Fed Likely to Hold Rates in 2025
Gold has benefited from geopolitical uncertainty and central bank demand, but a prolonged period of restrictive Fed policy presents risks.
Source – FXEMPIRE
Australia-based Kaiser Reef has entered into a definitive agreement with Catalyst Metals to acquire the Henty gold mine and associated exploration tenements in north-western Tasmania in a deal valued at A$31.6m.
Under the deal, Kaiser will make an upfront payment of A$15m and issue A$16.6m in shares, offering Catalyst a 19.99% stake in the company.
Following the acquisition, Kaiser’s enterprise value will reach A$67m, encompassing three gold mines, including one under care and maintenance and two gold processing plants.
“Kaiser will continue to re-invest into Henty and build on what Catalyst has already achieved. We are very pleased to have Catalyst’s continued involvement and exposure to the upside at Henty, both as Kaiser’s major shareholder and through their board representation.”
Source – Yahoo! Finance
The platinum jewellery market decline now appears to have stabilised, with year-on-year growth of 5% estimated for 2024 and 2% year-on-year growth forecast for this year, when total platinum jewellery demand is expected to reach 1.98-million ounces, the organisation points out.
PGI points out that in most markets, platinum jewellery is 950 parts per thousand, compared with 18 ct gold which is 750.
Source – Mining Weekly
PGI – Personal guarantee insurance
They bought over 1,000 tonnes of the precious metal last year, double the average amount purchased in the previous decade, according to a European Central Bank report published on Wednesday.
The authors wrote that global holdings of gold by reserve banks increased to 36,000 metric tons in 2024, close to the record of 38,000 metric tons reached around 60 years ago.
Now, central bank reserves are composed of, on average, the dollar, at 46%, gold, at 20%, other currencies at 18%, and the euro at 16%.
Source – Business Insider
Silver is making a strong comeback at the start of 2025, following a challenging year-end performance in 2024.
There is good reason to suspect that bullion banks have deliberately driven gold and silver prices lower at the close of 2024 to “paint the charts” and influence the yearly closing prices. Reports Jesse Colombo
Source – Money Metals
Spot gold gained 0.5% to $2,946.68 an ounce, as of 1131 GMT
“Gold continues to be supported by the prospect of a tariff-driven economic slowdown, potentially bringing forward U.S. Fed rate cut expectations,” Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, said.
“I maintain my bullish stance on gold, expecting an economic slowdown or even stagflation to drive demand and price of gold higher.”
Spot silver was flat at $33.21 an ounce, platinum lost about 1% to $974.45, while palladium dropped 0.2% to $947.17.
Source – Reuters
Chile’s place at the low-end of U.S. tariffs announced last week could be favorable for the world’s leading copper-producing country if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to slap tariffs on copper, Chile Mining Minister Aurora Williams said on Wednesday.
Chile is in “wait-and-see” mode until the investigation concludes, Williams told Reuters, but sees potential for a positive outcome even if the U.S. imposes tariffs on copper.
“If we assume that Chile is within the lowest tariff range, the application of a potential 10% tariff is lower than the tariffs we have seen for other copper-producing countries and therefore also generates a better price position,” Williams said
Source – Reuters