Gold Hovers Near 3-month Peak

Gold prices steadied near a three-month peak. Reuters
Gold prices steadied near a three-month peak. Reuters
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Gold Hovers Near 3-month Peak

Gold prices steadied near a three-month peak. Reuters
Gold prices steadied near a three-month peak. Reuters

Gold prices steadied near a three-month peak on Tuesday, supported by subdued US manufacturing and construction spending, as investors awaited testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and key jobs data for policy cues.
Spot gold was flat at $2,114.99 per ounce, as of 0740 GMT, hovering around its highest since Dec. 4 of $2119.69 it hit on Monday. US gold futures dipped 0.1% to $2,123.90.
London's gold price benchmark hit a record high of $2,098.05 per troy ounce on Monday.
"This rally in gold was triggered by the softer-than-expected U.S. data and the pullback in real rates... but there has been a general bias to buy dips and a positive underlying investor sentiment towards gold that has also made the market vulnerable to the upside," UBS strategist Joni Teves said.
US manufacturing fell further in February, along with a gradual easing of inflation, while consumer sentiment remained weak.
Fed's Raphael Bostic said on Monday the bank is under no pressure to cut rates urgently, highlighting a "prospering" economy and job market.
Market focus now turns to Powell's two-day congressional testimony on Wednesday and Thursday, in a jobs data-heavy week, as investors seek more clues on the health of the US economy and potential timing of the Fed's rate cuts.
Lower rates boost the appeal of non-yielding bullion.
The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Trust's holdings dropped 10% from the previous year as of March 4.
"Even though gold ETFs have continued to sell, the pace of the selling has been reasonably measured, which suggests these are tweaks to the composition of the investor portfolio rather than investors losing faith in gold necessarily," Teves said.
Spot platinum fell 0.6% to $891.95 per ounce, and palladium dropped 1.3% to $947.80, and silver fell 0.3% to $23.83.



Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
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Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports soared to a two-year high in May, reaching SAR 28.89 billion (USD 7.70 billion), marking an 8.2% year-on-year increase compared to May 2023.

On a monthly basis, non-oil exports surged by 26.93% from April.

This growth contributed to Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus, which recorded a year-on-year increase of 12.8%, reaching SAR 34.5 billion (USD 9.1 billion) in May, following 18 months of decline.

The enhancement of the non-oil private sector remains a key focus for Saudi Arabia as it continues its efforts to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on oil revenues.

In 2023, non-oil activities in Saudi Arabia contributed 50% to the country’s real GDP, the highest level ever recorded, according to the Ministry of Economy and Planning’s analysis of data from the General Authority for Statistics.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan emphasized at the “Future Investment Initiative” in October that the Kingdom is now prioritizing the development of the non-oil sector over GDP figures, in line with its Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.

A report by Moody’s highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive efforts to transform its economic structure, reduce dependency on oil, and boost non-oil sectors such as industry, tourism, and real estate.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics’ monthly report on international trade noted a 5.8% growth in merchandise exports in May compared to the same period last year, driven by a 4.9% increase in oil exports, which totaled SAR 75.9 billion in May 2024.

The change reflects movements in global oil prices, while production levels remained steady at under 9 million barrels per day since the OPEC+ alliance began a voluntary reduction in crude supply to maintain prices. Production is set to gradually increase starting in early October.

On a monthly basis, merchandise exports rose by 3.3% from April to May, supported by a 26.9% increase in non-oil exports. This rise was bolstered by a surge in re-exports, which reached SAR 10.2 billion, the highest level for this category since 2017.

The share of oil exports in total exports declined to 72.4% in May from 73% in the same month last year.

Moreover, the value of re-exported goods increased by 33.9% during the same period.