Gold and Silver Plummet as Bond Yields Surge Amid US Inflation Fears
The price of gold and silver plummeted in London trading on Thursday before staging a partial recovery after hitting two-week lows. This reversal came as the European Central Bank raised its key interest rates by 25 basis points to 2.50%, but remained below inflation levels.
However, bond yields jumped in response to stronger-than-expected US inflation and jobs data, pushing up the yield demanded by investors for benchmark 10-year Treasury debt to 4.93% per annum. This is just beneath the peak seen in late 2023 of 5% per year.
The price of gold had already lost $65 per troy ounce from its previous rally above $4400 by the time of Thursday's ECB rate-rise decision, and then sank to $4324 before reversing that $40 plunge. The conflict in the Middle East continues to generate inflation pressures, and inflation is set to remain well above target for an extended period, said the ECB.
Crude oil prices have risen five consecutive sessions, touching a high of $105 per barrel of Brent as Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of the south-west city Mocha near the Red Sea's crucial shipping route. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent raised the size of a bond buyback to $6 billion from $4bn announced three weeks ago, but this had little impact on bond prices.