Why Are Gold and Silver Up Today, 9/17/26?
I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Gold and silver prices rose on Sept 17, 2026, gaining 2.33% and 4.24% respectively. This increase was driven by lower energy prices easing inflation expectations and reducing Treasury yields, which lowers the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding precious metals. Additionally, while the Fed raised rates by 25 bps, its dot plot indicated less aggressive future hikes than anticipated, with most policymakers projecting only one or two additional increases through 2027.
Both gold (XAUUSD) and silver (XAGUSD) are trading higher on Thursday. Over the past 24 hours, gold and silver are up 2.33% and 4.24%, respectively. Brent crude (BZ) is down 1.2% at the time of writing, providing a helping hand to the two precious metals. Lower energy prices have eased inflation expectations, which have contributed to lower Treasury yields. The 10-year yield is down 5.3 basis points to 4.951%, while the 30-year yield is off 4.4 bps to 5.304%.
Falling yields reduce the opportunity cost of holding gold and silver, as they don't pay out interest.
Rate Hike Comes With Softer Long-Term Hike Expectations
Furthermore, the Fed raised interest rates by 25 bps on Wednesday. While higher rates increase the opportunity cost of precious metals, the central bank indicated that the scale of future hikes may not be as aggressive as many had anticipated.
The Fed's dot plot showed seven policymakers out of 18 penciling in two additional rate hikes by the end of 2027. Six called for one hike, while three projected unchanged rates. One official forecasted two cuts compared to the current rate of 3.75%-4.00%.