Core Viewpoint - The Hong Kong stock market saw a significant decline in gold and precious metal stocks following a sharp sell-off in the precious metals market, with gold experiencing its largest single-day drop in 12 years [1] Group 1: Market Performance - Gold and precious metal stocks opened lower across the board, with notable declines including Dragon Resources down 9%, Datang Gold down nearly 9%, and Zijin Gold International down over 6% [1] - The sell-off was triggered by a nearly $280 drop in spot gold prices, marking the largest single-day decline in 12 years, while spot silver fell over 8%, dropping below $48, the largest decline since February 2021 [1] Group 2: Contributing Factors - Multiple factors contributed to the decline in precious metals, including positive developments in international trade negotiations, a strengthening US dollar, technical overbought conditions, uncertainty due to the US federal government shutdown, and the end of seasonal buying in India [1]