Copper can sustain current levels around $9 400 a ton until early April, after which the implementation of US tariffs could see prices drop to $8 500 within three months, Citigroup analysts including Tom Mulqueen said in a research note.
Copper fell 0.4% to $9,438.50 a ton on the LME as of 10:14 a.m. in Shanghai, while other base metals were mixed.
Source – Mining Weekly
Gold prices rose on Tuesday, supported by safe-haven demand amid uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans for next week that could potentially boost inflation.
Spot gold was up 0.3% at $3,021.39 an ounce at 11:24 a.m. ET (1524 GMT). U.S. gold futures were up 0.4% at $3,026.20.
“Investors are concerned about the state of the world, especially with U.S. policies being what they are, and so they’re buying gold as an alternative asset because they’re concerned that the U.S. government may throw the world into a global recession,” said Jeffrey Christian, managing partner of CPM Group.
Spot silver gained 1.8% to $33.59 an ounce, platinum added 0.8% to $980.80 and palladium added 1.1% to $961.60.
Source – Reuters
Bullion-backed exchange traded funds (ETFs) reported returning net inflows last month, meaning half-year flows reached levels not seen for five years, data from the World Gold Council (WGC) showed.
Total holdings rose by 75 tonnes last month, the WGC said, to 3,616 tonnes. This was the highest for 34 months.
Inflows were valued at $7.6 billion, which in turn drove cumulative assets under management (AUMs) to $382.8 billion an all-time peak.
The WGC said that “North America accounted for the bulk of inflows, recording the strongest first half in five years.” It added that “despite slowing momentum in May and June, Asian investors bought a record amount of gold ETFs during the first half, contributing an impressive 28% to net global flows with only 9% of the world’s total AUMs.”
Source – Forbes
“The latest run-up in prices—in gold to an 11-week high near last year’s record, and silver towards resistance around USD 31—was triggered by Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on some of its major trading partners, including Canada, Mexico, Europe, and China.”
“Silver continues to recover from the deep end-of-year correction that saw the white metal tumble 17% from a 12-year high at $34.87 to a December low at $28.74. Besides renewed demand from wrong-footed short sellers in the futures market at the start of the year, prices have also been supported by… the fundamental outlook for a fifth consecutive annual supply deficit.”
Source – Seeking Alpha
Should uncertainty over economic policy persist, including on tariffs, bullion could hit $3,300 an ounce on higher speculative positioning
Rising fears of inflation and fiscal risks “may push central banks — especially those holding large US Treasury reserves — to buy more gold
Source – Bloomberg
Supply is expected to grow by 3 percent, but it won’t be nearly enough to feed growing demand. This will lead to a 149 million-ounce market deficit. While the gap between supply and demand will shrink by about 19 percent from last year’s level, it will remain “sizeable historically.”
Source – Money Metals / Written by Mike Maharrey
“We have to bring production back to our country,” he said.
“In the US, manufacturers will have little choice but to pass on higher costs from imports to consumers until the downstream industry (refining/smelting) has undergone suitable investment,” said Natalie Scott-Gray, senior metals analyst at StoneX.
“If Trump imposes tariffs, it will have an adverse impact particularly on aluminum because Europe is already on path to impose a carbon tax and the UK might do it too,” said B.K. Bhatia, additional secretary general at the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries.
Source – Mining.com
