Gold falls from record high but holds above $3,200 on tariff jitters
Gold prices fell from a record high on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump excluded smartphones and computers from his reciprocal tariffs, although uncertainty around tariff plans kept prices above the significant $3,200 per ounce level.
Spot gold lost 0.4% to $3,222.49 an ounce, as of 0852 GMT. Bullion hit a record high of $3,245.42 earlier in the day.
"Market sentiment has improved a bit this morning after President Trump excluded electronics and smartphones from US tariffs. This has partly caused a dip in gold prices, likely due to profit-taking," said Zain Vawda, an analyst at MarketPulse by OANDA.
Gold is traditionally viewed as a hedge against geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
The White House on Friday announced exclusions of smart phones, computers and other electronics from steep reciprocal tariffs on China. On Sunday, however, Trump said he would be announcing the tariff rate on imported semiconductors over the week.
Any drop in gold prices is likely to be temporary, said Vawda.
"A US-China deal seems unlikely anytime soon, and global trade tariffs continue to pose challenges, keeping demand for safe-haven assets like gold strong. Additionally, the weakening US dollar adds further support to gold's appeal," Vawda added.
The U.S. dollar (.DXY), hit its lowest level in three-years against its peers, making greenback-priced bullion cheaper for overseas buyers.
Gold has continued its blazing rally from the last year, rising over 23% so far this year and vaulting over the $3,200 mark for the first time on Friday. Bullion has been supported by a variety of factors, including economic uncertainty from Trump's tariff plans, central bank demand and increased flows into gold-backed exchange-traded funds.
Goldman Sachs has increased its year-end gold forecast to $3,700, citing stronger-than-expected central bank demand and heightened recession risks impacting ETF inflows.
Spot silver was steady at $32.27 an ounce, while platinum added 1% to $952.10. Palladium gained 2.2% to $935.38.
Source : Reuters
