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Gold Scales Record Peak as Fed Signals Two Rate Cuts in 2025

Gold necklaces sit in a display case at a Laopu Gold jewelry store in Beijing, China March 12, 2025. REUTERS/Florence Lo
Gold necklaces sit in a display case at a Laopu Gold jewelry store in Beijing, China March 12, 2025. REUTERS/Florence Lo
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Gold Scales Record Peak as Fed Signals Two Rate Cuts in 2025

Gold necklaces sit in a display case at a Laopu Gold jewelry store in Beijing, China March 12, 2025. REUTERS/Florence Lo
Gold necklaces sit in a display case at a Laopu Gold jewelry store in Beijing, China March 12, 2025. REUTERS/Florence Lo

Gold touched an all-time high on Thursday as the US Federal Reserve signaled two possible interest rate cuts this year, adding to the bullion's appeal amid ongoing geopolitical and economic tensions.
Spot gold held steady at $3,047.1 an ounce as of 0700 GMT, after hitting a record high of $3,057.21 earlier in the session.
US gold futures gained 0.4% to $3,054.10, Reuters reported.
Gold is driven by "a lot of uncertain market situations, geopolitical tensions, weaker US dollar and expectations that interest rates will be cut later", said Dick Poon, general manager at Heraeus Metals Hong Kong Ltd.
On Wednesday, the Fed left its benchmark rate unchanged in the 4.25%-4.50% range, as was widely expected. Policymakers anticipate two quarter-percentage-point cuts by the end of 2025.
Non-yielding bullion thrives in a low interest rate environment.
US President Donald Trump's initial policies, including tariffs, appear to have tilted the US economy towards slower growth and higher inflation, at least temporarily, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said.
Trump's tariffs have flared trade tensions and are widely seen as inflationary and detrimental to economic growth.
The tariff uncertainty, rate cut possibilities and escalating tensions in the Middle East have contributed to gold's rally, prompting it to notch 16 record highs so far in 2025, with four being above the $3,000 milestone.
On Thursday, 37 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, after Israel resumed its bombing campaign.
"For now, gold's appeal as a safe haven and inflation hedge has further strengthened in light of those geopolitical concerns and tariff uncertainty. We remain constructive on the outlook of gold," said OCBC forex strategist Christopher Wong.
Geopolitical and economic uncertainties underscore gold's role as a store of value.
"Given the very good performance in gold through Q1, I think a correction is not out of the question," said Nicholas Frappell, global head of institutional markets at ABC Refinery.
"So far, corrections have been relatively short-lived and well bid... $3,090-$3,100 may see some resistance."
Spot silver was flat at $33.8 an ounce, platinum fell 0.3% to $989.85. Palladium slipped 1% to $949.50.

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UK Finance Minister Says Govt to Cut Costs by 15 Percent

A handout picture released by the BBC, taken and received on March 23, 2025, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves appearing on the BBC's "Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg" political television show in London. (Photo by Jeff OVERS / BBC / AFP)
A handout picture released by the BBC, taken and received on March 23, 2025, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves appearing on the BBC's "Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg" political television show in London. (Photo by Jeff OVERS / BBC / AFP)
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UK Finance Minister Says Govt to Cut Costs by 15 Percent

A handout picture released by the BBC, taken and received on March 23, 2025, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves appearing on the BBC's "Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg" political television show in London. (Photo by Jeff OVERS / BBC / AFP)
A handout picture released by the BBC, taken and received on March 23, 2025, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves appearing on the BBC's "Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg" political television show in London. (Photo by Jeff OVERS / BBC / AFP)

UK finance minister Rachel Reeves said Sunday she plans to cut the costs of running government by 15 percent within four years, as she grapples with strained public finances.

Her comments came ahead of her crucial Spring Statement on Wednesday when she is expected to detail billions of pounds of spending cuts across various government departments, AFP reported.

"We are, by the end of this parliament, making a commitment that we will cut the costs of running government by 15 percent," she told the BBC.

The broadcaster reported that target would translate to annual savings of £2.2 billion ($2.8 billion) across Britain's civil service, which employs more than 500,000 people.

Reeves said it would be up to individual departments to decide how many civil servants will lose their jobs but added that personnel could be cut by 10,000.

"I would rather have people working on the front line in our schools and our hospitals, in our police, rather than in back-office jobs," she told Sky News.

Reeves also insisted that she will stick to her own fiscal rules when she delivers her financial update on Wednesday.

They are not to borrow to fund day-to-day spending and to see debt fall as a share of the gross domestic product by 2029-2030.

Since she has also committed to not increasing taxes, sticking to the rules raises the prospect of spending cuts to some departments.

The Labour government has failed to get Britain's economy firing since it swept to power last July, a task complicated by Donald Trump's return to the White House.

"The world has changed," Reeves told Sky.

"We can all see that before our eyes, and governments are not inactive in that –- we'll respond to the change and continue to meet our fiscal rules."

Official data released on Friday showed that public sector net borrowing -- the difference between spending and tax receipts -- grew last month, leaving Reeves with little wiggle room to meet her rules.

The restrictions are designed to ensure that the government's spending plans maintain credibility in financial markets.

On Tuesday, the government announced contested cuts to disability welfare payments, hoping to save more than £5 billion annually by the end of the decade.

Reeves insisted Sunday that there would still be "real-terms" increases in total public spending in every year of this parliament, which is due to end in 2029.