Gold prices were stuck in range-bound trade on Thursday as investors awaited U.S. non-farm payrolls data that could influence the Federal Reserve’s timeline for interest rate cuts.
Spot gold was down 0.3% at $3,347.44 an ounce by 1128 GMT. U.S. gold futures eased by 0.1% to $3,358.
The non-farm payrolls report due at 1230 GMT on Thursday is expected to show an addition of 110,000 jobs in June, down from 139,000 in May, according to a Reuters poll.
Spot silver rose 0.9% to $36.93 an ounce while platinum lost 2.7% to $1,379.95 and palladium retreated by 1.9% to $1,132.76.
Source – Reuters
A collapse at a copper mine in Chile killed one worker and left five trapped underground, authorities said on Friday, forcing Chile’s state mining company to suspend operations in the affected area of the world’s largest underground copper deposit.
Nine other mine workers suffered injuries, said Chile’s National Copper Corporation, known as Codelco, describing the incident as the result of “a seismic event.”
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 5 earthquake in an area of central Chile where Codelco’s El Teniente mine is located, at 5:34 p.m. local time on Thursday. Authorities said they’re still investigating whether it was a naturally occurring earthquake or whether mining activity at El Teniente caused the quake.
“We are making every effort to try to rescue these five miners,” said Andrés Music, general manager of El Teniente. “The next 48 hours are crucial.”
Source – The Associated Press
Praying for these people to be rescued. -Victoria
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
Shares of Barrick Gold Corp.
ABX-3.10% rose 2.32% to C$26.47 Wednesday, in what proved to be an all-around positive trading session for the Canadian market, with the S&P/TSX Composite Index
Source – Market Watch
“We believe the demand is across the board. We see institutions either adding to or establishing long term strategic asset allocation type positions. We see individual investors doing the same. We see a certain amount of FOMO. There’s a fear of missing out whenever the price gains momentum to the upside” George Milling-Stanley, Chief Gold Strategist at State Street Global Advisors, told FOX Business.
Source – FOX News
“Given the current scenario, central banks are likely to continue diversifying their reserves with gold for financial and strategic reasons,” ICICI Securities stated in its report.
Pankaj Pandey, Head of Research at ICICI Securities, noted, “We anticipate fresh investment demand for gold in 2025 as investors seek a store of value amidst trade war anxieties.”
Silver is poised to outperform gold in 2025, supported by strong industrial demand from green energy applications, including photovoltaics and electric vehicle (EV) electrification, said ICICI.
Source – Live Mint
