The Mali situation will rumble on for some time: the company has already paid the country $160mn, agreed while Holohan was still detained, but will only have its longer-term future confirmed once signed on to the 2023 mining code. Berenberg analysts have slashed their cash profit forecasts for 2025 and 2026 by 34 and 39 per cent, respectively, taking them to $261mn and $219mn.
Source – Investors Chronicle
If the United States Mint moves forward with plans to produce a 24-karat gold Sacagawea dollar on the 25th anniversary of the series in 2025, it will be the first time the issue is produced in .9999 fine gold.
The bureau is considering producing the gold dollars at the West Point Mint with the facility’s W Mint mark. Bureau officials have not disclosed what finish would be used for the 25th anniversary gold dollars nor any mintage limit.
The proposed 25th anniversary Sacagawea gold dollar will feature the designs that appeared on coins released into general circulation in January 2000, bearing the so-called “13 tail feathers,” with the same inscriptions as originally featured on the 2000 coins, with no mention of gold weight or fineness.
Source – Coin World
Markets initially dropped after Fed Chair Jerome Powell hinted at fewer rate cuts next year, but quickly recovered as investors recognized this aligned with recent expectations, said StoneX analyst Rhona O’Connell.
“Gold sold off, showcasing once more that it is not an inflation hedge per se, but regained some lost ground on a threatened U.S. government shutdown,” said Carsten Menke, analyst at Julius Baer.
Source – Reuters https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/gold-recovers-one-month-low-short-covering-2024-12-19/
“Gold is reacting to a sharp rise in the U.S. dollar after a hawkish Fed cut,” said Michael Armbruster, co-founder and managing partner at Altavest. Source – Market Watch https://www.marketwatch.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-futures-rise-ahead-of-final-rate-decision-and-economic-forecast-of-the-year/card/gold-futures-decline-after-fed-announcement-WFThfHDv2mQxezfnO3an
“Despite the pullback we’ve seen in gold prices following yesterday’s Fed statement, we believe gold’s positive momentum will continue in the short to medium term,” Manthey said by email. Source – CNBC https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/the-fed-s-hawkish-signal-sparked-gold-jitters-but-analysts-see-support-for-the-precious-metal-in-2025/ar-AA1wajju?ocid=socialshare
Gold touched an all-time high on Monday, breaching the $3,100 level, as investors turned to the safe-haven asset amid concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans would stoke a global trade war and economic fallout.
Spot gold was up 0.6% to $3,103.63 an ounce, as of 0255 GMT, after hitting a record high of $3,107.26 earlier. Bullion is up over 8% in March.
“Markets anxiety levels have been ramping up ahead of the reciprocal U.S. tariff announcements, which is keeping gold in high demand as a defensive play,” KCM Trade chief market analyst, Tim Waterer said.
“If the tariff announcements this week are not as severe as feared, then the gold price could start to backtrack as profit-taking from the highs may be triggered.”
Spot silver rose 0.4% to $34.23 an ounce, platinum was steady at $983.51 and palladium gained 0.4% to $975.70.
Source – Reuters
In a landmark victory for coin dealers, collectors, and investors, the Kentucky General Assembly has overridden Governor Andy Beshear’s veto of House Bill 2, officially enacting a sales-tax exemption for currency, bullion, and coins.
Introduced Jan. 10, 2025, HB 2 passed the House with a 76–17 vote and the Senate with a 30–6 vote earlier this year. The veto override, finalized on March 27 with an 80-19 vote in the House and an 31-6 vote in the Senate, marks the successful conclusion of a year-long effort to protect Kentucky taxpayers.
Source – Coin World
Gold imports to Switzerland from the United States jumped to the highest monthly level since at least 2012 in April after the exclusion of precious metals from U.S. import tariffs, Swiss customs data showed on Tuesday.
The Swiss data showed that gold imports from the U.S. rose to 63.0 metric tons in April from 25.5 tons in March. It was the highest in monthly data going back to early 2012.
Switzerland’s total gold exports fell by 31% month on month in April with gold deliveries to the U.S. dropping to 12.7 tons from 103.3 tons in March.
Source – Reuters
Spot gold was up 1.3% at $3,122.02 an ounce at 1129 GMT, after its biggest daily gain since October 2023 on Wednesday. U.S. gold futures were up 1.9% at $3,137.80.
“We’re just living in a world of extreme uncertainty. We just don’t really know which way this trade war is going to go … I think for the course of this year, gold will march higher,” said Nitesh Shah, commodities strategist at WisdomTree.
Spot silver fell 0.6% to $30.85 an ounce, platinum lost 0.4% to $933.55, and palladium was down 1.7% at $915.68.
Source – Reuters
