Gold surges back above $3,400 on revived haven interest

OUTSIDE MARKET DEVELOPMENTS: Risk is off amid revived tariff worries and heightened geopolitical tensions. U.S. shares are under pressure, and safe-haven demand has returned to the precious metals.

The Trump administration continues to profess that deals with some key trading partners are close at hand, but markets are growing impatient. Canadian PM Carney will meet with President Trump at the White House today.

President Trump signed an executive order on Monday that incentivizes the manufacture of pharmaceuticals in America. He said he would announce tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals within the next couple of weeks.

The threat of a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the U.S. is the latest surprise. Hollywood is understandably fretting over the implications, but broader market jitters are amplified as it suggests the Trump administration is not done throwing levies at the wall to see what might stick.

The U.S. trade balance reached a record wide deficit of -$140.5 bln in March as importers continued to front-run tariffs. This is likely to weigh on Q1 GDP revisions.

There is still an expectation of positive growth in Q2, but recent port data suggest both imports and exports have contracted significantly. “We haven’t seen anything like this since the disruptions of summer 2020,” said Kyle Henderson, CEO of trade tracker Vizion, in a CNBC article. That's going to boost recession worries.

Yields are under pressure after a strong 10-year auction with good domestic and foreign interest. Weakness in stocks is providing additional support for Treasuries. Softer yields are putting some pressure on the dollar.

Balance of Trade expanded to a record wide -$140.5 bln in March, outside expectations of -$136.7 bln, versus a revised -$123.2 bln in February (was -$122.7 bln).

RCM/TIPP Economic Optimism Index fell 1.2 points to a seven-month low of 46.0 in May, below expectations of 50.2, versus 49.1 in April. It was the third consecutive print below 50, indicating pessimism.


GOLD

OVERNIGHT CHANGE THROUGH 6:00 AM CST: +$50.06 (+1.50%)
5-Day Change: +$58.04 (+1.75%)
YTD Range: $2,607.16 - $3,495.89
52-Week Range: $2,287.64 - $3,495.89
Weighted Alpha: +48.71

Gold reached two-week highs above $3,400, boosted by renewed risk aversion associated with tariff uncertainties and geopolitical risks. The dollar index weakened further within its recent range, providing some additional lift for the yellow metal.



More than 61.8% of the recent correction has now been retraced, and the 78.6% Fibonacci level at $3,433.62 has come within sight. Penetration of this level would lend confidence to the bullish scenario that calls for further attacks on the $3,500 zone.

Pending new record highs, focus would shift to $3,575.04 based on a Fibonacci extension. Such a move would also lend further credence to the longer-term $4,000 objective.

A new Gallup poll has gold supplanting stocks/mutual funds as the second-best long-term investment. Real estate remained at the top of the list for a twelfth straight year.

Of those surveyed, 23% picked gold as the best investment, up from 18% last year. Only 16% said stocks/mutual funds were the best long-term investment, down from 22% in 2024.

At least one major distributor noted stronger customer buying in April. "At FideliTrade, buying during the month increased enough to match the customer selling. This has not happened in over a year," according to their newsletter.

Heraeus reports that investment demand remains robust, citing a 170% year-over-year increase in bar and coin demand in Q1. This is offset to a large degree by a marked drop in jewelry demand associated with record-high prices.

The low from early in today's U.S. session at $3,375.20 marks initial support. Secondary support is at $3,326.29 (today's Asian low).  The rising 20-day moving average is at $3,291.18 today and should climb above $3,300 this week.


SILVER

OVERNIGHT CHANGE THROUGH 6:00 AM CST: +$0.532 (+1.64%)
5-Day Change: +$0.152 (+0.46%)
YTD Range: $28.565 - $34.543
52-Week Range: $26.524 - $34.853
Weighted Alpha: +16.51

Silver is back above $33, buoyed by strength in gold and a weaker dollar. The white metal is defying ongoing trade and global growth worries, but the market has struggled above $33 in recent weeks.



Last week's high at $33.471 protects the high from the previous week at $33.662. Beyond that, formidable barriers are marked by the high for the year at $34.543 (28-Mar) and the 22-year high from October at $34.853.

Failure to sustain gains above $33 would leave silver vulnerable to a retreat below $32. The convergence of the 50- and 20-day MAs at $32.661/551 offers a good intervening barrier ahead of Monday's low at $32.009.


Peter A. Grant
Vice President, Senior Metals Strategist
Zaner Metals LLC
312-549-9986 Direct/Text
[email protected]
www.zanermetals.com

Non-Reliance and Risk Disclosure: The opinions expressed here are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as trade recommendations, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any precious metals product. The material presented is based on information that we consider reliable, but we do not represent that it is accurate, complete, and/or up-to-date, and it should not be relied on as such. Opinions expressed are current as of the time of posting and only represent the views of the author and not those of Zaner Metals LLC unless otherwise expressly noted.