Australia Consumer Sentiment Rises in July as Fuel Price Relief Lifts Confidence 
China Home Prices Fall Again in June Despite Slower Pace of Decline 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
U.S. Imposes 25% Tariff on Select Brazilian Imports After Section 301 Trade Investigation 
China Trade Surplus Hits $125.6 Billion as June Exports, Imports Smash Forecasts 
Goldman Sees Foreign Investors Driving India Stock Market Recovery 
Asian Stocks Slide as Oil Surge, U.S.-Iran Tensions and Fed Rate Bets Weigh on Markets 
Asian Stocks Rise as Softer U.S. Inflation Boosts Sentiment Despite Middle East Tensions 
Oil Prices Climb as Trump Escalates Iran Pressure, Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
Japanese Yen Holds Steady as Intervention Hopes Grow Ahead of U.S. CPI Data 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Oil Prices Rise as U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears 
Gold Price Holds Near Record High as Cooling U.S. Inflation Offsets Fed Caution 
IEA Warns China Rare Earth Export Curbs Could Threaten $6.5 Trillion in Global Production 
ECB's Kocher Says No Inflation Spillover Yet From Iran Conflict, Warns Risks Remain 
South Korea Raises Interest Rates to 2.75% as Inflation and Weak Won Drive Tightening 
Australian Business Conditions Hold Steady as Easing Cost Pressures Face New Oil Price Risks 
Gold prices edged slightly lower in Asian trading on Friday after posting strong gains earlier in the week, as dovish signals from the U.S. Federal Reserve continued to support precious metals markets. Despite the minor pullback, gold prices were still on track for solid weekly gains, driven by expectations of lower U.S. interest rates and a weaker dollar, both of which tend to boost demand for non-yielding assets like gold and silver.
Spot gold slipped 0.1% to around $4,274 per ounce, while March gold futures declined 0.2% to about $4,306 per ounce in early Asian hours. Even with this dip, spot gold was still up roughly 1.8% for the week, with most of the gains coming after the Federal Reserve announced an interest rate cut and signaled a less hawkish stance on future monetary policy. Although Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized a higher threshold for additional rate cuts, markets reacted positively to the central bank’s plan to begin purchasing $40 billion per month in shorter-dated U.S. Treasuries. This move is expected to inject liquidity into financial markets, loosen monetary conditions, and support commodities priced in dollars.
The softer U.S. dollar further enhanced the appeal of gold and other metals, as dollar-denominated commodities become cheaper for overseas buyers. Other precious metals also benefited from this environment. Spot platinum traded slightly higher near $1,703 per ounce and was up nearly 4% for the week. Industrial metals followed suit, with London Metal Exchange copper futures rising modestly to around $11,878 per ton, marking a weekly gain of about 2%. Additional optimism came from expectations of further economic stimulus in China, the world’s largest copper importer.
Silver stood out as the top performer, hovering near record highs. Spot silver climbed 0.4% to roughly $63.78 per ounce, close to its recent peak above $64. Silver prices were up more than 9% for the week and have more than doubled this year, supported by safe-haven demand, supply shortage concerns projected for 2026, and its designation as a critical metal by the U.S. government.
