Gold Hovers Near Record Levels, Fed Meeting in Focus

A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)
A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)
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Gold Hovers Near Record Levels, Fed Meeting in Focus

A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)
A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)

Safe-haven gold firmed on Monday, trading near an all-time high scaled in the previous session, while the market's focus shifted to the US Federal Reserve's meeting this week.

Spot gold added 0.5% to $2,997.84 an ounce, as of 1141 GMT. Prices hit a record high of $3,004.86 on Friday amid geopolitical uncertainty.

US gold futures eased 0.2% to $3,006.10.

"We expect prices to edge higher on a similar trajectory with dips bought as FOMO (fear of missing out) trades support the market," said Ross Norman, an independent analyst, Reuters reported.

"In short, we would be surprised not to see the $3,150 level in the coming months much as we had forecasted - albeit much quicker than we had anticipated."

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that there are "no guarantees" there will not be a recession in the country, adding to investor worries of an impending economic downturn due to the President's trade policies.

"Short term, we acknowledge that the market has drifted into technical overbought territory, but think the prevailing mood among investors remains one of caution for US equities and confidence in gold," UBS said in a note.

US stock markets closed down sharply last week amid mounting uncertainties arising from tariff threats against the biggest US trading partners.

Markets now await the Fed's two-day monetary policy meeting that ends on Wednesday for clues on the interest rate trajectory. The Fed is widely expected to keep rates on hold after having reduced them by 100 basis points since September.

Bullion tends to do well in a low interest rate environment and is also seen as a hedge against geopolitical turmoil, economic uncertainties, and inflation.

Spot silver was flat at $33.79 an ounce, while platinum rose 0.6% to $999.20, and palladium gained 0.9% to $973.50.



Shell: Attack on Ras Laffan in Qatar Damaged Pearl GTL Facility

(FILES) This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
(FILES) This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
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Shell: Attack on Ras Laffan in Qatar Damaged Pearl GTL Facility

(FILES) This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)
(FILES) This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)

Shell said Wednesday's attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City caused damage to the Pearl GTL (gas-to-liquids) facility, adding the fire was ⁠quickly put out, there ⁠were no reported injuries and Pearl is now in ⁠a "safe state.”

Shell has a 100% interest in Pearl GTL in Qatar, which has capacity to process up to 1.6 billion cubic ⁠feet ⁠per day of wellhead gas, converting it into 140,000 bpd of gas-to-liquids.


European Gas Prices Jump 35% after Strikes on Energy Infrastructure

Notes read “Out of Stock” at the New World Fuel station in Levin, New Zealand, on March 19, 2026. (Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP)
Notes read “Out of Stock” at the New World Fuel station in Levin, New Zealand, on March 19, 2026. (Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP)
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European Gas Prices Jump 35% after Strikes on Energy Infrastructure

Notes read “Out of Stock” at the New World Fuel station in Levin, New Zealand, on March 19, 2026. (Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP)
Notes read “Out of Stock” at the New World Fuel station in Levin, New Zealand, on March 19, 2026. (Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP)

European gas prices soared as much as 35 percent on Thursday as fresh strikes hit energy infrastructure in the Middle East.

The Dutch TTF natural gas contract, considered the European benchmark, jumped to 74 euros, before paring gains slightly.

Two waves of Iranian strikes caused "extensive damage" at Ras Laffan in Qatar, the world's largest liquefied natural gas hub, raising fresh concerns over energy supplies.

Oil and gas prices have jumped since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began.


EU Pitched for Türkiye to Join Its Payments System, Envoy Says

 This photograph shows European flags fluttering outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels on March 18, 2026. (AFP)
This photograph shows European flags fluttering outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels on March 18, 2026. (AFP)
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EU Pitched for Türkiye to Join Its Payments System, Envoy Says

 This photograph shows European flags fluttering outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels on March 18, 2026. (AFP)
This photograph shows European flags fluttering outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels on March 18, 2026. (AFP)

The European Union pitched to Türkiye last month the idea that the candidate for bloc membership could join a cost-cutting payments system to boost integration efforts and benefit those sending money abroad, the EU envoy to Ankara told Reuters.

Jurgis Vilcinskas, the bloc's chargé d’affaires in Türkiye, said European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos discussed the proposal with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, when the two met last month in Ankara.

The EU says its 41-country Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) makes cross-border ‌euro-currency payments cheaper, ‌faster and more secure. Users in far smaller ‌Balkan ⁠candidates Albania, Moldova, Montenegro ⁠and North Macedonia, which adopted the scheme last year, could save up to 500 million euros, it said.

"SEPA could present a valuable opportunity to strengthen Türkiye's economic integration as a candidate country and a key trade and economic partner of the EU," Vilcinskas told Reuters in a response.

It could generate "significant savings annually for Turkish businesses, ⁠consumers and diaspora by making cross-border transfers in Euros ‌as fast and as cheap as ‌domestic ones," he said.

Ankara's view on the matter is unclear.

A Turkish diplomatic source ‌confirmed that during Kos' February 6 visit an offer had been conveyed ‌to Ankara, adding the SEPA issue was under the jurisdiction and coordination of the Finance Ministry, which did not comment on the matter.

STEPS EYED TO BOLSTER ECONOMIC TIES

Under SEPA, Turkish banks could stand to lose revenues on transfers, which ‌vary widely based on size. A Türkiye-Europe transfer of 1,000 euros to 5000 euros can cost 40 euros, according ⁠to Western ⁠Union.

Europe is Türkiye’s largest trading partner with more than 200 billion euros in volume. With bloc membership talks effectively stalled for years, both say they want to modernize their customs union and move to boost economic ties.

Vilcinskas said Türkiye would need to comply with the EU's Payment Services Directive, including strengthening its anti-money laundering and data protection rules, adding that the Commission was ready to support Türkiye in any SEPA endeavor.

SEPA could bring "significant" savings, especially for the large Turkish diaspora across Europe, a Turkish banking source said.

In an interview this month, Odile Renaud-Basso, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, said SEPA would "basically make transactions cost-free".