How Market Uncertainty Affected Precious Metals
Posted on Thursday April 19, 2018
Unrest in Syria played a role in precious metals rising on Friday, April 13. The day before, Donald Trump discussed how to address a recent Syrian poison gas attack. He threatened missile strikes, which were eventually carried out, on Saturday.
How Fed’s March Meeting Minutes Could Affect Gold Outlook
Posted on Monday April 16, 2018
The Fed minutes from its policy meeting on March 20–21 were released on April 11, 2018. In the March meeting minutes, the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) staff review of the economy was stronger than the review presented at the January meeting. According to the minutes, all of the FOMC members expected 12-month inflation (TIP) to increase in the coming months.
Why Downbeat March Jobs Report Might Not Be Enough to Move Gold
Posted on Monday April 16, 2018
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released US jobs data for March 2018 on April 6. The job growth was weaker than expected. The US added 103,000 jobs in March as compared to upwardly revised 326,000 jobs the previous month. The economists were expecting an addition of 185,000 jobs in March, as per Bloomberg. While a slowdown was expected in March due to February’s surge underpinned by hiring due to unseasonably warm weather, the decline was more than what the market expected. The unemployment rate has remained at 4.1% for six months. The Fed is forecasting a rate of 3.8% by the end of this year.
How Did the Fed’s Minutes Affect Gold and Miners?
Posted on Thursday April 12, 2018
Another crucial factor that closely plays on precious metals prices is the US interest rate—more specifically, the Federal Reserve’s decisions on moving the interest rate. During the Fed’s meeting in the third week of March, it took a hawkish stance, causing precious metals to rise instead of fall. The Fed mentioned that it would like to raise interest rates two rather than three more times in 2018.
