"Safe-haven + Interest Rate Cuts" Dual Engines Ignite Precious Metals Market! Gold Continues to Hit New Highs, Surpassing $4,180, Silver Strengthens Concurrently

According to Zhitong Finance APP, benefiting from the escalation of trade tensions between China and the United States and market expectations for further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year, gold prices have surged to record highs, and silver prices have also risen. As of the time of writing on Wednesday, spot gold rose nearly 1%, hovering around $4,180 per ounce, after briefly reaching a historic high of $4,185 per ounce. Spot silver also rose on Wednesday after experiencing significant volatility on Tuesday, increasing by 1.5% to $52.2 per ounce as of the time of writing. On Tuesday, U.S. Treasury yields fell to their lowest levels in weeks. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell stated in a speech on Tuesday that the Fed is expected to implement another 25 basis point rate cut later this month, although the U.S. government shutdown has severely impacted its assessment of the economic situation. Powell repeatedly mentioned the slow pace of hiring and noted that this situation could worsen further. Meanwhile, as the trade situation between the two major economies, China and the U.S., has escalated recently, risk aversion sentiment has swept the market, enhancing gold's appeal as a safe haven. Additionally, safe-haven demand is supported by threats to the independence of the Federal Reserve and the U.S. government shutdown. In the silver market, a liquidity shortage in the London area has triggered a global rush for physical silver, pushing the benchmark spot price significantly higher than the New York futures price. On Tuesday, as London silver prices fell, the price gap between the two markets narrowed, while borrowing costs for silver in London also began to decline, although both remained at extremely high levels. Traders remain cautious ahead of the U.S. government's announcement of the results of the so-called "Section 232" investigation into critical minerals. This investigation covers metals such as silver, platinum, and palladium. Although these metals were officially exempted from tariffs in April, this investigation has reignited concerns that they may be included in a new round of tariffs. So far this year, the prices of the four major precious metals have risen between 58% and 80%, leading the entire commodity market. The rise in gold is mainly driven by continued central bank purchases, increased holdings in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and rate cuts by the Federal Reserve