Silver, Platinum Plunge to Extend Big Spike in Volatility

Group 1 - Gold prices declined to $4,453.85 an ounce, influenced by traders focusing on upcoming US economic data despite geopolitical tensions [8] - The geopolitical landscape remains fragile, with traders anticipating a busy lineup of US economic data, including the December jobs report [3] - Fed Governor Stephen Miran indicated that the central bank may need to cut rates by more than a percentage point in 2026, which could support precious metals [4] Group 2 - Gold posted its best annual performance since 1979, with significant support from central-bank buying and inflows into bullion-backed ETFs [5] - Silver prices surged nearly 150% last year due to a shortage of metal and potential US import tariffs, although it fell 3.8% recently [5][6] - Citigroup Inc. estimated $6.8 billion outflows from gold and silver futures contracts due to a rebalancing of commodity indexes [7]