Trending: Oil | Gold | BITCOIN | EUR/USD | GBP/USD

Silver prices climb for second straight session

Economies.com
2025-08-04 11:37AM UTC
AI Summary
  • Silver prices climbed in European trading, supported by buying from lower levels and a weaker US dollar
  • Weaker-than-expected US jobs data raises likelihood of Federal Reserve cutting interest rates in September
  • Traders anticipate around 63 basis points of easing by December, favoring non-yielding assets like silver

Silver prices climbed in European trading on Monday, extending their rebound for a second consecutive day from a three-week low, supported by buying from lower levels and a weaker US dollar in the foreign exchange market.

 

Weaker-than-expected US jobs data has raised the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in September. Investors now await more economic indicators and commentary from Fed policymakers to reassess those expectations.

 

Price Overview

 

• Today’s silver prices: Silver rose by 1.0% to $37.40, up from the opening level of $37.04. The session’s low stood at $36.68.

 

• On Friday, silver gained around 0.9%—its first rise in three days—as part of a recovery from the three-week low of $36.22 per ounce.

 

• Last week, silver lost 3.0%, marking its second weekly loss in the past three weeks due to profit-taking from the 14-year high of $39.53 per ounce.

 

US Dollar

 

The US Dollar Index hit a one-week low of 98.60 on Monday, reflecting continued weakness against both major and minor currencies.

 

The decline came as weak US labor data and newly announced tariffs by President Donald Trump reignited fears of an economic slowdown in the world’s largest economy, reinforcing expectations for a rate cut in September.

 

US Interest Rates

 

• US job growth slowed more than expected in July, with nonfarm payrolls rising by just 73,000, following a downward revision to 14,000 jobs in June.

 

• According to CME Group’s FedWatch tool, the probability of a 25 basis point rate cut at the September meeting rose from 43% to 75%, while the chance of no change fell from 57% to 25%.

 

• The odds of a 25 basis point cut in October rose from 64% to 95%, with the likelihood of no change dropping from 36% to 5%.

 

• Traders now anticipate around 63 basis points of easing by December—up from 35 basis points prior to the jobs report.

 

Lower US interest rates generally favor non-yielding assets such as gold, silver, and other precious metals.

 

 

 

 

Oil declines as OPEC+ goes ahead with September production hike

Economies.com
2025-08-04 11:06AM UTC

Oil prices declined on Monday after the OPEC+ alliance agreed to a substantial production increase for September, even as traders remained cautious amid the threat of additional US sanctions on Russia.

 

Brent crude futures dropped 85 cents, or 1.2%, to $68.82 a barrel by 08:46 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 82 cents, also 1.2%, to $66.51 a barrel. Both benchmarks had closed nearly $2 lower on Friday.

 

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, known as OPEC+, agreed on Sunday to boost oil output by 547,000 barrels per day in September. The move is part of a series of rapid supply increases aimed at reclaiming market share.

 

This step—largely anticipated by markets—marks a full and early reversal from the bloc’s largest tranche of production cuts, which had totaled around 2.5 million barrels per day, or roughly 2.4% of global demand.

 

Goldman Sachs analysts estimate that the actual increase in supply from the eight OPEC+ countries that have been ramping up output since March will reach about 1.7 million barrels per day, as other members have cut back after previously exceeding their quotas.

 

Meanwhile, investors continued to assess the impact of recent US tariffs on exports from dozens of trading partners.

 

Still, markets remained wary of potential new sanctions on Russia, after President Donald Trump threatened to impose 100% secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian crude oil in a bid to pressure Moscow into halting its war in Ukraine.

 

“Over the medium term, oil prices will be driven by a mix of tariffs and geopolitical factors. Any price spikes resulting from energy sanctions are likely to be temporary,” said Tamas Varga, an analyst at PVM.

 

Two trading sources said Friday, citing LSEG trade flow data, that at least two tankers carrying Russian oil bound for Indian refineries had been rerouted following the new US sanctions.

 

Analysts at ING wrote in a note that roughly 1.7 million barrels per day of crude supply could be at risk if Indian refiners cease purchases of Russian oil.

 

However, two Indian government sources told Reuters on Saturday that the country would continue buying oil from Russia despite Trump’s threats.

 

 

US dollar steadies after payrolls shock.. Swiss franc declines

Economies.com
2025-08-04 11:03AM UTC

The US dollar found some support on Monday after a disappointing US jobs report on Friday and President Donald Trump’s abrupt dismissal of a top labor statistics official, which had delivered a blow to the currency and fueled investor bets on an imminent Federal Reserve rate cut.

 

Data released on Friday showed that job growth in the US fell short of expectations in July, with prior non-farm payroll figures for the two previous months revised down by a staggering 258,000 jobs—pointing to a sharp deterioration in labor market conditions.

 

“Perhaps the report itself wasn’t extremely weak, but the revisions were highly significant,” said Mohamed Elsarraf, FX strategist at Danske Bank. “It’s hard to imagine the Fed not cutting rates in September.”

 

Adding further pressure to markets, Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) chief Erica McEnturfar on the same day, accusing her of manipulating employment figures.

 

The surprise resignation of Fed Governor Adriana Kugler also opened the door for Trump to exert greater influence on the central bank sooner than expected, amid ongoing tensions with the Fed over what he perceives as delays in rate cuts.

 

These back-to-back developments dealt a double blow to the greenback, which slumped more than 2% against the yen and around 1.5% against the euro on Friday.

 

On Monday, the dollar clawed back some losses, rising 0.3% to 147.91 yen in latest trading, though still nearly three yen below its Friday peak.

 

The euro dipped 0.2% to $1.1561, while the British pound was little changed at $1.3276.

 

Trump said on Sunday that he would announce nominees for both the vacant Fed seat and a new BLS chief in the coming days.

 

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of major peers, rose 0.2% to 98.88 on Monday, after sliding more than 1.3% on Friday.

 

In July, the dollar posted a 3.4% gain—its biggest monthly rise since a 5% surge in April 2022 and its first monthly increase of 2025—buoyed by growing market confidence in Trump’s trade policy and the resilience of economic data in the face of tariffs.

 

US Bond Yields Slide as Rate Cut Bets Surge

 

The 2-year US Treasury yield fell to a three-month low of 3.659% on Monday as traders sharply raised bets on a September rate cut. The benchmark 10-year yield also hovered near a one-month low at 4.2434%.

 

Markets are now pricing in nearly a 90% probability that the Fed will cut interest rates next month, based on weak labor data, with around 60 basis points of easing priced in by December. That implies two 25-basis-point cuts and a 40% chance of a third.

 

“The market reaction to Friday night’s events was swift and decisive—stocks collapsed, the dollar slumped, and yields fell,” said Tony Sycamore, market analyst at IG.

 

Dollar Rises Against Franc on Tariffs; Switzerland Considers Options

 

Elsewhere in FX markets, the dollar rose more than 0.5% against the Swiss franc after Trump imposed some of the highest tariffs yet on Switzerland, part of a broader White House effort to reshape global trade.

 

The euro also gained 0.3% versus the franc.

 

“We saw a sharp pullback in the franc after the announcement. If these tariffs are sustained, the negative impact on the Swiss economy will be relatively significant,” said Danske Bank’s Elsarraf.

 

The Swiss government said it would hold a special meeting later Monday to discuss next steps, stating in a press release that it remained open to revisiting its trade proposal to the US.

 

 

Gold backs off two-week high on profit-taking

Economies.com
2025-08-04 09:30AM UTC

Gold prices fell in European trading on Monday, retreating from a two-week high reached earlier in the Asian session. The decline came amid profit-taking and a rebound in US dollar strength across currency markets.

 

Weaker-than-expected US jobs data has increased the likelihood of a Federal Reserve rate cut in September. Investors now await further economic releases and commentary from Fed policymakers to reassess those expectations.

 

Price Overview

 

•Gold prices dropped 0.55% to $3,345.14, down from the session’s opening at $3,363.34. The day’s high reached $3,366.15 — the strongest level since July 25.

 

•On Friday, gold gained 2.2%, its second consecutive daily rise and the biggest single-day gain since June 2, as prices recovered from a four-week low at $3,268.89.

 

•Beyond bargain buying, Friday’s gains were driven by weak US labor market data and renewed trade tariff concerns involving Trump’s administration.

 

US Dollar

 

The US Dollar Index rose 0.3% on Monday, attempting to recover from Friday’s steep losses and reflecting renewed demand for the greenback against a basket of major currencies.

 

The rebound comes as markets await stronger evidence supporting or refuting the likelihood of a Fed rate cut in September, especially amid continued comments from Fed officials.

 

US Interest Rate Outlook

 

•US job growth slowed more than expected in July, with non-farm payrolls rising by 73,000, following a downwardly revised 14,000 increase in June.

 

•According to CME’s FedWatch tool, the probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut in September rose from 43% to 75%, while the odds of rates staying unchanged dropped from 57% to 25%.

 

•Expectations for a 25-basis-point cut in October also climbed — from 64% to 95% — while the odds of holding rates steady dropped from 36% to just 5%.

 

•Following the disappointing jobs data, traders are now pricing in roughly 63 basis points of Fed easing by December, up from 35 basis points previously.

 

Gold Market Outlook

 

Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst at KCM Trade, stated: “Gold has seen a soft start to the week after Friday’s rally. A mix of profit-taking and dollar stabilization has caused a slight dip in prices at the beginning of the week.”

 

SPDR Gold Trust Holdings

 

SPDR Gold Trust — the world’s largest gold-backed ETF — saw holdings decline by 1.43 metric tons on Friday, marking the third consecutive daily drop. Total holdings fell to 953.08 metric tons, their lowest level since July 21.

 

 

 

Frequently asked questions

What is the price of Silver today?

The price of Silver is $37.386 (2025-08-05 04:05AM UTC)