Gold price on April 8: Rates in main Indian cities
Gold prices rose in India on Monday, according to data from India’s Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX).
Gold price stood at 70,850 Indian Rupees (INR) per 10 grams, up INR 1,482 compared with the INR 69,368 it cost on Friday.
As for futures contracts, Gold prices increased to INR 70,890 per 10 gms from INR 70,636 per 10 gms.
Prices for Silver futures contracts increased to INR 81,780 per kg from INR 80,863 per kg.
| Major Indian city | Gold Price |
|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | 73,410 |
| Mumbai | 73,065 |
| New Delhi | 73,125 |
| Chennai | 73,390 |
| Kolkata | 73,255 |
Global Market Movers: Comex Gold price struggles to build on gains amid risk-on and stronger USD, bullish bias remains
- A buying spree by China’s central bank, along with expectations that lower US interest rates are on the horizon, pushed the Comex Gold price to a fresh record high on the first day of a new week.
- Official data released Sunday showed that bullion held by the People’s Bank of China rose by 0.2% to 72.74 million troy ounces last month, marking the 17th consecutive month of increase.
- The markets have been pricing in an even chance that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will start its rate-cutting cycle at the June policy meeting, which further benefits the non-yielding yellow metal.
- The global risk sentiment got a boost after Israel withdrew more soldiers from southern Gaza and committed to fresh talks on a potential ceasefire, easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday that Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) increased by 303K in March vs the 200K expected and the previous month’s downwardly revised reading.
- Other details of the publication showed that the Unemployment Rate edged lower to 3.8% from 3.9% in February amid a rise in the Labor Force Participation Rate to 62.7% from 62.5% previously.
- The data forced investors to scale back their expectations for a total number of rate cuts in 2024 to two as against three rate cuts projected by the Fed, which pushes the US Treasury bond yields higher.
- The rate-sensitive two-year US government bond and the benchmark 10-year Treasury note surged to a four-month peak on Friday, underpinning the USD and capping gains for the commodity.
- Traders now look to the release of the US consumer inflation figures for March and the FOMC meeting minutes on Wednesday for cues about the Fed’s rate-cut path and a fresh directional impetus.
(An automation tool was used in creating this post.)
Gold FAQs
Gold has played a key role in human’s history as it has been widely used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Currently, apart from its shine and usage for jewelry, the precious metal is widely seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that it is considered a good investment during turbulent times. Gold is also widely seen as a hedge against inflation and against depreciating currencies as it doesn’t rely on any specific issuer or government.
Central banks are the biggest Gold holders. In their aim to support their currencies in turbulent times, central banks tend to diversify their reserves and buy Gold to improve the perceived strength of the economy and the currency. High Gold reserves can be a source of trust for a country’s solvency. Central banks added 1,136 tonnes of Gold worth around $70 billion to their reserves in 2022, according to data from the World Gold Council. This is the highest yearly purchase since records began. Central banks from emerging economies such as China, India and Turkey are quickly increasing their Gold reserves.
Gold has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar and US Treasuries, which are both major reserve and safe-haven assets. When the Dollar depreciates, Gold tends to rise, enabling investors and central banks to diversify their assets in turbulent times. Gold is also inversely correlated with risk assets. A rally in the stock market tends to weaken Gold price, while sell-offs in riskier markets tend to favor the precious metal.
The price can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can quickly make Gold price escalate due to its safe-haven status. As a yield-less asset, Gold tends to rise with lower interest rates, while higher cost of money usually weighs down on the yellow metal. Still, most moves depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAU/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Gold controlled, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to push Gold prices up.