GASTAT: Saudi Industrial Production Index Rose 1.6% in July

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) data
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) data
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GASTAT: Saudi Industrial Production Index Rose 1.6% in July

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) data
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) data

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) in Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that Industrial Production Index (IPI) rose by 1.6% in July this year compared to the same month in 2023.

The growth was attributed to heightened activity in the manufacturing industry, electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply activities, as well as water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities, GASTAT said in a bulletin on the results of IPI for July 2024.

The report also highlighted a 4.6% increase in the sub-index for manufacturing activity compared to July 2023. Conversely, the sub-index for mining and quarrying activities decreased by 0.8% in July 2024.

The sub-index for electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply activity showed a notable 8.2% increase, while the sub-index for water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities saw a growth of 1.1% over July 2023.

Data revealed a 1.1% decrease in the index for oil activities in July 2024, along with an 8.2% increase in non-oil activities, compared to the same period the previous year.
IPI is an economic indicator that tracks the development and relative changes in the volume of industrial production quantities. This data is derived from the Industrial Production Survey, conducted among a sample of industrial establishments involved in mining, manufacturing, electricity and gas supply, water supply, sanitation, waste management, and remediation activities.



Gold Eases on Firmer Dollar, All Eyes on US Inflation Print

Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. Reuters
Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. Reuters
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Gold Eases on Firmer Dollar, All Eyes on US Inflation Print

Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. Reuters
Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. Reuters

Gold prices dipped on Monday as the dollar ticked higher, while investors looked towards this week's US inflation data to gauge the size of an expected Federal Reserve rate cut.

Spot gold fell 0.1% to $2,495.04 per ounce by 1027 GMT. US gold futures were unchanged at $2,524.50.

The dollar index rose 0.5%, making dollar-priced gold less appealing to holders of other currencies.

Bullion, which offers no interest of its own, tends to thrive in a low-interest-rate environment.

According to Reuters, traders see a 75% chance of a 25-basis point cut at the Fed's meeting next week, and a 25% chance of a 50 bp reduction. August US consumer price data on Wednesday could change these expectations. Eyes are also on Thursday's Producer Price Index (PPI).

"If inflation numbers comes much lower than expected and raise hopes for a 50 bp cut, then gold could hit all-time highs. But even if the consensus stays for a 25 bp cut, gold wouldn't see a dramatic loss in prices as the Fed is definitely cutting rates," said Kinesis Money market analyst Carlo Alberto De Casa.

"The key support area is at $2,470 and key resistance at $2,520," he added.

Last week, a report showed US employment increased less than expected in August, but a drop in the jobless rate to 4.2% suggested the labour market was not falling off a cliff to warrant a half-point cut.

Fed Governor Christopher Waller on Friday said he could support back-to-back cuts, or bigger cuts, if the data suggests the need. Meanwhile, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said he wants to calibrate policy based on data as it comes in.

On the central bank front, the People's Bank of China held back on buying gold for its reserves for a fourth straight month in August, official data showed on Saturday.

Spot silver rose 0.7% to $28.11 per ounce, platinum gained 1.9% to $939.65 and palladium was up 1.4% at $923.25.