Trade War pushes gold prices high

Gold prices ended last week on a high note as prices rose on Friday over the escalating US China trade war. Gold posted a weekly rise as the United States raised tariffs on Chinese goods and increased fears of a global economic slowdown, with a weaker dollar also offering support to the precious metal.

On May 9, the US government announced that since May 10, 2019, the tariff rate imposed on the $200 billion list of goods imported from China has been increased from 10% to 25%.

The above measures by the United States have led to an escalation of Sino-US economic and trade frictions, contrary to the consensus between China and the United States on resolving trade differences through consultations, jeopardizing the interests of both sides and not meeting the general expectations of the international community.

The United States intensified a tariff war with China on Friday by hiking levies on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods amid talks to rescue a trade deal. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he was in no hurry to sign a trade deal with China.
Uncertainty over the real impact on [the] U.S. economy and Chinese economy was driving gold prices higher.

Gold pieces rallied over the following-

• The levy of increased tariffs by the Trump government has increased the demand for safe haven assets like gold and bonds mainly because equities saw a sharp drop over the trade war. Rise in demand ultimately resulted in a rise in gold prices
• Another spill over effect of the trade war can be seen in the fact that the US Federal Reserved may be forced to cut interest rates which will further result in a rise in the yellow metal.
• Global anxiety has also seen an uptick as U.S. bombers arrived at a U.S. base in Qatar. The bombers have been sent to the Middle East to counter what Washington describes as threats from Iran.
• Bullion was also supported by a weaker dollar which fell after data showed a smaller-than-expected rise in the U.S. consumer price index last month.

Initially markets were expected that a trade deal will be struck between the two biggest economies of the world. However what happened over the weekends was much beyond market expectations.

A full-scale trade war between the US and China began. This war of words is closer than ever after Beijing hit back with retaliatory tariffs on Monday. The Chinese Yuan fell by more than 1%, prompting a selloff in copper, while gold jumped $11 to 1299 and Bitcoin hits $7400. USD fell across the board on reports that some Chinese scholars have mentioned Beijing taking the "nuclear option" -- selling US treasuries. Risk trades have been hit hard to start the week with safe haven assets surging.
After vowing over the weekend to "never surrender to external pressure", Beijing defied President Trump's demands that it not resort to retaliatory tariffs and announced plans to slap new levies on $60 billion in US goods.

• China Says to raise tariffs on  some US goods wef June 1
• China Says to raise tariffs on  $60B of U.S. goods
• China says to raise tariffs on  2493 U.S. goods to 25%
• China may stop purchasing US agricultural products :GLOBAL TIMES
• China may reduce Beoing orders: GLOBAL TIMES
• China additional tariffs do not include U.S. crude oil
• China raises tariff on US LNG to 25% w.e.f. June 1
• China to raise tariffs on import of  U.S. rare Earths to 25%


Here's a breakdown of how China will impose tariffs on 2,493 US goods. The new rates will take effect at the beginning of next month.
• 2,493 items to be subjected to 25% tariffs.
• 1,078 items to be subject to 20% of tariffs
• 974 items subject to 10% of tariffs
• 595 items continue to be levied at 5% tariffs


In further bad news for American farmers, China might stop purchasing agricultural products from the US, reduce its orders for Boeing planes and restrict service trade.
China's announcement of counter tariffs acted as a booster for gold prices and resulted in its rise. There have been talks in the market that the Peoples bank of China may start dumping Treasury’s. But will it also dump US stocks and real estate? Well now we get concrete reasons behind the piling of gold reserves by the biggest gold consumer of the world.

A negative environment awaits for gold

Gold prices fell Friday to their lowest settlement in nearly a year, with the precious metal failing to find safe-haven support from the U.S.-China trade dispute, as the U.S. dollar gained for the week.
old prices were muted on Friday, stuck in a tight trading range, as the dollar extended rally from the previous session when strong U.S. inflation data and trade war concerns boosted demand for the greenback.

Gold prices fell again versus a rising Dollar on Friday in London, heading for a 1.3% weekly drop at new 2018 lows beneath $1240 per ounce as the US currency pushed higher on the FX markets amid President Donald Trump's ongoing tour of Europe.

The dollar was upbeat near a 10-day peak versus a basket of currencies on Friday, supported by Treasury yields that edged higher on expectations the U.S. inflation rate will rise.     

U.S. consumer price data on Thursday showed a steady build-up of inflation that could keep the Federal Reserve on a path of gradual interest rate increases.                 

Spot gold was down 0.1 percent at $1,245.54 an ounce during Fridays trading hours. For the week, the metal was down 0.7 percent.

Lately, the dollar has been very influential and one of the most prime mover for gold prices.
A stronger dollar—which has drawn haven demand amid the clash over trade between the U.S. and China and pushed higher on rising-rate expectations—has been the most significant headwind for gold. A strengthening greenback can make commodities linked to the monetary unit, such as gold, more expensive to buyers using other currencies

Market sentiments have been largely positive on the greenback as investors turned around from the safe haven asset despite rising geopolitical risks.

Currently, there is a lot of uncertainty prevailing in the markers as far the trade was is concerned.

The United States and China could reopen talks on trade but only if Beijing is willing to make significant changes.

If this uncertainty continues and there is any sort of escalation in the crisis then we might see the yellow metal gaining its luster.

During times of uncertainty gold prices can receive a boost as the metal is widely considered a safe-haven asset but bullion has failed to benefit from recent trade disputes.
   
But this is not the end of it.  Right now even the inflation numbers are not helping gold. This is because inflation numbers support higher interest rates and this will create negative impact on gold. Gold, which is seen as a traditional hedge against price pressures, has shown little interest in the latest inflation data, which hit their highest level in six years

Furthermore, The Federal Reserve’s hawkish tightening cycle, a strong economy, and a higher U.S. dollar will steal all of the market’s attention this year as the trade war tensions pause, pressuring gold prices even further. All of these clubbed together, can create a significantly negative atmosphere for gold.

Gold expected to rise moderately

While gold has primarily been stuck within the US$1,310 to $1,350 range this year, it managed to rise 3.61 percent during Q1 2018.

The yellow metal gained some first-hand experience in market volatility during the period, as inflation gave it boosts while US Federal Reserve interest rate hikes brought pressure down
On the other hand, United states willingness to resolve an escalating trade fight with China, pulled back gold prices from one week highs reached in the earlier trading sessions.

The United States voiced willingness on Wednesday to talk with China after Beijing retaliated against proposed U.S. tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods by targeting key American imports.
As investors pulled out of gold, Asian equities rebounded from two-month lows with investors hoping a full-blown trade war between the world’s two biggest economies can be averted.

Spot gold was down 0.3 percent at $1,329.11 per ounce by 0409 GMT, after touching a one-week high of $1,348.06 on Wednesday.

But what looked like an eased out situation, became a bit tense after economic numbers came in from U.S. Gold prices rose on Friday, as Wall Street stocks tumbled and the dollar fell as rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese officials fed worries about a possible trade war, and after U.S. jobs data came in weaker than expected.

U.S. stocks fell, with the Dow down more than 450 points, after Trump on Thursday threatened to slap $100 billion more in tariffs on Chinese imports, and Beijing pledged a “fierce counter strike”.
Falling stock prices dragged the dollar against the yen and the euro. Also pressuring the U.S. currency was data showing the U.S. economy in March created the fewest jobs in six months, which might prompt the Federal Reserve to go more slowly on plans to raise interest rates.

An intense trade war between US and China kept gold exposed to fluctuations. And hence the market is paying very much attention to the dollar and bond market in terms of what the Fed is going to do.
While any escalation in geopolitical tensions will raise the demand for the yellow metal, we already see an increase in the demand from the Indian markets.  Though demand for gold in whole of Asia was muted, there is a slight pick-up in buying in India ahead of the wedding season and a key festival.

This month Indians will be celebrating the annual festival of Akshaya Tritiya, when buying gold is considered auspicious.

Moving back to global worries, gold in the near term is exacted to raise moderately – Reasons being

• A weakening US dollar: A tightening monetary policy in Euro zone will result in the US dollars downtrend. And changed in the US fiscal policy will also have negative effect on US dollar, thus proving to be positive for gold.  The US dollar’s downtrend will resume later in the year. “One key reason behind this is the impending tightening of monetary policy in the Euro zone, given that the euro accounts for nearly 60% of the dollar index,” the report states. It also mentions changes to US fiscal policy, which could have a ripple effect on the US dollar yield curve.
• Volatility in equity markets. - The markets are too optimistic and bullish for equities and this over confident attitude could backfire, resulting in spiking gold prices.

These not so extreme, but moderately influential factors might spike gold prices in the near term but not to a great extent.

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.

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.

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.