logo
Weekly Wrap: Gold Slips Below US$2,300 As Traders Await Fed Clarity

Weekly Wrap: Gold Slips Below US$2,300 As Traders Await Fed Clarity

BusinessToday9 hours ago

Gold prices ended the week lower, slipping below the US$2,300 per oz mark as investor focus shifted to upcoming US economic data and the Federal Reserve's (Fed) policy direction.
The precious metal fell 1.2% over the week, closing around US$2,292 per oz, weighed down by a firmer US dollar and a rebound in Treasury yields.
Early-week gains driven by geopolitical jitters and central bank demand faded by June 12, as markets recalibrated expectations on rate cuts following mixed signals from US inflation data. Gold saw modest support from continued central bank interest and physical demand in Asia, but these were not enough to counter risk-off flows into cash and bonds.
Outlook: With the Fed's next rate decision and fresh CPI data looming, gold is likely to remain volatile. While long-term fundamentals remain bullish, short-term momentum hinges on macroeconomic clarity. Key support lies near US$2,275, while resistance holds at US$2,320. Related

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bursa Malaysia to trade at 1,500-1530 this week amid tariff and middle east tensions
Bursa Malaysia to trade at 1,500-1530 this week amid tariff and middle east tensions

The Star

time3 hours ago

  • The Star

Bursa Malaysia to trade at 1,500-1530 this week amid tariff and middle east tensions

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Bursa Malaysia's key index is set to move between 1,500 and 1,530 nthis week, as markets remain under pressure amid concerns over Washington's planned unilateral tariff letters and escalating tensions following Israel's strike on Iran. UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors Sdn Bhd's head of investment research Mohd Sedek Jantan said markets are expected to remain vulnerable and trade lower in the near term, unless a meaningful breakthrough occurs over the weekend to de-escalate the conflict, an outcome he said appears unlikely. "From a tactical standpoint, oil and gas (O&G) stocks may present short-term trading opportunities, particularly those with upstream exposure or companies expanding their upstream concessions, as they stand to benefit directly from the current rally in oil prices,' he told Bernama. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said market participants are advised to closely monitor ongoing geopolitical tensions and any developments related to US President Donald Trump's stance on US-China trade tariffs. "We also believe the rise in crude oil prices could present opportunities for investors to explore O&G and commodity related stocks. We anticipate the benchmark index to trend within the 1,500-1,530 range, representing its support and resistance levels,' he added. Thong noted that if tensions continue to escalate, the second support level is projected at 1,485. For the week just ended, Bursa Malaysia kicked off in positive territory at the beginning of the week, driven by positive developments in the US-China trade negotiations, stocks accumulation by local institutions, and a slowdown in foreign selling activity. On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the barometer index rose 1.32 points to 1,518.11 from 1,516.79 a week earlier. The FBM Emas Index gained 14.84 points to 11,370.18, the FBMT 100 Index added 20.35 points to 11,144.04, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index climbed 0.31 of-a-point to 11,329.53. The FBM 70 Index increased 72.14 points to 16,368.71 while the FBM ACE Index fell 32.13 points to 4,487.19. Across sectors, the Industrial Products and Services Index was 0.55 of-a-point higher at 151.35 and the Energy Index gained 22.31 points to 740.76. The Plantation Index slid 31.93 points to 7,220.92, the Healthcare Index drooped 16.42 points to 1,777.72, and the Financial Services Index tumbled 60.06 points to 17,648.25. Turnover surged to 13.89 billion units worth RM10.61 billion from 9.80 billion units worth RM8.18 billion in the preceding week. The Main Market volume jumped to 6.42 billion units valued at RM9.47 billion against 4.50 billion units valued at RM7.21 billion previously. Warrants turnover expanded to 5.97 billion units worth RM687.92 million versus 4.07 billion units worth RM533.43 million a week ago. The ACE Market volume improved to 1.50 billion units valued at RM458.75 million compared with 1.22 billion units valued at RM432.22 million in the preceding week. - Bernama

Ringgit likely to fluctuate between 4.22 and 4.24 against the US dollar and trade sideways ahead of key Fed meeting
Ringgit likely to fluctuate between 4.22 and 4.24 against the US dollar and trade sideways ahead of key Fed meeting

The Star

time3 hours ago

  • The Star

Ringgit likely to fluctuate between 4.22 and 4.24 against the US dollar and trade sideways ahead of key Fed meeting

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The ringgit is expected to trade within a narrow range from Monday onwards (June 16 ), as investors remain cautious amid ongoing global inflation concerns, said an analyst. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid noted that the local currency is likely to fluctuate between 4.22 and 4.24 against the US dollar. He added that market attention will be on the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on June 17-18. "The focus would be on the quarterly forecast by the Federal Reserve's (Fed) staff, particularly the outlook for the Fed Funds Rate for the remainder of the year,' he told Bernama. Mohd Afzanizam said besides the Fed, several central banks are set to meet next week, including the Bank of England, Bank of Japan, the People's Bank of China. Central banks in the ASEAN region, such as the Bank of Indonesia and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will also hold meetings during this period. Generally, he opined that global interest rates are trending downward as global growth prospects have become more challenging due to tariff shocks. Meanwhile, he said Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities resulted in a sharp rise in Brent crude prices to a high of US$78.22 per barrel before prices retreated towards US$73.56 per barrel. The US Dollar Index gained 0.31 per cent to 98.228 points. "Hence, geopolitics has taken centre stage on Friday, and it has benefitted the US dollar at the moment,' he said. Reports suggested that a direct military conflict between Israel and Iran could lead to a significant appreciation of the US dollar. The Fed's response to these dynamics, particularly regarding interest rates, will be crucial in shaping the US dollar's trajectory in the near term. For the week just ended, the ringgit gave up its earlier gains as escalating geopolitical concerns spurred demand for the safe-haven US dollar. The ringgit ended the week easier against the greenback, closing at 4.2435/2480 on Friday from 4.2270/2360 a week earlier. The local note traded lower against a basket of major currencies. The ringgit fell vis-à-vis the Japanese yen to 2.9448/9482 from 2.9324/9390 at Friday's close, slipped against the British pound to 5.7482/7543 from 5.7212/7334 previously, and depreciated versus the euro to 4.8906/8958 from 4.8268/8371 at the end of last week. The ringgit traded mostly lower against ASEAN currencies. The local note declined against the Singapore dollar to 3.3077/3118 on Friday from 3.2862/2934 in the previous week, weakened versus the Indonesian rupiah to 260.2/260.6 from 259.5/260.2 previously, and slid versus the Thai baht to 13.0807/1018 from 12.9599/9947 last week. Meanwhile, the ringgit remained unchanged against the Philippine peso at 7.55/7.56. - Bernama

BT boss Kirkby expects AI to deepen job cuts
BT boss Kirkby expects AI to deepen job cuts

New Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

BT boss Kirkby expects AI to deepen job cuts

KUALA LUMPUR: BT Group Chief Executive Allison Kirkby said advances in artificial intelligence could deepen significant job cuts under way at the British telecoms company, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Kirkby told the newspaper that BT's plans to cull more than 40,000 jobs and strip out 3 billion pounds (US$4 billion) of costs by the end of the decade "did not reflect the full potential of AI." "Depending on what we learn from AI . . . there may be an opportunity for BT to be even smaller by the end of the decade," the FT quoted her as saying. Britain's biggest broadband and mobile provider had said in 2023 that it would cut as many as 55,000 jobs, including contractors, by 2030. Its CEO at the time, Philip Jansen, said the company would rely on a much smaller workforce and significantly reduced cost base by the end of the 2020s. Kirkby, who took over from Jansen a year ago, has also opened the door to a possible future spin-off of Openreach, the company's network infrastructure business, the FT said. She said she did not feel the value of Openreach was reflected in the company's share price and if that persisted, BT "would absolutely have to look at options". In an emailed response to Reuters, BT said that Openreach is not something the company is actively looking at right now. It did not provide further comment on Kirkby's FT interview. BT said last month that strong demand for fibre broadband and more than 900 million pounds of cost savings had helped to shore up its full-year earnings and boost cash flow. Resilience at Openreach offset declines in revenue and profit at its business and consumer units, where legacy voice services continued to wane and handset sales fell.

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