Kamal Ghorui
Gold and silver prices are expected to remain range-bound for the second straight week as investors closely monitor developments in US-Iran peace negotiations and key global macroeconomic data, analysts said.Market participants are expected to track inflation data from China, Germany and the United States, along with GDP figures from the Eurozone and the UK later this week.“Gold prices momentum looks consolidative, while silver movement looks positive in the coming week as traders will focus again on the progress on peace talks between the US and Iran to end the war and markets are likely to react accordingly,” Pranav Mer, vice president, EBG – commodity & currency research at JM Financial Services, told news agency PTI.On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold futures rose Rs 1,178, or nearly 1 per cent, over the past week to settle at Rs 1.52 lakh per 10 grams.Silver prices surged Rs 10,985, or 4.4 per cent, to close at Rs 2.61 lakh per kilogram.
Gold supported by weaker dollar, lower bond yields
According to Jateen Trivedi, VP research analyst – commodity and currency at LKP Securities, gold traded with a “positive undertone” during the week.“Lower US Treasury bond yields and a softer dollar index also helped gold remain stable despite volatility across global markets,” he said.In the international market, Comex gold futures climbed nearly 2 per cent during the week to settle at $4,730.7 per ounce, while silver advanced 5.8 per cent to $80.86 per ounce.Mer said bullion prices remained largely steady through the week, supported by a weaker US dollar and reports suggesting progress in efforts to end the US-Iran conflict.Silver, meanwhile, recorded gains for the second consecutive week, aided by higher copper prices, supply concerns and dollar weakness, he added.
Geopolitical tensions continue to influence bullion
According to PTI, analysts said precious metal prices turned range-bound on Friday after renewed tensions in the Persian Gulf capped gains.The report noted that US and Iranian forces clashed in the region, while the United Arab Emirates also came under fresh attacks. However, US President Donald Trump later said that “a ceasefire was still holding,” which helped calm markets.The World Gold Council said continued central bank buying and fresh inflows into global exchange-traded funds also supported gold prices.Analysts added that markets would also keep an eye on Trump’s expected China visit and the US Senate vote on Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh in the coming days.
