two rounds of quantitative easing were positive for the gold market. However, the third one was a disaster for the yellow metal, as the confidence in the U.S. economy came back and the safe-haven demand for gold declined. Therefore, the impact of the unwinding of the Fed’s balance sheet on the gold market is not easy to determine – a lot will depend on the broad macroeconomic picture.

On the one hand, the Fed’s shrinking balance sheet would imply rising long-term real interest rates, which would be negative for gold prices. On the other hand, there may be some turmoil in the financial markets, which would support the gold market. Moreover, it may be the case that the U.S. dollar rally which started in 2014 was caused by the rising expectations about the Fed’s upcoming tightening.

If this is true and investors really bought the rumor and sell the fact, then the greenback may start depreciating, which would likely send the price of gold higher. Gold’s response to the current Fed’s tightening cycle suggests that it is not impossible scenario. However, the whole process is likely to be conducted in a very conservative and cautious way to minimize market volatility and disruption. Hence, investors should not bet on doom scenarios and expect that the price of gold will necessarily skyrocket.

Though gold was not preferred in an investor’s portfolio during 2016, it gold regained investor confidence during 2017, as doubts about the Trump’s administration’s ability to see through their policy agenda and political difficulties have emerged. Moreover, there has also been a number of geopolitical events such as European elections – the results in France and Netherlands have somewhat assuaged financial markets – and the flash point in the Korean peninsula.”

These geopolitical tensions and uncertainties have influenced gold prices.

The spot price of gold jumped nearly 2% on the 17th of May, the most significant daily increase since the Brexit vote on May 2016. Political developments will be closely watched by the market, and could be a potential driver of additional uplift in gold prices going forward.

Comments by St. Louis Fed President, James Bullard, that inflation remains subdued, and the Fed’s interest rate expectations might be too aggressive, have also been supportive of gold.

Gold is expected to hover around USD 1250 an ounce and is further expected to range between USD $1245 to USD $1300 over 2017-18.

Saturday 15 April 2017

Akshaya Tritiya’ a day for GOLD?

India is probably the only country where a religious day is linked to a practice of gold buying. It is the Akshaya Tritiya festival day and we are talking tons of gold here. According to estimates, Indian consumers bought about 20 tonnes of the precious metal on this festive day in 2010. However this was much lower than the buy in 2009 due to soaring prices. India, the world's largest consumer of the yellow metal, bought some 45 tonnes of Gold in 2009. So what makes Akshaya Tritiya a day for GOLD?

For Indians buying gold is a popular activity on Akshaya Tritiya day, as it is the ultimate symbol of wealth and prosperity. This year the date of Akshaya Tritiya is Saturday, 29th April. This day is important to both Hindus and Jains. According to the traditional panchang Akshaya Tritiya falls on the third day (Tritiya) of the new moon of Vaishakh month (April-May) every year.





Akshaya in Sanskrit means one that ‘never diminishes’ (a—kshaya) and the day is believed to bring good luck and success. Hindus believe they can get lasting prosperity by buying precious metals on the day. Akshaya Tritiya is traditionally earmarked for beginning new ventures, for investing and purchasing valuables especially gold, jewellery and diamond. It is no surprise Indians buy gold on Akshaya Tritiya as it is considered very auspicious and a safe investment. It is also believed that any meaningful activity started on this day would be fruitful.

We all know that 2011 was the best performing year for gold wherein the yellow metal gave highest returns compared to all assets in it class.

Economically this day is quite productive for marketers as they cash in on the festivity to boost their sales. Marketers indulge in high voltage advertisement campaigns especially the jewellery stores. In fact people in India and overseas book jewellery in advance and take delivery on Akshaya Tritiya day. It’s a day of frenzy buying for all precious metals especially gold. Sales on Akshaya Tritiya day usually increases four to five times compared to normal days. Traditionally the preference for customers is to buy light-weight jewellery, diamond jewellery but today’s economic superpower India sees several buyers preferring diamond jewellery purchases.

India is a secular country and each religion has its own story behind the celebrating Akshaya Tritiya and buying gold on this auspicious occasion.

Let’s have a brief look at the different stories behind each celebration.

According to Hindu astrology, the entire Akshaya Tritiya day is auspicious. So there is no need to look for an auspicious time i.e. no ‘Muhurat’ required on this day. This is the only day in any year when the Sun which is the lord of the planets and Moon which is the lord of creativity are in exaltation meaning at their peak of radiance. Astrologically this is extremely auspicious. That also makes this day one of the most popular dates in Hindu calendar for marriages and partnerships.

Glance through the annals of ancient Indian heritage and one finds that on this Tritiya day of Vaishakh month many significant things of great spiritual importance happened. According to Jain legends, this day is auspicious as people from Ayodhya bought gold and jewellery to offer to their Tirthankara Rshabhdev who was the King of Ayodhya centuries ago. Jains, even today, observe long term fast to commemorate their first Tirthankara Rishabhdev and break their fast on Akshaya Tritiya day with sugar cane juice as Rishabhdeva broke his fast with that juice after 1 year.

According to the ancient Hindu religious texts like the Puranas, this day marked the beginning of the "SatyaYug" or the Golden Age - the first of the four Yugas. It is believe that on this day Lord Krishna gave Draupadi a bowl - Akshaya patara (where food came in abundance) when the Pandavas were in exile. Traditionally this third day in the bright fortnight of Vaishakh is also the day of the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu ~ the ‘preserving’ manifestation of God in the Hindu Trinity.

On this day of Akshaya Tritiya, Maharishi Veda Vyas along with Lord Ganesha started writing the great epic Mahabharata. It is also the day the most sacred river of the Hindus, Ganga descended to earth. On this day Sudama visited his childhood buddy Lord Krishna with a hearty gift of a handful of beaten rice (poha). The good returns (prasad) he got in return for his devotion to the Lord is a classical story told in Hindu households. On such a day associated with Lord Krishna the story of Sudama’s offering is mentioned along with Lord Krishna’s affirmation in his Holy Gita ~ "Whoever offers a leaf, a flower, a fruit or even water with devotion, that I accept, offered as it is with a loving heart ".

Thus, many are the reasons for Akshaya Tritiya to be considered a wish fulfilling day. Any worship performed or daan (donation) given on this day is considered extremely good karma. Good karma is considered meritorious and is supposed to bestow beneficial results.

Akshaya Tritiya Muhurat to Buy Gold

April 28, 2017 (Friday) - 10:29 to 29:46+
Auspicious Choghadiya timings between 10:29 to 29:46+
Morning Muhurat (Char, Labh, Amrit) = 10:29 - 10:41
Afternoon Muhurta (Shubh) = 12:19 - 13:57
Afternoon Muhurta (Char) = 17:13 - 18:51
Night Muhurta (Labh) = 21:34 - 22:56
Night Muhurta (Shubh, Amrit, Char) =
24:18+ - 28:24+
Akshaya Tritiya Muhurat to Buy Gold
April 29, 2017 (Saturday) - 05:46 to 06:55
Auspicious Choghadiya timings between 05:46 to 06:55
No Muhurat Available


Monday 10 April 2017

Gold being pulled between uncertainities and rate hike

Gold is often used as a hedge against political and financial uncertainty and security risks. And that’s exactly what’s happening with gold currently.

Gold hit a five-month high on Friday after U.S. jobs data dampened expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates, but the metal gave up most gains as the dollar rose and safe haven demand ebbed.



Spot gold rose 1.2 percent to $1,265.95 an ounce by during trading hours on Friday, after touching its highest since Nov. 10 at $1,270.46,putting it on track for a fourth consecutive week of gains. U.S. gold futures climbed 1.1 percent to $1,267.60 an ounce. This is the most supportive environment we have seen for gold in some time given that there is geopolitical tension and disappointing U.S. payrolls number.

Data released showed that U.S. employers added the fewest number of workers in 10 months in March, boosting gold, which is most attractive to investors in a low interest rate environment.
Gold was also underpinned by investors looking for safety after the United States fired cruise missiles at a Syrian air base, escalating tensions with Russia and Iran.

Russia, a staunch ally of Syria, said relations between Washington and Moscow had been seriously damaged by the strike, which was in retaliation for a deadly chemical attack on a rebel-held area of Syria.

The precious metal hit a 5-month high as investors sought safe-haven assets after the United States launched cruise missiles against a Syrian air base, potentially escalating tensions with Syrian allies Russia and Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump unleashed the military strikes in response to a deadly chemical attack on a rebel-held area, a U.S. official said on Thursday.

Later in the session, however, safe haven demand faded and the dollar index. DXY climbed to three-week highs which further rose questions that unless the geopolitical risk continues; will the sentiment remain positive for gold?

Investors were cautious ahead of the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, but Trump said on Friday he had made progress in talks and expected them to overcome many problems. Investors had already been on edge as Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday for talks over flash points such as North Korea and China's huge trade surplus with the United States.      

Gold is often used as a hedge against political and financial uncertainty and security risks. It has benefited alongside other assets considered safe, such as the yen and U.S. Treasury bonds.
Though geo political uncertainties are creating room for gold to rise, we shouldn’t ignore the key influential factor for gold i.e. U.S. interest rate hike.

Increases in U.S. interest rates will prove too much of a headwind for gold prices. As such, we think that the price of gold is likely to fall from about $1,265 today to $1,050 by the end of the year if there is any news coming in from the Fed regarding hike in interest rates.

Clearly this raises the stakes and we expect to see gold prices continuing to push higher in the short-term, at least until there is some clarity around whether this is a one-off or develops into something more.

Monday 27 March 2017

Short Term seems positive for Gold

Gold rose by 15 dollars last week from $1229 to $1244 having hit a high of $1252 and a low of $1227. Silver rose by 41 cents from $17.36 to $17.77 having reached a high of $17.78 and a low of $17.33. The dollar index stands at 99.62 that’s down 0.68 on the week. Gold prices moved higher as the Euro gained traction and the dollar edged lower following stronger than expected German PMI data. Analysts believe that gold has further to rise but will be seesawing between $1230- $1260 before perhaps it breaks out up to $1280 levels.

Silver markets were also positive last week and is attempting to reach $18 level. Similar to gold we see a see saw effect between the price range of $17 where there is significant support and the $18 level where there is resistance. As I have mentioned in my previous blogs that political uncertainty could have a greater effect on prices primarily because of their effect on the value of the dollar which actually fell a little during the week. Also a fall in the Dow enabled funds to be moved out of equities and back into gold, though to be fair this transference was relatively small.


Gold prices finished higher on Friday to log a second weekly gain in a row as demand for assets perceived as risky waned and the U.S. dollar touched its lowest level in about seven weeks.
Traders also eyed developments tied to a Republican-backed U.S. health-care bill, which could have wide-ranging influence in financial markets.

The main focus globally was on a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives on a bill to abolish the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.  The vote was expected late Thursday, but was postponed by the Republicans when there were serious doubts the Republicans had the votes to strike down Obamacare. After negotiations between the Trump administration and members of the House Thursday, President Trump took a hard line and declared the vote should take place Friday, or he would move on to other matters and leave Obamacare in place. There is no clear consensus in the marketplace on the outcome of this key vote, which could move markets in its immediate aftermath.
A “no” vote on the House bill would likely favour the gold market bulls, as it could put downside pressure on the U.S. stock market.

Gold could back off and The U.S dollar is expected to strengthen and bonds yields should rise if the health care bill gets passed. The main reason being that the markets will see it as one hurdle out of the way for finally moving onto tax reform and other fiscal stimulus measures.

But if it happens otherwise and if the bill doesn’t get passed then gold is quote likely to rise.
On Friday, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said U.S. labour market improvement is slowing down. U.S. data on core durable goods has shown that the economy is strong, but this is not something which is going to excite the Fed that much.

The U.S. data released was as follows

  • The Department of Commerce said new order of durable goods increased by $3.9 billion or 1.7% to $235.4 billion last month, following January’s revised 2.3% increase. According to consensus forecasts, economists were expecting to see a 1.1% rise.
  • Stripping out the volatile transportation sector, new orders of core durable goods rose 0.4%, in February, following January’s revised increase to 0.2%. Economists were expecting to see an increase of 0.5%.


The political uncertainties over in Europe around French elections and Brexit are going to provide a lot of tailwinds for the gold rally .

Analysts believe that the short term outlook for gold is positive as it will rise and shine amidst all the volatility and uncertainty prevailing. The coming week, US durable goods orders and housing sales will be announced. Globally reports on Japanese trade and UK inflation could also influence the currency markets and so it is possible that the dollar may lose a little ground against the Sterling and the Euro as it did last week. So this week we are positive for gold and silver while the limits mentioned are tested. What also needs to be focused is the divergence between the Fed’s growth forecast of 2% and President Trumps envisaged plans for a 4% economy growth rate. Time will tell which of the two proves to be more accurate.

Tuesday 14 March 2017

The sentiments for Gold are bullish

Gold prices have fallen 5.3% from the end of February high and they have almost given back 50% of the December to February gains

Gold prices slipped towards week low on Thursday as investors awaited the employment report due on Friday, a factor that would unofficially strengthen the interest rate hike in the FOMC meet next week.


Gold’s latest pull down followed the release of better-than-expected US private jobs data midweek, boosting the dollar ahead of the release of official monthly payrolls figures on Friday.


  • Private employment, which excludes government agencies, rose by 227,000 after a 221,000 increase the prior month. It was the biggest gain since July. Construction jobs, which can fluctuate depending on the weather, rose by 58,000, the strongest in almost a decade, and followed a 40,000 increase in January. Manufacturing payrolls gained 28,000, matching the most since August 2013. Meanwhile, retail positions fell by 26,000, the most in four years.
  • The ECB held its benchmark refinancing rate at 0% and left the pace of its bond purchases unchanged on March 9th, as widely expected. Both the deposit rate and the lending rate were also left steady at 0.4% and 0.25%, respectively.
  • The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits went up by 20000 to 243000 in the week ended March 4th 2017, slightly above expectations of 235000.
  • 2008 Nonfarm business sector labor productivity in the United States increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.3 percent during the fourth quarter of 2016, following a downwardly revised 3.3 percent rise in the previous period and below market expectations of a 1.5 percent gain.


While unseasonably warm weather may have boosted the payrolls count, the data represent President Donald Trump’s first full month in office and overlap with a surge in economic buoyancy following his election victory. The figures also corroborate recent comments by Federal Reserve officials that flagged a likely interest-rate increase this month.

Bullion’s being pulled back down toward $1,200 an ounce in the worst losing run since October as positive US economic data underpinned expectations that interest rates could probably be raised several times this year, starting with a hike next week.

After raising rates just a single time in 2015 and also in 2016, the pace may quicken this year. The so-called dot plot from Fed policy makers shows an expectation for three increases this year, and last Friday, Yellen dropped hints the bank might end up having to hike them more than planned in 2017.

After Wednesday’s upbeat private payrolls data, markets were pointing towards more than 90 % chances of rate hike in March meeting; gold prices are likely to face the weakness amidst the strength in the dollar. Separately, the weaker CPI released from China is also likely to put pressure on gold, given the fact that gold is considered as a hedge against inflation.

Gold prices slipped on Friday, building on a loss for the week as better-than-expected U.S. employment data backs the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will decide to boost interest rates at its meeting next week.

Higher interest rates lift the appeal of holding dollars. That also means that a stronger dollar cuts the worth of holding non-yielding gold that’s priced in this denomination.

We see this sell-off as tied into the increased chance of a US rate rise next week. Looking further out, sentiments for the yellow metal are bullish.


Wednesday 1 March 2017

Effect of Presidential Election and BREXIT on Bullion Market

So Far, bullion has witnessed a 9.6 percent rise in prices mainly due to the prevailing political uncertainty over Trump’s unorthodoxy, European elections and Brexit ruffle confidence.
The yellow metal reached near a four month high last week amid intensified political uncertainty in the U.S. and the EU.

All precious metals have made gains, gold, silver, platinum and palladium, as both the euro and the dollar weakened over the week. Let's take a look as to what factors contributed to the rise and how far an important role will they play in the near future.

US uncertainty- Gold prices have hit a four month high to reaching their highest level since Donald Trump won the election.


The metal is considered as a safe haven asset for money and values rise when markets are in turmoil or in times of uncertainty. This sentiment has raised the demand for gold especially from investors thus pushing  its prices higher.

As markets await a major speech by US president Donald Trump, we saw equates retreating and dollar hesitating thus strengthening gold prices and shaking off most of the losses incurred following the surprise election result, as markets continue to unwind Trump trade.

Fed Rate Hike- Last Wednesday's release of minutes from the last FOMC meeting on January 31 – February 1 struck a slightly more hawkish tone as Fed members discussed the appropriateness of another rate hike 'fairly soon.' concerns over the risks and uncertainties surrounding the Trump Administration's fiscal stimulus plans as well as a strengthening US dollar tempered that hawkish stance. In the end, markets were once again left with continued ambiguity regarding the pace of monetary policy tightening in the coming months. Indeed, the Fed Fund futures market still saw a low percentage probability of a March rate hike – in the high-teens to low-20's – a day after release of the FOMC minutes. This sustained policy uncertainty helped weigh on the dollar while boosting the price of gold further. Reduced expectations of a US rate hike in March following the release of the minutes from the US Federal Reserve's last meeting are also helping gold.

EU elections- Despite the virtually relentless rally in US and global equity markets, geopolitical risks continued to abound, particularly in Europe. Article 50, which officially begins the process of separation between the UK and European Union ('Brexit'), is slated to be triggered no later than in March. A former European Commission official has recently stated that the triggering of Article 50 could lead to a 'complete breakdown' of UK/EU relations.

Additionally, France's far-right, anti-EU presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, is leading in polls for the first round of the upcoming French elections. Although she is not currently favored to win against frontrunner Emmanuel Macron, any surprise victory by the populist/nationalist Le Pen will undoubtedly lead to serious questions about the future of the EU.

Geopolitical worries and political concerns in the EU continue which is leading a flight to safety bid in gold futures market and gold exchange traded funds (ETFs) and demand for safe haven gold bullion.

Dollar- The dollar looks vulnerable due to the uncertainty about US President Donald Trump and the new U.S. administration's policies. Overnight Trump attacked China and accused the Chinese of being ‘grand champions’ of currency manipulation.

This alone is quite bullish for gold. It does not create confidence about trade relations between the world's two biggest economies and it suggests that we may be about to embark on the next phase of the global currency wars.

The US president is to deliver his first speech to US Congress next week, after US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin on Thursday said the impact of fiscal stimulus this year on the economy might be limited.

Amid these uncertainties in Europe as well as those in the US under the Trump Administration's still-hazy policy trajectory and the Fed's murky monetary policy, gold has continued to extend its sharp uptrend that began after price bottomed out around the $1125 support area in late December.

Tuesday 7 February 2017

Push vs Pull for GOLD

Last week, gold clocked its largest weekly gain in some seven months. The move came higher as investors flocked to gold, which is often viewed as a safe-haven investment in times of uncertainty.
Last Thursday, markets kept a close watch in the Jobs report that was due on Friday. Apart from the Job report there were many other highlighted events in the week-

Jobs Data- U.S. job growth surged more than expected in January as construction firms and retailers ramped up hiring, but wages barely rose, handing the administration under President Donald Trump, both a head start and a challenge as it seeks to boost the economy.


This report pushed gold prices higher and the sentiments have been continued for this week too.
The gold price climbed on Monday to its highest in nearly three months with investor interest in bullion improving thanks to a subdued dollar and political worries about the US and Europe.
Spot gold was up 0.6% at $1,226.91 during trading hours, having earlier touched $1,230.14, a level last reached on November 17.

Political Uncertainty- Majorly, the current uncertainty prevailing in the US is being driven further by President Donald Trump’s policies, the most controversial of which is a temporary ban on immigrants from seven Muslim countries.

Moreover, Data on Friday showed U.S. wage growth slowed, reducing the odds of Federal Reserve rate increases this year and sending bullion to the biggest weekly gain since June. Uncertainty about Trump’s fiscal-stimulus policies and his administration’s spats with traditional allies helped push hedge funds’ bullish bets on gold to the most in almost two months.

Dollar - The dollar’s value against a basket of currencies has fallen nearly 4% since January 3. That was partly on expectations that the US central bank will wait to see what happens on the political and economic fronts after Friday’s monthly jobs report showed that wages barely rose. "Gold’s solid showing so far this year ... is mostly attributable to a weaker dollar and last week’s standoffish Federal Reserve statement with regard to when it would next move on rates. Trump has also criticized the strength of the dollar, which has pushed the greenback lower. A weaker dollar is good for gold as gold is denominated in U.S. dollars.

French politics - Elections in the Netherlands, France and Germany this year are also adding to jitters. Apart from the Trump presidency euphoria, investors are also watching French politics, where conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon on Monday vowed to fight on for the presidency despite a damaging scandal involving taxpayer-funded payments to his wife for work which a newspaper alleges she did not do. French pollster Opinion way published a survey on Monday that showed independent Emannual Macron resoundingly winning a presidential election runoff against far-right leader Marine LePen.

Interest rate hike - The Fed raised rates for only the second time since the financial crisis in December and most Fed policymakers agree with Harker that three more rate hikes this year would be appropriate. Wall Street banks and interest-rate futures traders are betting the Fed will only lift borrowing costs twice this year, starting in June.

Currently there is basket of positive and negative factors that might respectively push or pull gold prices further. Of course the positive factors for gold could indeed be overturned by a significant improvement In US employment statistics, or advances in GDP, thus strengthening the Fed’s hand, but if the dollar continues to fall (President Trump appears to think it is too high) and real interest rates remain negative, gold could yet have a good way to run this year, particularly given the global geopolitical uncertainties noted above.

Friday 3 February 2017

Budget views 2017



From the previous budget to this year’s- Gold witnessed some key events in the domestic market.
They varied from politics to economic to geopolitical. Namely-

Demonetisation
Prime Minister Narendra  Modi made the surprise announcement on 8th November 2016 that the 500 and 1000 Rupees are just “worthless piece of paper”. The 500 and 1000 Rupees notes have been banned to fight back money and money-laundering. The new 2000 and 500 Rupees notes were released on 8th November 2016. The aftermath of demonetization, banks and ATM across the country faced severe cash shortages.

Goods and service bills passed
Goods and Services Tax bill were passed on 8 August 2016. GST is a proposed system of indirect taxation in India merging most of, the existing taxes into a single system of taxation. It would be a comprehensive indirect tax on the manufacture, sale and consumption of goods and services throughout India, to replace taxes levied by the state and central governments.

Surgical Strike Against Pakistan
The Indian said that it had conducted “Surgical Strikes against suspected militants in Pakistani-administered Kashmir on 29 September 2016. Lt Gen Ranbir Singh (DGMO) said that it had received “very credible and specific information” about “terrorist teams” who were preparing to “carry out infiltration and conduct terrorist strikes inside Jammu and Kashmir and in various metros in other states”. The Indian action was meant to pre-empt their infiltration.

But of the ones mentioned above gold was majorly affected in the year end by the announcement of demonetisation scheme.

Gold has been a beneficiary and even a victim of demonetisation. On a net basis, this demonetisation exercise as of now has been neutral for gold. As the demonetisation alarm bells rang, the rush to buy gold was almost immediate. As media reports suggest and also confirmed by gold import numbers, a lot of gold was sold on the night of November 8, as many rushed to buy gold with old notes. Post that, as the cash crunch hit the economy, there was a significant decline in discretionary spending including gold.

In many of our pre budget expectations over the past few years, we have always proposed to make the gold industry more organised. Fortunately, the demonetisation scheme, launching of a gold scheme and making PAN number compulsory for purchases of gold jewellery worth more than Rs 2 lakh shows the seriousness of government in making the making gold a commodity and thus channelizing it into a more organised way.These are signs of positive policy

After a neutral financial year for gold industry in India, all eyes were on the Finance Minister for the budget that was presented today- Feb 1st. This date marks the change in previous customary budget schedules which usually took place at around the end of February, usually February 28. The gold industry was hoping for a change from last few years of high import duties to a more reduced levy.

The industry was expecting a reduction in duty not onlyfor the interest of the dealers but also for the good of the common man.

However, there was no such announcement and duties have been unchanged. The budget is neutral for the gold industry and overall positive. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate this budget as 6.5.

Wednesday 1 February 2017

Gold rises to Rs.29,750 on firm global cues, wedding season demand

Gold prices rose Rs. 200 to Rs. 29,750 per 10 grams at the bullion market here today on persistent buying by jewellers boosted by firm global prices according to RiddiSiddhi Bullions Limited.

Gold prices have been on the rise since January 28 and have gained Rs. 600 since then, added the Mr. Prithviraj Kothari, Managing Director, RSBL


Silver also crossed the Rs. 42,000 level by rising Rs. 300 to Rs. 42,200 per kg on increased off take by industrial units and coin makers.

Bullion traders said that besides a firm trend overseas, steady buying by local jewellers amid the ongoing wedding season mainly kept the precious metal prices higher.

Gold rose 0.59 per cent to $1,208.50 an ounce in Singapore today. The precious metal had risen by 1.25 per cent to $1,210.30 an ounce and silver went up by 2.75 per cent to $17.55 an ounce in New York yesterday, said a Bullion spectator.

In the national capital, gold of 99.9 and 99.5 per cent purity advanced by Rs. 200 each to Rs. 29,750 and Rs.29,600 per 10 grams respectively.

Sovereign, also went up by Rs. 100 to Rs. 24,400 per piece of eight grams.

In sync with gold, silver ready rose further by Rs. 300 to Rs. 42,200 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs.395 to Rs. 41,870 per kg.

On the other hand, silver coins remained steady at Rs. 72,000 for buying and Rs. 73,000 for selling of 100 pieces as per the statistics provided by RSBL.

Tuesday 31 January 2017

Trump policy under trouble as Gold goes weaker against Dollar

Gold prices crawled higher on Monday on a weaker dollar and as uncertainty over US policy under President Donald Trump stoked safe-haven demand, although gains were curbed with many in Asia on holiday for the Lunar New Year, said Mr. Prithviraj Kothari, Managing Director of RiddiSiddhi Bullions Limited.

Spot gold had edged up 0.1 per cent to $1,191.98 per ounce by 0735 GMT, while US gold futures were up 0.24 per cent at $1,191.2.


Trump's administration on Sunday tempered a key element of his move to ban entry of refugees and people from seven Muslim-majority countries in the face of mounting criticism and protests in major American cities.

Some of Trump's statements and a lack of detail on policy have led some investors to opt for gold, often seen as an alternative investment in times of geopolitical and financial uncertainty.

The executive order signed by Trump has raised the uncertainty even higher.
The upturn in safe-haven buying comes at a time when physical demand has been sapped due to the Lunar New Year holiday in Asia, added Kothari.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, was down 0.12 per cent at 100.410.

The market for the precious metal has also been buoyed by sluggish US economic data released on Friday.

Economic growth in the country slowed sharply in the fourth quarter as a plunge in shipments of soybeans weighed on exports, the data showed.

"That puts just enough doubt into the industry's mind about the timing of (US interest) rate hikes," Hynes said.

Meanwhile, holdings of the largest gold-backed exchange-traded-fund (ETF), New York's SPDR Gold Trust GLD, remained unchanged on Thursday from Wednesday.

Speculators crimped their net long position in gold futures and options, following two straight weeks of increases, data showed. They also raised their silver holdings to the highest since early November.

Spot silver was up 0.23 per cent at $17.16 per ounce.

Platinum shed 0.14 per cent to $980.75 per ounce, while palladium dropped 0.5 per cent to $732.4 per ounce. Palladium touched its lowest since Jan. 4 at $708.97 an ounce in the previous session.


Thursday 12 January 2017

2017 - SURPRISES TO UNFOLD FOR GOLD : RSBL

Until Wednesday last week, gold was trading in positive territory continuing the rally from the previous session.

The spot gold price was quoted at $1,164.85/1,165.15 per oz, up $8.05 on the previous close.


There were many supporting factors for gold’s rally-

  • Mainly all the uncertainty that lies ahead with the changeover in the US administration 
  • Brexit 
  • The weakening trend in the yuan. 
On Friday last week, gold slipped following the release of strong US employment data which was as follows-
  • The USA added 156,000 jobs in December, compared with 204,000 in November, while wages grew 2.9% year-on-year to reach a seven-year high.
  • German industrial production climbed 0.4%, which was down from the 0.7% expected, while the country’s trade balance climbed more than expected. 
  • The non-farm employment change for December showed 156,000 Americans entered the workforce, a slight miss from the 175,000 forecast.
  • However, the figure for the previous month was revised up 19,000 jobs and the headline unemployment figure came in as expected at 4.7%.
  • The big surprise was that average hourly earnings grew by 0.4% month-on-month, bringing total wage growth to 2.9% for the year and the highest level since before the recession.


Gold prices were in positive territory in London on the morning of Monday January 9, recovering slightly from last week’s drop.

The spot gold price was recently quoted at $1,176.20/1,176.50 per oz, up $3.40 on the previous close. Trade has ranged from $1,172.50 to $1,178.75. Gold prices edged up in a technical rebound on Monday after one-month highs hit last week were undercut by the prospects of more interest rate hikes from the US Federal Reserve.

US employment increased less than expected in December but a rebound in wages pointed to sustained labour market momentum that sets up the economy for stronger growth and the prospect of further interest rate increases this year.

Chicago Federal Reserve President Charles Evans said on Friday the central bank could raise interest rates three times this year, faster than he had expected just a few months ago.

Evans and other regional Fed presidents are scheduled to speak this week, and the outlook for U.S. rates may become even clearer when Chair Janet Yellen appears at a webcast town hall meeting with educators on Thursday.

Expectations of US interest rate hikes lowers demand for the non-interest-paying bullion.
Apart from a rate hike the most discussed r rather the most awaited topic currently is the fiscal stimulus that Trump is promising and, of course, inflation.

Despite the rebound in the dollar, gold prices are holding up well – all thanks to the safe haven move by investors, just ahead of the shift in US administration.

By the end of 2016 or rather post the 2016 US election, confidence in the global markets was running high thus propelling gold to lose its safe haven appeal. But 2017 has lot of uncertainties and surprises to unfold for gold which will once again get into the investors basket keeping in the mind its appeal as a safe haven asset in times of global uncertainties.

In the week ahead, investors will be looking ahead to US economic reports, particularly Friday’s retail sales figures for December. Investors will also be watching an appearance by Fed Chair Janet Yellen on Thursday and speeches by a handful of other Fed officials during the week, as well as President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday for a press conference.

Now investors await the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump to see what the volatile leader will implement once in office.

Thursday 29 December 2016

Gold stabilises around $1130

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Wednesday December 14 raised interest rates to a range of 0.5-0.75% from 0.25-0.5%, which was widely anticipated and was largely priced in by commodities and equities.

Modestly analysts believe that higher interest rates in the USA are not expected to have much of an impact on metal markets unless it reaches 2%.

And while higher rates could cause issues if they are raised too quickly or too high, this is not an immediate threat.

The markets have somewhat calmed down with gold hovering near $1130 an ounce.



Gold was trading calm in London on Thursday December 22 – where prices are stuck around $1,130 per oz while many investors are side-lined as the end of the year approaches.

It’smore of a holiday mood where US and Chinese markets willremain shut for Christmas. And hence business and liquidity is expected to dry up till New Year.

The spot gold price was recently indicated at $1,130.25/1,130.45 per oz, down $0.60 on Wednesday’s close.

Later on, prices fluctuated in a nominal range following important data realised during the week.

This week’s highlights were as follows-
  • The US final third quarter GDP growth was revised upwards to 3.5% from 3.2% and
  • Core durable goods orders increased 0.5% month-on-month in November, which was better than the forecast of 0.2%.
  • Durable goods orders fell 4.6% month-on-month in November, still better than expectations of a 4.9% drop.
  • Weekly unemployment claims, however, came in at 275,000 above consensus of 255,000.
  • The November core PCE price index was flat against the forecast of 0.1%
  • Personal spending was at 0.2% below expectations of 0.4%.
  • CB leading index and personal income were both unchanged in November, and below their forecast of 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively.
  • The US government bond market strengthened slightly on Wednesday, with the 10-year US bond yield closing at 2.53%, down from a recent peak of 2.60% last week.
The latest [US] data which has both positive and negative reflects the state of the current US economy. Taking into consideration the outlook for the US economy, future US economic data should trend towards improvement. This could provide some downward pressure for gold and silver.

Recent strong US macroeconomic data and sanguinity over president-elect Donald Trump’s prospective infrastructure spending plans have raised expectations of more interest rate increases in the USA next year. This has also enhanced the US dollar and increased appeal of risk assets like equities, while decreasing the attractiveness of haven assets like gold.

However, he gold price was a touch higher on the morning of Friday December 23 in London, finding some support from bargain hunting before the year-end holidays but lacking sufficient momentum for a marked breakthrough.

The spot gold price managed slight gains during Asian trading hours on Friday December 23 following the release of a range of US data on Thursday.
The momentum for precious metals has slowed but broadermarkets remain tough and positivity for 2017 remains high,

This reflected a moderate decrease in risk appetite on the back of growing political tensions between the US and China after President-elect Trump picked Peter Navarro, a China hawk, to run the US National Trade Council.

Precious metals are expeted to shine next year . Investors may continue to remove their bullish bets to take advantage of positive global risk sentiment and lower volatility across risk asset classes. But the level of contentment in the financial markets may take some participants by surprise early next year, which may trigger a strong rebound across the complex.