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 traded in a tight range early in the week as weak Retail Sales and a stronger-than-expected Jobs Report pulled sentiment in opposite directions. A sharp equity sell-off on Thursday trig ...

April gold (GC=F) futures opened at $4,724 per troy ounce on Friday, down 3.4% from Thursday’s closing price of $4,889.50. The price of gold rose above $4,900 in early trading. Citing high volatility, CME Group raised margin requirements on gold and silver contracts for the third time since Jan. 13. CME Group operates futures and options markets around the world. Margins are deposits that act as collateral for leveraged transactions. CME increased initial and maintenance margins, which are the minimum a ...

Several months ago, you had a gold call on this show when you recommended we buy. And those who didn't miss a trick and the price went up, you've had a $5,000 call in it for the fourth quarter of this year and now you're raising it as the market is running in the opposite direction. You're raising it to 6,500.Why were you being pulled in with the market. Is it the right call at this stage. Why.>> Well, this is the decision, isn't it. This is the time that you either have to choose to lean into your convicti ...

Neils ChristensenNeils Christensen has a diploma in journalism from Lethbridge College and has more than a decade of reporting experience working for news organizations throughout Canada. His experiences include covering territorial and federal politics in Nunavut, Canada. He has worked exclusively within the financial sector since 2007, when he started with the Canadian Economic Press. Neils can be contacted at: 1 866 925 4826 ext. 1526 nchristensen at kitco.com @Neils_cShareDisclaimer: The views expressed ...

Core Insights - The current dynamics in gold and silver markets mirror the previous trends seen in the crypto space, where investors rotate profits among assets to seek greater gains [1][2] - Gold's price has surged 80% over the past year, approaching $5,000 per ounce, while silver has increased by 228%, surpassing $100 per ounce for the first time [2] - The "wealth effect" suggests that as investors feel wealthier, they tend to spend more, which is evident in the movement towards smaller digital assets and precious metals [3] Market Dynamics - The precious metals market has seen a significant increase in wealth, with gold's market cap estimated at $34 trillion and silver's market cap rising to approximately $5.6 trillion [2][4] - The spillover effect from a $15 trillion wealth event into a $2 trillion market can lead to parabolic price increases in precious metals [4] - Other precious metals like cobalt and palladium have also doubled in value over the past year, indicating a broader trend in the precious metals market [4] Cryptocurrency Context - Ethereum, Solana, and XRP have a combined valuation of $453 billion, highlighting the volatility of smaller cryptocurrencies compared to Bitcoin, which holds a market share of 58% [5] - The crypto market has seen Bitcoin's share increase from 36% since the market bottomed out in 2022, aided by the introduction of exchange-traded funds for digital assets [6]

Equities - Global equity markets experienced continued selling, with US stock index futures down across the board, particularly the March Nasdaq down 560 points (2.2%) and the March S&P down 125 points (1.8%) [1] - European markets showed more vigorous selling, with France's CAC 40 down 1.4% in early trade [1] - The S&P 500 is showing a bearish technical pattern, indicating an intermediate-term downtrend, raising concerns about the potential impact on global investors [1] Metals - The global silver market is climbing, with Shanghai silver prices exceeding $100 for the first time, and the Cash Index for silver hitting a high of $95.50 [3] - The March futures contract for silver reached a new all-time high of $95.41, indicating characteristics of both short supply and sustained demand [3] - The Cash Index for gold climbed to a new high of $4,737.21, up $66.32 (1.4%) for the day, driven by central bank buying [3] Energies - The natural gas market saw significant gains, with the spot-month contract up 67.1 cents (21.6%) from last Friday's settlement, driven by weather forecasts predicting a winter storm [4] - The strong rally in natural gas is expected to influence funds to cover their short positions, combined with seasonal tendencies [4] - Spot-month distillates, including heating oil and diesel fuel, also posted strong rallies this week, while crude oil prices followed at a distance [4]

Core Insights - Gold and silver prices surged to new all-time intraday highs following comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell regarding threats to the central bank's independence from the Trump administration [1][8] Group 1: Price Movements - Gold futures increased by 2%, surpassing $4,600 per troy ounce, while silver rose above $84 per ounce after Powell's video statement [2] - Precious metals, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, benefited from a decline in the US dollar and equities [2] Group 2: Market Sentiment - The current demand for precious metals is driven by geopolitical instability and the reshaping of global power dynamics, rather than solely as a hedge against inflation or dollar weakness [5] - The recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and escalating tensions with Iran have contributed to increased safe haven demand for precious metals [4] Group 3: Central Bank Activity - Foreign central banks have been purchasing gold at a record pace, now holding more bullion than US Treasuries for the first time since 1996 [6] Group 4: Silver Market Dynamics - Silver has outperformed gold recently, with analysts noting a potential deficit due to China's restrictions on silver exports and increased industrial demand amid an AI and reshoring boom [6]

Core Viewpoint - Gold and silver prices are experiencing a decline as investors prepare for an annual rebalancing of commodity indexes, which will involve the sale of futures contracts worth billions of dollars [1][2]. Group 1: Market Dynamics - Spot gold has fallen below $4,450 an ounce, losing nearly 1% in the previous session, as passive tracking funds begin selling precious metals futures to align with new index weightings [2]. - Silver has seen a more significant drop, falling over 3% on Thursday, and is particularly susceptible to a sharp selloff, with Citigroup estimating that approximately $6.8 billion in silver futures could be sold, representing about 12% of open interest on Comex [3][4]. - Outflows from gold futures are expected to be similar in magnitude to those in silver, as estimated by Citigroup based on funds tracking the Bloomberg Commodity Index and the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodity Index [4]. Group 2: Historical Context and Future Outlook - The rebalancing process is routine but has gained importance due to the significant rise in the weighting of precious metals in commodity benchmarks, with last year's index selloff not causing a noticeable market drag [5]. - Analysts remain broadly bullish on gold despite short-term price pressures, citing its best annual performance since 1979, driven by central bank buying and inflows into bullion-backed exchange-traded funds [7]. - HSBC's chief precious metals analyst predicts gold could reach $5,000 an ounce in the first half of 2026, supported by increasing geopolitical risks and rising fiscal debts [8].

Core Insights - Gold and silver experienced a decline on the last trading day of 2025 but are still on track for their largest annual gains in four decades, driven by strong demand for safe-haven assets amid geopolitical risks and interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve [1][2] Group 1: Market Performance - Spot gold fell below $4,320 per ounce, while silver approached $70, with both metals showing significant volatility in post-holiday trading [1] - Gold prices have increased approximately 64% over the past year, surpassing an inflation-adjusted peak set 45 years ago, with prices exceeding $4,000 in early October [4] - Silver has gained nearly 150% during the year, influenced by speculative buying and industrial demand, particularly in electronics and renewable energy sectors [5] Group 2: Market Dynamics - The surge in gold and silver prices is attributed to the "debasement trade," driven by inflation fears and rising debt in developed economies, leading to increased investment in bullion-backed exchange-traded funds and central bank purchases [2][3] - The recent volatility prompted CME Group to raise margin requirements for precious-metal futures, which may force some speculators to reduce or exit their positions, potentially impacting prices [7]

Core Viewpoint - Bitcoin is presented as a superior store of value compared to gold, with four key advantages that make it more appealing as an investment asset [1][4][13]. Group 1: Comparison with Gold - Gold has historically been the preferred store of value due to its rarity and other qualities, but it has limitations that Bitcoin addresses [2][3]. - Bitcoin has a fixed supply of 21 million coins, while gold continues to be mined, raising concerns about future supply [5][6]. - Bitcoin is more fungible than gold, as it does not require purity verification for each unit [7]. Group 2: Unique Advantages of Bitcoin - Bitcoin is impossible to counterfeit due to its unhackable open-source code, unlike gold which, while difficult to counterfeit, is not immune [10]. - Bitcoin offers superior portability, allowing for instant transfers across long distances without the need for physical handling [12]. - Despite Bitcoin's higher volatility compared to gold, it is viewed as having greater long-term potential upside [12][13].