logo
Dubai: Gold prices continue to rise, Dh1.75 higher in early trade

Dubai: Gold prices continue to rise, Dh1.75 higher in early trade

Khaleej Times18-02-2025

Gold prices in Dubai rose further at the opening of the markets on Tuesday as the US bank raised its gold price forecast.
The Dubai Jewellery Group data showed 24K trading Dh1.75 per gram higher at Dh350.75 on Tuesday morning, up from Dh349.0 per gram at the close of the markets on Monday. Among the other precious metal variants, 22K rose to Dh326.5, 21K to Dh313, with 18K rising to Dh268.25 per gram.
Globally, spot gold was trading at $2,912.82 per ounce, up 0.5 per cent.
The US bank Goldman Sachs has raised its 2025 gold forecast to $3,100 per ounce, up from $2,890, due to good demand from central banks.
The bank estimates that structurally higher central bank demand will add 9 per cent to the gold price by year-end.
Last week, gold prices reached a new all-time high, surpassing $2,940 per ounce on February 10. This surge was primarily driven by rising trade tensions following the possible imposition of tariffs by the US However, analysts warn that this rally may not be sustainable in the long term.
'Unlike previous cycles, gold has demonstrated strength even without the traditional support of a weak dollar and declining US Treasury yields. Economic uncertainty has been the main driver of its price increase this time. Growing concerns over a potential trade war have led investors to seek refuge in this precious metal, considered a safe-haven asset during economic and geopolitical crises," said Antonio Di Giacomo, senior market analyst at XS.com said

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Asian equities see largest monthly foreign inflow in 15 months
Asian equities see largest monthly foreign inflow in 15 months

Gulf Today

time7 hours ago

  • Gulf Today

Asian equities see largest monthly foreign inflow in 15 months

Asian equities attracted strong foreign inflows in May as concerns over an immediate economic hit from higher US tariffs eased, prompting a return by investors who had previously exited large and concentrated positions in the region. The inflows marked a sharp reversal after four consecutive months of net foreign selling. According to data from LSEG, foreign investors bought approximately $10.65 billion worth of equities across India, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, registering their largest monthly net purchase since February 2024. US President Donald Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs in early April stoked concerns over the impact on Asian exports, exporter margins, and regional supply chains, but a subsequent 90-day pause for most countries later in the month helped ease investor fears and revive interest in regional assets. Goldman Sachs said it has revised its earnings growth forecast for MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan (MXAPJ) to 9 per cent for both 2025 and 2026, raising estimates by 2 and 1 percentage points, respectively, citing stronger macro growth in China and US-exposed markets. The upgrade was also supported by $600 billion in AI-related investments from Saudi Arabia to US firms, which are expected to benefit Taiwan and Korea, though the impact may be partially offset by a weaker dollar, the brokerage said. Taiwan equities witnessed $7.28 billion worth of foreign inflows, the largest monthly cross-border net purchase since November 2023. Foreigners also acquired a significant $2.34 billion worth of Indian stocks in their largest monthly net purchase since September 2024. South Korean, Indonesian and Philippine stocks also saw foreign inflows worth a net $885 million, $338 million and $290 million, respectively, while Thai stocks suffered $491 million of net selling. Despite heightened market volatility in the first half of the year driven by concerns over President Trump's trade policies, the MSCI Asia-Pacific Index has risen about 8.8 per cent year-to-date, outperforming both the MSCI World Index, which is up 5.4 per cent, and the S&P 500 Index, which has gained 0.98 per cent. Asian currencies were steady on Friday and poised for weekly gains after a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping signalled further trade talks, while most regional equities tracked Wall Street's overnight losses. In India, equities reversed course to rise 0.9 per cent after the Reserve Bank of India delivered a larger-than-expected cut to its key repo rate and lowered the cash reserve ratio to bolster economic growth. 'The RBI may have decided to move quickly to a more appropriate policy rate level. A shift towards neutral stance means more rate cuts may be unlikely in the near-term,' Jeff Ng, Head of Asia Macro Strategy at SMBC, said. The rupee inched up 0.1 per cent to 85.74 per dollar. Other regional currencies moved within a narrow band. The Thai baht and Singapore dollar were largely flat but were on track for weekly gains of 0.5 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively. The Malaysian ringgit was up nearly 0.6 per cent for the week. MSCI's index of emerging market currencies was flat after touching an all-time high on Thursday. The index is up 0.5 per cent for the week. The dollar index was little changed, after hitting a six-week low on Thursday, and was headed for a weekly loss of 0.5 per cent. Trump's erratic tariff moves and a worsening US fiscal outlook have triggered a flight from the dollar, prompting analysts to expect most emerging market currencies will retain or build on their gains over the next six months. In their closely watched hour-long phone call on Thursday, Xi pressed Trump to ease trade tensions that have rattled the global economy and warned against provocative moves on Taiwan, according to a summary released by the Chinese government. But Trump said on social media that the talks, focused primarily on trade, led to 'a very positive conclusion'. 'The talks look positive, and coupled with Federal Reserve rate cut expectations due to weak US data, might lead to further USD softening,' said Saktiandi Supaat, Head of FX research at Maybank. Markets are now bracing for the US jobs and non-farm payrolls report due later in the day, with concerns that a downside surprise could stoke stagflation fears and boost pressure on the Federal Reserve to quickly ease policy. Reuters

Gemini Quietly Advances Toward Public Listing Amid Regulatory Shift
Gemini Quietly Advances Toward Public Listing Amid Regulatory Shift

Arabian Post

timea day ago

  • Arabian Post

Gemini Quietly Advances Toward Public Listing Amid Regulatory Shift

Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, co-founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, has confidentially filed for an initial public offering in the United States, signaling a significant step toward entering public markets. The firm is collaborating with investment banks Goldman Sachs and Citigroup on the offering, according to individuals familiar with the matter. While the timeline and final decision remain pending, the confidential nature of the filing allows Gemini to prepare for a potential listing without immediate public disclosure. This move follows the conclusion of a nearly two-year investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission into Gemini's operations. In February, Cameron Winklevoss announced that the SEC had closed its inquiry without recommending enforcement action, removing a significant regulatory hurdle. Additionally, Gemini settled a separate lawsuit with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in January, agreeing to a $5 million penalty over allegations related to its 2017 bid to offer Bitcoin futures contracts. Gemini's decision to pursue an IPO comes amid a broader shift in the U.S. regulatory landscape under the current administration, which has adopted a more crypto-friendly stance. This environment has encouraged several digital asset firms, including Kraken and Circle, to explore public listings. Notably, the Winklevoss twins were among approximately 30 crypto executives who attended a White House summit focused on digital assets, reflecting the administration's engagement with the industry. Founded in 2014, Gemini has positioned itself as a regulated and secure platform for cryptocurrency trading and custody. The exchange operates in multiple global markets, including New York, Singapore, London, and Dublin. In late 2024, Gemini expanded its services to France in anticipation of new EU cryptocurrency regulations. The company has also diversified its offerings, launching products such as the Gemini Dollar stablecoin and acquiring the NFT platform Nifty Gateway in 2019. ADVERTISEMENT Despite its growth, Gemini has faced challenges, particularly related to its Earn program, which allowed customers to lend crypto assets to the now-bankrupt lender Genesis. The program's suspension in November 2022 led to approximately $940 million in customer assets being frozen. However, a rise in crypto prices has since enabled Gemini and Genesis to return over $2 billion worth of crypto to affected customers.

Goldman Sachs pares risk after tariff move, braces for more uncertainty
Goldman Sachs pares risk after tariff move, braces for more uncertainty

Zawya

time2 days ago

  • Zawya

Goldman Sachs pares risk after tariff move, braces for more uncertainty

Goldman Sachs has moderated its risk-taking since U.S. President Donald Trump's April tariff announcement, and the Wall Street bank is braced for more uncertainty, a top executive said. "We have moderated our risk positioning since April 2nd - I think that's a sensible thing for us to do," Goldman President John Waldron said in a podcast released by the investment bank on Thursday. "We're absorbing a lot of risk from our clients. We want to continue to do that, but we also, where we can, we (pare) our risk and stay a little bit closer to home." Goldman is readying for continued uncertainty in the coming months, which means keeping a greater liquidity cushion, he said. Financial markets have been turbulent since Trump's so-called "Liberation Day," when he announced plans to increase tariffs on trading partners. Waldron, who is widely seen as the likely successor to Goldman CEO David Solomon, said the tariff move was "very, very disruptive." Some companies are now starting to make business decisions based on assumptions that tariffs will be raised to a range of 10% to 15%, he said. "We're moving into now an adjustment phase, and you'll see, I think, some more decision-making on capital spend, M&A transactions, capital return, stock buybacks," Waldron said. The U.S. economy is still strong, backed by a solid labor market and consumer spending, he said. "All those factors in the U.S. to me lead to a likely scenario where we don't have a recession," he said. Meanwhile, Waldron warned investors were getting concerned about an unsustainable U.S. fiscal deficit. "The bond market is starting to be heard, and I hope that gets some attention in the halls of Congress," he said. Rating agency Moody's cut the pristine U.S. sovereign credit rating by one notch last month, the last of the major ratings agencies to downgrade the country, citing concerns about the nation's growing $36 trillion debt pile. The biggest question for markets is the path of interest rates, particularly in the long term, Waldron said. "We're seeing a lot of increase in duration in the rate curves in the United States and Japan and many other countries - and I think that could be a brake on economic growth," he said. (Reporting by Saeed Azhar, Editing by Lananh Nguyen and Jamie Freed)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store