logo
Gold hits near 3-week low on stronger dollar, Fed symposium in focus

Gold hits near 3-week low on stronger dollar, Fed symposium in focus

The Star2 days ago
Gold edged higher on Wednesday but remained near a three-week low as the dollar strengthened, while investors awaited the Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole symposium later this week for potential signals on monetary policy.
Spot gold was up 0.2% at $3,321.83 per ounce, as of 0601 GMT, after reaching its lowest level since August 1.
U.S. gold futures for December delivery rose 0.2% to $3,364.30.
A stronger dollar and improving risk appetite from recent geopolitical developments are weighing on gold prices, with markets looking out for Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech in Jackson Hole, OANDA senior market analyst Kelvin Wong said.
The U.S. dollar index climbed to a more than one-week high, making gold less affordable for buyers using other currencies.
Powell is due to speak at the Kansas City Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole symposium on Friday and investors are watching for any clues on monetary policy trajectory.
Minutes of the Fed's July meeting, due later in the day, are anticipated to offer further insights into the central bank's policy stance.
"The macroeconomic backdrop is likely to turn supportive, with Fed resuming its interest rate cuts from September. Higher tariffs will impact economic growth, keeping investment strong for gold," ANZ said in a note.
Gold typically performs well in a low-interest-rate environment and amid heightened uncertainties.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump ruled out deploying ground troops to Ukraine on Tuesday but suggested air support could be part of a deal to end Russia's war in the region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the White House talks as a "major step forward" towards ending Europe's deadliest conflict in 80 years and setting up a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump.
Elsewhere, spot silver fell 0.5% to $37.20 per ounce, platinum gained 0.6% to $1,314.25 and palladium was down 0.6% to $1,108.25. - Reuters
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Russia's Transport Ministry aims for 50 pct driverless vehicles by 2050
Russia's Transport Ministry aims for 50 pct driverless vehicles by 2050

The Star

time42 minutes ago

  • The Star

Russia's Transport Ministry aims for 50 pct driverless vehicles by 2050

MOSCOW, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Ministry of Transport expects that half of all vehicles will be driverless by 2050, Deputy Transport Minister Vladimir Poteshkin said Thursday. "Looking ahead to 2050, our projections indicate that around 50 percent of all transport vehicles will operate without drivers. Efforts are currently underway to create the necessary conditions for this," Poteshkin said at a press conference. Previously, an unmanned truck completed its first journey from St. Petersburg to Kazan in western Russia, operating autonomously with engineers present in the cab covering the 1,600-kilometer route in 24 hours via expressways. In early April, fully autonomous freight vehicle operations were launched on the Central Ring Road in the Moscow region. Such operations have been in place on the M-11 Neva highway since 2023. Poteshkin added that about 90 driverless trucks are currently transporting freight on toll roads. "To date, these vehicles have traveled over 6 million kilometers," he said. "For further advancement, we aim to achieve Level 5 autonomy, where vehicles operate completely without drivers. We are currently developing the necessary regulatory framework and adapting road infrastructure to support this," Poteshkin added. Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin stated on Aug. 14 that the development of unmanned transport in Russia through 2028 is based on a comprehensive strategy. The starting point for this process will be the federal law on highly automated transport vehicles, which is expected to be adopted in 2026 and come into force in the third quarter of 2027, he said.

For oil markets, the Ukraine outcome is insignificant
For oil markets, the Ukraine outcome is insignificant

New Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

For oil markets, the Ukraine outcome is insignificant

UNITED States President Donald Trump's high-stakes diplomacy to resolve the war in Ukraine is unlikely to jolt oil and gas markets, no matter the outcome. Russia has faced multiple rounds of Western sanctions and restrictions since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which have dealt severe blows to the country's giant oil and gas industry. These measures have sapped Moscow of vital revenue and reshaped global energy markets. Russian gas now accounts for just 18 per cent of European imports, down from 45 per cent in 2021, while the bloc's oil imports from Russia have fallen to three per cent from around 30 per cent over that time. The European Union plans to fully phase out Russian energy by 2027. Kpler data shows Russian crude made up about 38 per cent of India's total crude imports in recent months, up from 16 per cent in 2021. China and Turkiye have also ramped up their Russian oil purchases. The war in Ukraine has left over a million dead or wounded, so its conclusion would be welcomed by many. Energy markets, however, are not apt to register much of a reaction unless there is a full ceasefire along with the lifting of all US and European sanctions. And that is a long shot. Given the more probable set of scenarios, oil and gas markets are unlikely to be rattled by the fallout from either last Friday's disappointing summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin or the US president's meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on Monday. Full peace in Ukraine remains highly improbable. Trump might pressure Zelenskyy into accepting a temporary or partial halt in fighting. But even then, Europe is unlikely to resume Russian energy imports while Putin remains in power. Before 2022, Europe accounted for nearly half of Russia's 4.7 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil exports and 75 per cent of its gas exports, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The Trump administration could attempt to ease some sanctions unilaterally, but this could face opposition in Congress unless a broad peace deal is reached. Perhaps the more likely scenario — Trump failing to broker a deal — also shouldn't have a major impact on energy markets. The US could tighten sanctions, particularly by targeting buyers of Russian energy, as Trump has already threatened. But the US president said on Friday he would delay so-called "secondary sanctions" on China due to what he described as "successful" talks with Putin. Of course, India already faces secondary tariffs over its Russian oil purchases. Earlier this month, Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing the country's continued oil imports from Russia. The new tariff, effective Aug 27, will bring total tariffs on Indian imports to 50 per cent. But even though Indian buyers already appear to be reducing their Russian oil purchases, the impact on global supplies has been minimal as China has increased its intake of Russian crude. Ultimately, China matters far more in this story, not least because it considers its relationship with Moscow to be strategic. Chinese and Russian oil producers, refiners and traders have already built a sprawling network of tankers and insurers to circumvent Western sanctions on Venezuela, Iran and Russia. Additionally, US tariffs on Chinese goods already average 55 per cent, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Additional tariffs could raise costs for US consumers, and Beijing could retaliate, potentially by withholding rare earths or other critical minerals, all outcomes Trump would want to avoid — and Beijing knows this. Crucially, oil and gas markets appear to be entering a period of oversupply, meaning any possible disruption in Russian volumes can easily be offset. The International Energy Agency expects oil supply to exceed demand by 1.76 million bpd this year and by three million bpd in 2026, driven by rising output from OPEC+ and the Americas. Global liquefied natural gas markets are also expanding rapidly, with new supply coming online in the coming years across the US, Qatar, Canada, and elsewhere. While Trump's foreign policy remains unpredictable, a few things seem clear. He can't, as he once claimed, end the Ukraine war in one day, and what he can do is unlikely to have much of an impact on oil and gas markets.

Exclusive-Military options for Ukraine developed and will be presented to Western national security advisers
Exclusive-Military options for Ukraine developed and will be presented to Western national security advisers

The Star

time5 hours ago

  • The Star

Exclusive-Military options for Ukraine developed and will be presented to Western national security advisers

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy upon his arrival at the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025. REUTERS/Alexander Drago/File Photo (Reuters) -Military chiefs from the United States and a number of European countries have completed military options on Ukraine and will now present the options to their respective national security advisers, the U.S. military said on Thursday. Reuters has previously reported that U.S. and European military planners have begun exploring post-conflict security guarantees for Ukraine, following President Donald Trump's pledge to help protect the country under any deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine. "These options will be presented to each nation's respective national security advisers for appropriate consideration in ongoing diplomatic efforts," a U.S. military statement said. The meetings between the chiefs of defense for the United States, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and Ukraine took place in Washington, D.C., between Tuesday and Thursday. Reuters was first to report on the completion of the plans that will be presented to the national security advisers. Ukraine and its European allies have been buoyed by Trump's promise during a summit on Monday of security guarantees for Kyiv, but many questions remain unanswered. Officials have cautioned that it would take time for U.S. and European planners to determine what would be both militarily feasible and acceptable to the Kremlin. One option was sending European forces to Ukraine but putting the U.S. in charge of their command and control, sources have told Reuters. Russia's Foreign Ministry has ruled out the deployment of troops from NATO countries to help secure a peace deal. Trump has publicly ruled out deploying U.S. troops in Ukraine but on Tuesday appeared to leave the door open to other U.S. military involvement. U.S. air support could come in a variety of ways, including providing more air defense systems to Ukraine and enforcing a no-fly zone with U.S. fighter jets. Trump has pressed for a quick end to Europe's deadliest war in 80 years, and Kyiv and its allies have worried he could seek to force an agreement on Russia's terms after the president last week rolled out the red carpet for Putin. Russia says it is engaged in a 'special military operation' in Ukraine to protect its national security, claiming NATO's eastward expansion and Western military support for Ukraine pose existential threats. Kyiv and its Western allies say the invasion is an imperial-style land grab. (Reporting by Idrees Ali in Toronto; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store