Happy Friday, traders. Welcome to our weekly market wrap, where we take a look back at these last five trading days with a focus on the market news, economic data, and headlines that had the most impact on gold prices and other key correlated assets—and may continue to in the future. Here’s what you need to know: Gold prices surged past $3,900/oz this week as the U.S. government shutdown fueled market uncertainty. Key federal data releases, including the September Jobs Report, were delayed, leaving t ...

Market Overview - The market continues to exhibit a "risk-off but not panic" sentiment, with commodities and Asia-Pacific equities leading the performance[4] - Natural gas and crude oil prices have surged due to OPEC+ production cuts and summer demand, breaking key resistance levels[4] - Silver prices have skyrocketed by 9% to $36 per ounce, the highest since 2012, driven by industrial demand and safe-haven buying[4] Asset Allocation Recommendations - Bond market shows strong value in short-duration high-grade credit bonds due to weak growth/inflation data and liquidity easing, but caution is advised as interest rate downside potential narrows[7] - U.S. equities are supported by economic resilience, although fundamental data shows marginal weakening[7] - Gold remains supported by slowing growth and safe-haven demand, but faces short-term pressure from risk appetite recovery[7] Economic Indicators - The Chinese Business Conditions Index (BCI) recorded 50.30, slightly above the expansion threshold but down 4.45 points from March's peak of 54.75, indicating a slowdown in economic momentum[40] - The U.S. economic surprise index has dropped to -6.7, reflecting weaker-than-expected high-frequency data, reinforcing rate cut expectations[53] Market Sentiment - The implied volatility (VIX) has reached a new low, indicating a market adaptation to the noise of tariff threats, with the dollar index down nearly 9% year-to-date, enhancing the appeal of non-U.S. assets[4] - A-share market liquidity is improving, with a daily average turnover of 1.186 trillion yuan, up 10.8% week-on-week, indicating increased investor participation[57] Risk Factors - Key risks include policy adjustment risks, market volatility risks, geopolitical shocks, economic data validation risks, and liquidity transmission risks[6][96]

Group 1 - The report indicates a prevailing market sentiment of "risk aversion without panic," with commodities and Asia-Pacific equity assets leading the performance, while volatility continues to decline [4][9] - Energy and precious metal prices have surged due to geopolitical disturbances and demand expectations, with natural gas and crude oil breaking key resistance levels supported by OPEC+ production cuts and summer demand [4][9] - The Hang Seng Index and Nasdaq Golden Dragon Index benefited from easing US-China trade tensions and anticipated consumer stimulus policies, leading to foreign capital inflows into Chinese stocks [4][9] Group 2 - The report suggests a favorable allocation towards short-duration high-grade credit bonds in the bond market, driven by weak growth/inflation data and liquidity easing, although caution is advised regarding the narrowing space for interest rate declines [7] - In the US stock market, economic resilience supports earnings, but the marginal weakening of fundamental data is noted, influenced by risk appetite [7] - Gold is expected to have long-term support from slowing growth and safe-haven demand, although short-term pressures from rising risk appetite are acknowledged [7] Group 3 - The report highlights a structural opportunity in the A-share market, focusing on sectors with superior earnings quality, despite a decline in valuation attractiveness [7][64] - The commodity market is under pressure from weak supply and demand, with only precious metals and certain energy products supported by safe-haven demand and supply-side disturbances [7] - Derivative strategies are recommended to focus on options protection or cross-commodity arbitrage due to a low volatility environment suppressing trend strategies [7] Group 4 - The macroeconomic perspective indicates a decline in the macro growth factor, with China's Business Conditions Index (BCI) slightly rising to 50.30, but still showing a significant drop from the March peak [40][41] - Liquidity conditions are improving, driven by strong policy signals, although the transmission mechanism to the real economy remains blocked [45] - Inflation indicators are trending downward, with PPI expectations hitting new lows, reflecting ongoing price pressures in the production sector [49] Group 5 - The report notes an increase in average daily trading volume in the A-share market, indicating improved investor participation and a neutral to strong liquidity environment [57] - ETF fund flows show a slight increase in stock and money market ETF sizes, suggesting a modest rise in investment sentiment [58] - A-share valuations have risen overall, but relative attractiveness has decreased, with the CSI 800's price-to-earnings ratio at the 45th percentile of the past three years [64]

Market Overview - Non-farm payroll data is set to be released tonight, with the overall market in a wait-and-see mode. Asian and European stock markets are mostly flat, while India's unexpected rate cut led to a 0.8% increase in its stock market [1] - Following a significant drop in Tesla's stock price, Asian suppliers in Tesla's supply chain also experienced declines. However, after a cooling of tensions between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, U.S. stock index futures saw a slight increase, with Tesla's pre-market shares rising over 6% [1] Commodity Performance - Precious metals continue to rise due to technical breakthroughs and industrial demand, with silver up over 1% and platinum increasing over 2% to its highest level since 2022 [2] - Spot gold saw a slight increase of approximately 0.2%, while both New York silver and spot silver rose over 1.4% [7] Stock Index Performance - Core asset performance shows that S&P 500 futures, Dow futures, and Nasdaq 100 futures all rose over 0.4% [3][10] - The Nikkei 225 index closed up 0.5%, while the MSCI Asia-Pacific index remained mostly flat [4] Currency and Bond Market - The U.S. dollar index increased slightly by 0.2%, while the euro and pound both fell by 0.2%, and the yen depreciated by approximately 0.3% [5] - U.S. Treasury yields mostly declined, with the 10-year Treasury yield down by about 2 basis points [6] Oil and Cryptocurrency - Both WTI and Brent crude oil prices fell by over 0.5% [8] - Bitcoin dropped about 1% to below $104,000, while Ethereum fell approximately 6% [9]

Core Viewpoint - The 30-year U.S. Treasury yield is expected to potentially exceed 5%, reflecting a decrease in recession concerns and investor worries regarding the U.S. budget [1] Group 1: Yield Predictions - BlueBay Asset Management's Chief Investment Officer, Mark Dowding, suggests that the 30-year U.S. Treasury yield has room to break above 5% [1] - The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield is considered reasonable at 4.5% but may rise higher [1] - There is a greater risk of long-term Treasury yields increasing [1]

Core Viewpoint - The ongoing U.S. tariff war is impacting the film industry, raising concerns about a potential recession and its effects on market dynamics [1] Group 1: Tariff Impact on the Film Industry - The U.S. tariff war has extended its reach into the film sector, affecting production costs and distribution strategies [1] - Industry stakeholders are increasingly worried about the implications of tariffs on international collaborations and revenue streams [1] Group 2: Economic Concerns - There are persistent fears of an economic downturn, which could further strain the film industry's financial performance [1] - Analysts are monitoring key indicators, including gold prices, which are seen as a safe haven during economic uncertainty, with resistance levels noted at 3400 [1]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the current state of the gold market amid concerns over a potential recession and the Federal Reserve's indecision on interest rates, highlighting a fierce debate between bullish and bearish positions among institutions [1] Group 1: Economic Context - The Federal Reserve has maintained its current interest rates, leading to ongoing uncertainty in the market [1] - There are rising concerns about a potential recession, which is influencing market sentiment and investment strategies [1] Group 2: Market Dynamics - The gold market is experiencing a volatile trading pattern, with significant fluctuations in response to economic indicators and investor sentiment [1] - Institutions are divided into bullish and bearish camps, with strong arguments presented by both sides regarding the future direction of gold prices [1] Group 3: Technical Analysis - Bearish analysts are warning that technical indicators suggest a downward trend for gold, which could impact investment decisions [1] - The article implies that a resolution to the current market stalemate may be necessary to break the ongoing volatility in gold prices [1]