Silver prices jumped to historic highs on Wednesday as the white metal topped the $90-per-ounce for the first time.
Gold prices also hit record highs as tensions in the Middle East and concern over the US Federal Reserve’s autonomy boosted safe-haven purchases.
Meanwhile, oil prices also rose sharply over concerns about disruptions in supply from Iran.
Silver and gold hit new highs
Safe-haven demand, driven by escalating tensions in Iran and concerns over the Federal Reserve’s independence, pushed gold to a record high on Wednesday, with silver surpassing $90 for the first time.
The upward price momentum was further supported by softer inflation figures, which increased speculation for interest rate cuts.
At the time of writing, the gold contract on COMEX was at $4,643.10 per ounce, up 1%, while silver was at $91.685 per ounce, up 6.2%.
The gold contract had hit a record high of $4,649.70 per ounce earlier in the day, while silver went up as high as $92.158 an ounce.
Following an unprecedented statement of solidarity, central bank chiefs globally expressed support for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday.
This show of unity came after the Trump administration’s threat of a criminal indictment against Powell, a move that could potentially erode confidence in US assets, including the dollar.
The death toll from the protests has risen to 2,571, according to the US-based rights group HRANA, which has led to threats of US intervention.
Separately, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Tuesday that the US core Consumer Price Index increased 0.2% month-on-month and 2.6% year-on-year in December.
In economic news, President Donald Trump reiterated his demand for Fed Chair Powell to “meaningfully” cut interest rates.
Traders are currently anticipating two interest rate reductions this year, a prospect that typically benefits non-yielding assets like bullion.
“Against this backdrop, forecasts of gold above $5,000 and silver well into triple-digit territory — cited by HSBC, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America — appear aggressive but internally consistent with current debt and rate dynamics,” John Murillo, chief business officer of B2BROKER, a global fintech solutions provider for financial institutions, said in an emailed commentary.
Rising geopolitical risk, structurally expanding public debt, and the limits of monetary easing have turned gold from a cyclical hedge into a core asset for balance-sheet protection.
Oil extends gains
For a fifth consecutive session, oil prices increased on Wednesday.
The rise in oil was driven by fears of disruptions to Iranian supply stemming from a potential US attack on Iran and the possibility of retaliation against American interests in the region.
Tehran issued a warning to US allies in the Middle East, stating it would target US bases located on their territory should Washington launch an attack on Iran.
Consequently, some personnel were directed to evacuate a US military installation in Qatar.
On Tuesday, Trump encouraged Iranian protesters to continue their demonstrations, stating that “help was on the way,” though he did not elaborate on the nature of this assistance.
Trump had also announced that any country conducting business with Iran will face a 25% tariff on trade with the US. Iran, a major oil exporter, ships a significant portion of its crude oil to China.
Inventories of crude oil in the US, the world’s largest oil consumer, increased by 5.23 million barrels in the week ending January 9, according to a report from the American Petroleum Institute, citing market sources.
Furthermore, gasoline stockpiles saw a rise of 8.23 million barrels, and distillate inventories grew by 4.34 million barrels from the previous week.
This inventory data precedes the release of official stockpile figures from the US Energy Information Administration, expected later on Wednesday.
The bearish API report limited further rise in oil prices on Wednesday.
At the time of writing, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude was at $61.70 per barrel, up 0.8%, while Brent was at $66.08 per barrel, up 0.9%.
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