|

Gold and Silver hit record highs on geopolitical stress – ING

Gold and Silver surged to fresh record highs as escalating geopolitical tensions between the US and Europe boosted demand for safe-haven assets. Strong year-to-date gains in precious metals reflect investor unease over trade risks, rising US debt, and renewed concerns about central bank independence, ING's commodity experts Ewa Manthey and Warren Patterson note.

Safe-haven demand lifts precious metals

"Gold and Silver surged to fresh record highs as escalating geopolitical tensions boosted demand for safe-haven assets. The latest catalyst is renewed friction between the US and Europe, with Trump’s intensifying push to take control of Greenland stoking concerns over a potential transatlantic trade conflict."

"Both Gold and Silver have extended their strong year-to-date gains. Gold is up around 8%, while Silver has climbed 30%, building on an already robust performance in 2025. The move has been driven by a series of geopolitical shocks, including the US arrest of Venezuela’s leader and the continued uncertainty surrounding Washington’s stance on Greenland."

"Adding to the volatility, the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on the Federal Reserve intensified investor concerns about central bank independence. This has reinforced the debasement trade. Investors are favoring Gold and Silver over currencies and government bonds amid rising US debt levels and heightened policy unpredictability."

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

More from FXStreet Insights Team
Share:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD stays below 1.3400 after soft UK CPI data

GBP/USD struggles to gain traction and stays below 1.3400 in the second half of the day on Wednesday. The UK annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation cooled to 2.6% in June against the market forecast of 2.7%, making it difficult for the British Pound gather recovery momentum. Meanwhile, investors keep a close eye on headlines coming out of the Middle East.

EUR/USD stabilizes near 1.1400 as markets focus on geopolitics

EUR/USD trades in a narrow channel at around 1.1400 on Wednesday. In the absence of high-impact data releases, escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East caps the pair's upside. On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) will announce monetary policy decisions.

Gold holds comfortably above $4,100, remains close to two-week high

Gold steadies above $4,100 during the Asian session on Thursday, stalling the previous day's modest pullback from over a two-week high amid a soft US Dollar. However, the recent spike in oil prices, bolstered by escalating US-Iran tensions, continues to fuel inflationary concerns and lift bets for a Fed rate hike in 2026. This remains supportive of elevated US Treasury bond yields, which favors USD bulls and could act as a headwind for the non-yielding bullion.

Australia unemployment rate set to steady at 4.4% in June, signaling strong job market

Australia will publish the June monthly employment report on Thursday at 01:30 GMT, and market participants expect a modest increase in job creation in the land Down Under. The Australian Bureau of Statistics is expected to announce that the country added 15K new jobs in the month, while the Unemployment Rate is forecast at 4.4%, unchanged from May.

Hyperliquid, Robinhood could lead crypto’s next bull market as DeFi and TradFi converge

The next crypto bull market could be driven by the growing convergence between blockchain-based financial infrastructure and traditional finance, according to Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan. In a report published late Tuesday, Hougan argued that crypto may be showing early signs of a market bottom, with Bitcoin gaining 9% since July 1 even as the NASDAQ 100 declined 6%.

US Dollar mid-year outlook: Exceptional currency, exceptional risks?
The US Dollar enters the second half of 2026 in a markedly different position from a year ago. The King currency has recovered, reflecting persistent US inflation, changing expectations for Fed policy, geopolitical tensions and renewed demand for defensive assets.