Investors are increasingly seeking safe-haven in hard assets like gold, silver, copper and platinum, historically viewed as stores of value in times of financial uncertainty, Saxo Bank’s Ole Hansen says in a note.
Source – Wall Street Journal
Futures (in finance) – Are contracts to buy or sell a specific underlying asset at a future date.
Spot gold held steady at $3,047.1 an ounce as of 0700 GMT, after hitting a record high of $3,057.21 earlier in the session.
U.S. gold futures gained 0.4% to $3,054.10.
“For now, gold’s appeal as a safe haven and inflation hedge has further strengthened in light of those geopolitical concerns and tariff uncertainty. We remain constructive on the outlook of gold,” said OCBC forex strategist Christopher Wong.
Spot silver was flat at $33.8 an ounce, platinum fell 0.3% to $989.85. Palladium slipped 1% to $949.50.
Source – Reuters
Proposed designs for a half-ounce .9999 fine gold Sacagawea dollar to be issued in 2025 by the United States Mint, to recognize the 25th anniversary of the 2000 release into circulation of the manganese-brass clad Sacagawea dollar, were reviewed and recommended Feb. 18 by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
The U.S. Mint is preparing to strike the coins with a W Mint mark at the West Point Mint.
Source – Coin World
“The market is really trying to understand how aggressive these potential tariffs could be and I think the problem is no one really knows the answer,” said Nitesh Shah, commodity strategist at WisdomTree.
Alastair Munro, senior base metals analyst at Marex, said copper found some support from contrarian buying from some Commodity Trade Advisor (CTA) investment funds, which are largely driven by computer programs.
Source – Reuters / Live Mint
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
The footage played at their trial at Oxford Crown Court showed two vehicles driving across the Great Courtyard, before hooded individuals armed with sledgehammers and a large crowbar broke into the palace. One could be seen leaving carrying a golden toilet seat.
The fully functioning lavatory was insured for the sum of $6m (£4.8m), the court heard previously.
“They knew precisely where to go, broke down the wooden door to the cubicle where the toilet was fully plumbed in, removed it, leaving water pouring out of the pipes, and drove away,” prosecutor Julian Christopher KC said previously.
“Clearly such an audacious raid would not have been possible without lots of preparation”, he added,
Source – BBC
I will follow this till the end of the trial. I want to know what happened to the toilet! Maybe you do too. Clearly had to have been planned and to have done it so quickly, from the video evidence anyway. Let’s see what happens. -V.
