GoldĀ soared to a record high on Monday, lifted by safe-haven demand amid renewed U.S.-China trade tensions and expectations of U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, while silver also surged to an all-time high.
SpotĀ goldĀ was up 0.7% at $4,044.29 per ounce, as of 0253 GMT, after hitting a record high of $4,059.30 earlier in the session.
U.S.Ā goldĀ futuresĀ for December delivery rose 1.6% to $4,062.50.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday imposed 100% tariffs on Chinese goods to the United States and announced new export controls on critical software effective November 1 in response to China's curbs on rare earth elements and equipment, which BeijingĀ defendedĀ on Sunday as justified while stopping short of imposing additional levies on U.S. goods.
"It's interesting because developments in the Middle East recently had been a diminished tailwind for theĀ goldĀ market, but now we've got this reemergence of risks due to inflamed trade tensions between the U.S. and China," Capital.com analyst Kyle Rodda said.
Spot silverĀ jumped 2% to a record high of $51.52/oz, driven by similar factors asĀ goldĀ alongside tightness in the spot market.
Goldman SachsĀ saidĀ on Sunday that silver prices were expected to rise in the medium term due to private investment flows, but warned of heightened near-term volatility and downside risks compared toĀ gold.
Non-yielding bullion has gained 54% year-to-date, driven by geopolitical risks, alongside strong central bankĀ gold-buying, exchange-traded funds inflows, Fed rate cut expectations and economic uncertainties stemming from tariffs.
Markets are pricing in a near-certain chance of a 25-basis-point rate cut in October followed by a similar reduction in December.Ā
Fed Chair Jerome Powell is set to address the NABE annual meeting on Tuesday, which may provide fresh rate cut cues. Other Fed officials are scheduled to speak throughout the week.
Elsewhere, TrumpĀ blamedĀ Democrats for his decision to lay off thousands of federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown, which began on October 1, and has delayed key economic data releases.
On the geopolitical front, several world leaders, including Trump, are meeting in Egypt on Monday to discuss ceasefire plans for Gaza.
Platinum, rose 2.6% to $1,628.80 and palladiumĀ gained 2.6% to $1,442.06.