Gold prices dropped more than 1% on Friday as markets digested the latest tariff developments, while a softer inflation report in the US kept hopes for a rate cut alive.
Spot gold fell back below $3,300 an ounce during the morning session, trading at $3,281.24 for an intraday gain of 1.1% by 10:45 a.m. ET. US gold futures also fell 1.1% to $3,307.40 an ounce in New York.
“Gold, at this point in time, is pulling back off these recent highs and is in a consolidation period,” said David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Futures
“Gold is under slight pressure as we’re seeing a little lesser need for safe haven, but it does look like there is going to be significant pushback from Trump and that will eventually help prices.”
Source – Mining.com
U.S. copper futures rallied nearly 5% on Wednesday, rising more than other global benchmarks, after President Trump said imports of the metal would be subject to a 25% tariff; the front-month May Comex contract (HG1:COM) currently +4.6% at $4.76/lb.
Trump’s comments in last night’s speech to Congress sparked a surge in Comex copper prices in Asian hours, as traders reacted to the possibility that copper tariffs could be larger than expected.
“A 25% tariff was clearly not what the market was expecting before those comments, and now traders are scrambling to price in the correct level, whatever that might end up being,” Saxo Bank’s Ole Hansen said. “Whatever the final tariff is, the disruption to global trade flows is very real.”
Source – Seeking Alpha
Sub-Saharan African central banks that have added gold to their reserves in recent years could face price and liquidity crises if the value of the precious metal slides, BMI, a unit of Fitch Group, said on Wednesday.
Ghana, Tanzania and Nigeria have been buying gold domestically to beef up their reserves, BMI said, a move accelerated by this year’s broader market volatility stoked by U.S. trade tariffs and other geopolitical risks.
Policymakers in Kenya and Uganda are exploring a move into gold, Rwanda and Namibia have taken active steps towards adding the metal into their reserves.
Governments could also struggle to convert their gold holdings into liquid assets like hard currencies, Gard said, pointing to India and Argentina when they faced acute balance of payments challenges in the 1990s and 2000s, respectively.
Source – Reuters
The R.M.S. Republic sank Jan. 24, 1909, after a collision in dense fog with the S.S. Florida off the coast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.
The Lords of Fortune company has identified two cargoes — a $25 million Tsarist gold shipment and an $800,000 U.S. Navy shipment, both 1909 face values when gold was $20.67 per ounce.
With a successful recovery, an $8 million investment should return $200 million conservatively, according to Capt. Martin Bayerle of Lords of Fortune LLC.
Add the Russian gold, 45 tons of United States gold $10 eagles on melt value alone, and you exceed 100 times, he said.
Source – Coin World
This is amazing! Wondering if there’s as much as they say there is. Hopefully there isn’t too much damage to the gold from the salt water. Can’t wait to see pictures or video of the excavation. -V.
NASA scientists estimate that there are almost 20 million tons of gold dissolved in the water of the seas and oceans.
Estimates suggest that nearly 20 million tons of gold are dissolved in seawater. However, the concentration of this metal is extremely dilute across a vast volume of water, making its extraction highly complex.
Source – AS USA
Source – Gold Eagle
