Gold Prices Drop $20 on US Non-Farm Payrolls Data
Friday, 7/05/2013 13:08
GOLD PRICES bounced and then dropped $20 per ounce to hit $1220 per ounce in London trade Friday, nearing their worst weekly finish since August 2010 after the release of June's US non-farm payrolls data.
Non-farm payrolls had been expected to show growth of 165,000 jobs for last month, but the official figure came in at 195,000.
The unemployment rate stayed at 7.6% however, rather than slipping as forecast. But average hourly earnings rose 2.2% annually against the 2.0% analysts predicted.
"With the US economy improving, US interest rates rising and the Dollar no longer perceived to be at risk," says the latest
Commodities Weekly from French investment and bullion bank Natixis, "the need for a safe haven against currency debasement and inflation dissipated.
"Should the Dollar continue to strengthen, so
gold prices will remain under pressure," says the note, as Western investors continue to sell exchange-traded gold funds.
The US Dollar rose again vs. the Euro and Sterling after the non-farms jobs data, touching 6 and 17-week highs respectively.
The European Central Bank and Bank of England both confirmed their record-low interest rates for the foreseeable future on Thursday. By Friday afternoon in London, Euro and Sterling gold prices were heading for their first weekly gain in six.
ETF gold sales since February now total 572 tonnes, says Natixis – "equivalent to increasing annual gold [mining] production by almost 13%."
Chinese gold buyers, in contrast, imported the second-largest volume of bullion on record in May, new data showed Friday.
Net imports of gold bullion to China through Hong Kong totaled almost 109 tonnes, the Hong Kong Census Bureau said, greater by more than one third from April.
Over the 1st five months of the year, China's net gold imports stood at twice the level of 2012.
Across in India meantime – likely to be overtaken by China this year as the world's No.1 gold consumer – "It is difficult to sell even 5 kilograms per day as the marriage season is almost over," said Chennai wholesalers MNC Bullion to Reuters on Friday.
Fighting both the typical
gold summer lull of Chaturmas and new
government curbs on imports of gold bullion, India's major retail chains "are aggressively promoting diamond jewellery" says the newswire, as well as expanding overseas in Singapore and Dubai.
"Gold has been the
traditional form of savings among Indian households for many years," says B.Venkatesh, founder of financial advisors Navera Consulting, writing in
The Hindu.
"Buying gold gives you a feeling of comfort...Gold is accepted at all times, [giving] you feeling that it is a 'safe' asset."
European stock markets meantime failed to follow Asian shares higher on Friday, while weaker Eurozone bonds recovered more of the week's drop.
Silver prices fell faster than gold, losing some 3.0% for the week after the non-farm payrolls data.
"The stronger Dollar is adding to the downward drag in metal prices," says Standard Bank's daily note.
"Even if the NFP data [had come] out below expectations, we would look for rallies in gold and other precious metals to fade."
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