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Auto shares dip, currencies fluctuate

“We believe that he’s using (auto tariffs) as a trade negotiation. The markets are jittery because nobody really knows what’s going to happen and what will come out in future,” Nicolas Lin, chairman and interim CEO of Aether Holdings.

European stocks fell, with weakness in shares of Europe’s top carmakers such as Volkswagen down nearly 2%, while BMW lost almost 3% and Mercedes-Benz slid more than 4%.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, fell 0.2% to 104.43, with the euro up 0.24% at $1.0777.

The Mexican peso weakened 0.82% versus the dollar at 20.288 while the Canadian dollar weakened 0.39% versus the greenback to C$1.43 per dollar as both countries are expected to be heavily impacted by the tariffs.

Source – Reuters

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    Gold and Silver to be legal tender in Florida

    Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Tuesday that would recognize gold and silver as legal tender in the state, paving a path for Floridians to use the commodities in payment transactions.

    The bill, HB 999, starts the process of allowing government or private entities, such as businesses, to voluntarily accept gold and silver as a form of debt payment. The bill also outlines sales tax exemptions on the purchase of the precious metals if they meet the purity requirements or if the sale of the gold or silver exceeds $500.

    HB 999 is set to go into effect on July 1, 2026, if the Florida Legislature ratifies the rules to implement the bill before then.

    “Florida stands firmly for freedom, economic self-determination, and resistance to government overreach,” the governor said. “But for too long, outdated regulations and unnecessary sales taxes have made it impractical for Floridians to enter the gold and silver market.”

    Source – Business Insider

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    Gold boosts South African rand

    South Africa’s commodity-backed currency edged up on Monday, helped by higher gold prices, as investors digested last week’s unexpectedly weak U.S. jobs data and awaited tariff updates ahead of the United States’ August 8 deadline.

    The bourse was boosted by South African miners, including Gold Fields , up 8%, AngloGold Ashanti (AU.N), at 6%, and Harmony Gold , which rose 7%.

    “Our foremost priority is protecting our export industries. We will continue to engage the U.S. in an attempt to preserve market access for our products,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a newsletter on Monday

    Source – Reuters

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    Spot gold down 1.3%

    Spot gold was 1.3% down at $2,840.25 an ounce by 10:42 a.m. ET (1542 GMT). Bullion has so far lost 3.2% for the week, its steepest weekly fall since November.

    “I think the main element impacting the gold and silver markets is the profit-taking in week-long liquidation (and) the strong U.S. dollar index,” said Jim Wyckoff, a senior market analyst at Kitco Metals.

    Spot silver fell 0.9% to $30.97, platinum lost 1.1% to $938.50 and palladium slipped 1.5% to $906. All three metals’ prices looked set for monthly declines.

    Source – Reuters

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    Copper tariff in effect August 1

    U.S. President Donald Trump sprang a double surprise on the copper market when he announced import tariffs of 50% effective next month.

    The August 1 start date signals the end of the race to ship physical metal to the United States to capture the tariff arbitrage.

    A lucky few with cargoes already afloat may yet cross the finishing line in time, but the physical tariff trade is rapidly unwinding.

    The LME benchmark spread is now in a comfortable contango of $66 per ton, compared with a backwardation of more than $300 per ton at the end of June.

    Source – Reuters

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    Gold up amidst Israel – Iran conflict

    Spot gold was up 0.2% at $3,374.54 an ounce, as of 0505 GMT. U.S. gold futures eased 0.5% to $3,391.90.

    “Gold has made a modest bounce as we await the next steps in the Israel-Iran conflict. If the U.S. does decide to get directly involved in the conflict this could raise the geopolitical stakes,” KCM Trade Chief Market Analyst Tim Waterer said.

    “The Fed was not as dovish as some had hoped, and I’d argue Powell was a tad more hawkish than many would like. The U.S. dollar is likely at oversold levels, and that is likely to cap gains on gold over the next few weeks,” said Matt Simpson, a senior analyst at City Index.

    Source – Reuters