Gold prices settled at around $4450 per ounce after a sharp 2.7% increase in the previous session. The surge in value was triggered by the arrest of Nicolas Maduro and statements by US President Donald Trump about his intention to establish control over Venezuelan resources. This is reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
Despite geopolitical instability in Latin America, investors shifted their attention to US domestic statistics. The key event of the week will be the December employment report (Non-Farm Payrolls), which traditionally determines the direction of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy.
Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari noted that interest rates are currently close to a neutral level, and further steps by the regulator will depend entirely on fresh economic indicators. For gold, which does not yield interest income, low or stable rates are a favorable factor.
Record figures and forecasts
Last year was the best for gold since 1979. A number of records were set due to massive purchases by central banks and an inflow of capital into gold ETFs.
Analysts from leading banks, including Goldman Sachs and Bank of America, predict that if the Fed continues to cut rates and geopolitical risks persist, the price of gold in 2026 could test the $4900 – $5000 per ounce mark.
As of 7:15 AM in Singapore, the price of gold rose slightly by 0.1% to $4,451.22 per ounce. Silver fell by 0.4% to $76.27. Platinum and palladium remained almost unchanged.