Gold prices fell on Tuesday, February 10, after two days of gains, as volatile market conditions prompted investors to book profits. This morning, both gold and silver saw a decline in prices. On MCX, gold futures for April fell by 1.6%, or about Rs 2,500, to Rs 1,55,546 per 10 grams. Silver futures dropped by more than 4% or over Rs 11,000, to Rs 2,51,544 per kg.
Situation in International Market
In the international market, gold prices fell by as much as 1.4% in early trade and briefly dropped 5,000 dollars an ounce, before recovering some losses. Gold has fallen nearly 10% since touching a record high on January 29. Spot gold slipped 0.5% to 5,032.53 dollars an ounce at 8 am in Singapore, while silver fell 1.8% to 81.92 dollars. Prices of platinum and palladium also declined.
The rise in the US dollar index is one of the main reasons behind the drop in gold and silver prices. The index rose to 97.01 from 96.82, making dollar-based assets more attractive to foreign buyers and pushing up the cost of gold. Investors have also adopted a cautious stance ahead of key US employment and inflation data due this week, which are expected to offer signals on future interest rates.
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Precious metals saw a sharp fall in late January. However, factors that have supported the long-term rally, including rising geopolitical risks, central bank gold purchases and investor exits from government bonds and currencies, remain strong. According to Bloomberg, several banks and asset managers, including Deutsche Bank AG and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., have backed gold’s comeback. In January, China’s central bank increased its gold reserves for the 15th consecutive month, pointing to strong official demand.