central banks

April 30, 2024 5:53 PM

Global gold demand stays strong, supporting record-high prices

The allure of gold remains unwavering as global demand for the precious metal surged 3% year-on-year to 1,238 tonnes in the first quarter of 2024, according to the World Gold Council's latest Gold Demand Trends report. This marks the strongest first-quarter demand since 2016, defying the record-high average price of $2,070 per ounce during the period. Healthy investment, persistent buying by central banks, and higher demand from Asian buyers helped drive the gold price to a record quarterly ave...

Dollar rises to five-month high, puts heat on yen

The dollar touched five-month highs against the pound and euro on Tuesday, a day after hotter-than-expected U.S. retail sales sent Treasury yields higher, raising worries of an intervention from Tokyo as the yen languished at its lowest since 1990. Data on Monday showed U.S. retail sales rose 0.7% last month, compared with a 0.3% rise that economists polled by Reuters had forecast, reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve will not be in a rush to cut interest rates this year. ...