Gold prices in the physical market retreated slightly after hitting a new all-time high earlier in the session. Spot gold reached a record $3,357.90 per ounce before easing to around $3,316.79 as investors booked profits following the powerful rally seen this week. The surge was fueled by escalating US-China trade tensions, including new US probes into tariffs on critical minerals and ongoing restrictions on chip exports to China, which intensified safe-haven demand for bullion. A weaker US dollar, which hovered near a three-year low, further supported gold’s appeal to international investors. Despite today’s pullback, gold remains up more than 27% for the year, with analysts maintaining a bullish outlook but cautioning that a correction toward $3,050 is possible after the rapid ascent.
In the silver market, spot prices also saw a modest decline, trading around $32.40–$32.57 per troy ounce, down about 1% from the previous session after a strong multi-day rally. Silver’s recent performance has been driven by similar macroeconomic forces as gold, with safe-haven flows boosted by trade war anxieties and a softer dollar, alongside persistent industrial demand and a fifth consecutive year of market deficit. The European Central Bank cut its key interest rates by 25 basis points to 2.25% today, citing a deteriorating growth outlook driven by escalating trade tensions and persistent economic uncertainty.Both metals are expected to remain sensitive to further developments in trade negotiations and upcoming central bank policy signals.
