UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh U.S.-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength Caps Gains 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
Indian Rupee Strengthens Sharply After U.S.-India Trade Deal Announcement 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
Gold and Asian Stocks Rebound as Market Volatility Eases and Global Sentiment Improves 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data 
Gold, Silver, and Platinum Rally as Precious Metals Recover from Sharp Selloff 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
Dollar Holds Firm as Markets Weigh Warsh-Led Fed and Yen Weakness Ahead of Japan Election 
China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
Gold prices inched higher during Asian trading on Monday, supported by safe-haven demand amid rising global trade tensions and political uncertainty in Japan. Spot gold rose 0.4% to $3,364.21 per ounce, while September gold futures gained 0.4% to $3,371.42. The precious metal held within a $200 range since April, even as investors turned cautious ahead of the looming August 1 U.S. tariff deadline.
Concerns escalated after the Wall Street Journal reported that the European Union was preparing retaliatory measures against new U.S. tariffs. The proposed duties, ranging from 20% to 50%, include a baseline 15% tariff on European imports, sparking uncertainty over trade policy. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reaffirmed Sunday that August 1 was a firm deadline.
Additional haven demand emerged after Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party lost its majority in the upper house over the weekend. The political shift raised concerns over Japan’s economic and trade strategies, pushing the yen slightly higher.
The dollar eased slightly after a two-week climb, supporting broader gains in metals. Platinum rose 1% to $1,439.59 per ounce, while silver gained 0.3% to $38.3045. Both metals have significantly outperformed gold in 2025, driven by tighter supply expectations and growing industrial demand. Platinum is up 29.2% year-to-date, nearing an 11-year high, while silver, up 53.5%, approaches a 14-year peak.
In industrial metals, London Metal Exchange copper futures rose 0.6% to $9,846.45 per ton, and COMEX copper futures edged up 0.2% to $5.6170 per pound, buoyed by a softer dollar and steady demand expectations.
Markets remain focused on developments surrounding U.S. tariffs and global political shifts, key factors likely to influence safe-haven flows and commodity prices in the near term.
