Gold Rally; Final Push For Gaza Deal | Horizons Middle East & Africa 10/08/2025

Market Trends & Investment Opportunities - Gold prices surged to $4,000 per ounce for the first time due to U S economic concerns and potential government shutdown, signaling a shift towards gold as a safe haven asset [1][5][12][13][47] - Portfolio reallocation away from the U S dollar is driving investment into gold and other metals like copper, which is benefiting from data center buildout and power infrastructure development [6][7] - The AI sector is experiencing a stabilization phase after a period of rapid growth, with some companies like Oracle facing margin disappointments in their cloud business [2][3][9][48][57][90] - Kenya is converting U S dollar debt to Chinese Yuan to alleviate financial strain, saving approximately $250 million annually in debt servicing costs [83][85][86] Company Performance & Strategies - Elon Musk's XAI is raising more funding than initially planned, reaching $20 billion, with potential investment from NVIDIA, highlighting the ongoing interest in AI infrastructure [1][47][48][76][77][78] - JPMorgan is investing $2 billion annually in AI and anticipates significant cost savings, indicating a belief in AI's potential to improve efficiency and potentially reshape job functions [57][58][59] - NVIDIA's investments in AI companies, which in turn purchase NVIDIA chips, raise questions about a potential AI bubble and the sustainability of current valuations [64][79][82] Global Economic & Political Factors - The U S dollar has depreciated by about 10% year-to-date, the single biggest decline in six months in 50 years, prompting investors to seek alternative safe harbor assets [12][22] - Political uncertainty in France is impacting the Euro, but the currency has remained relatively immune to country-specific developments so far [4][17] - Discussions are underway in Egypt involving the U S, Qatar, Israel, and Hamas to end the two-year war in Gaza, with potential implications for regional stability [2][31][32][33][34][48] - Potential intervention territory for the Yen is around 155, with the Finance Minister monitoring excessive FX moves [29]