Source: CNBC
Security & Justice
Southern Lebanon Endures Massive Damage: 40,000 Homes Leveled Across 37 Towns
Israeli forces have systematically destroyed entire neighborhoods in southern Lebanon, leveling more than 37 towns and wiping out over 40,000 residential units, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Gaps in Coastal Radar Enabled Israeli Raid in Batroun, Army Commander Says
Lebanon’s army chief, General Joseph Aoun, detailed to Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati how Israeli forces likely exploited gaps in the country's coastal radar system during the recent raid carried out in Batroun. The briefing comes as Lebanese officials seek answers on how Israel’s elite Shayetet 13 unit carried out the landing undetected.
Monday, November 4, 2024
Opinion
The Emptying of Baalbek Is a Moment to Take Stock
“Large numbers of people continue to flee their homes every day, as Israel’s military operations in Lebanon have been going on unabated.” These disturbing words could be from almost any news report about Israel’s invasion of its northern neighbour over the past month. However, they can be found in a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre issued on July 27, 2006.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
A Future Without Hezbollah
At the end of September, when Israel’s campaign to destroy Hezbollah was reaching its height, I met one of the group’s supporters in a seaside café in western Beirut. He was a middle-aged man with a thin white beard and the spent look of someone who had not slept for days. He was an academic of sorts, not a fighter, but his ties to Hezbollah were deep and long-standing.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Sports
Tottenham Forward Son Heung-min Crowned Asia’s International Player of the Year
Tottenham forward Son Heung-min was crowned as Asia’s International Player of the Year for the fourth time by the Asian Football Confederation at its annual awards ceremony Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Real Madrid Launch Investigation into Racist Insults After El Clasico Defeat
Real Madrid has launched an investigation into racist insults directed at players during Saturday’s 4-0 home loss to Barcelona in LaLiga, it said on Sunday.
Monday, October 28, 2024
Monday 4 December 2023 17:07:30
Gold Soars Past $2,100 to New Record — and Analysts Don’t Expect It to Stop There
Gold prices notched a new record on Monday for a second day in a row — with spot prices touching $2,100 as the global rush for bullion appears set to continue.
Gold prices are on course to hit fresh highs next year and could remain above $2,000 levels, analysts said, citing geopolitical uncertainty, a likely weaker U.S. dollar and possible interest rate cuts.
Prices of the yellow metal have risen for two consecutive months with the Israel-Palestinian conflict boosting demand for the safe-haven asset, while expectations of interest rate cuts have provided further support. Gold tends to perform well during periods of economic and geopolitical uncertainty due to its status as a reliable store of value.
“The anticipated retreat in both the USD and interest rates across 2024 are key positive drivers for gold,” UOB’s Head of Markets Strategy, Global Economics and Markets Research, Heng Koon How, told CNBC via email. He estimated that gold prices could reach up to $2,200 by the end of 2024.
Similarly, another analyst is bullish on bullion’s outlook.
“There is simply less leverage this time around vs 2011 in gold ... taking prices through $2,100 and putting $2,200/oz in view,” said Nicky Shiels, head of metals strategy at precious metals firm MKS PAMP.
All that glitters is gold
Spot gold prices rose to a new record high of $2,110.8 per ounce Monday before giving up some gains. It is currently trading at $2,084.59.
On Friday, gold touched $2,075.09 to surpass a precious intraday record high of $2,072.5 on Aug. 7, 2020, according to LSEG data.
Bart Melek, head of commodity strategies at TD Securities, expects gold prices to average $2,100 in the second quarter of 2024, with strong central bank purchases acting as a key catalyst in boosting prices.
According to a recent survey by the World Gold Council, 24% of all central banks intend to increase their gold reserves in the next 12 months, as they increasingly grow pessimistic about the U.S. dollar as a reserve asset.
“This means potentially higher demand from the official sector in the years to come,” Melek said.
A possible policy pivot by the Fed in 2024 could also be on the cards, he added. Lower interest rates tend to weaken the dollar and a softer dollar makes gold cheaper for international buyers thus driving up demand.
The Fed started its steady stream of rate hikes in March 2022 as inflation climbed to its highest in 40 years, diminishing gold’s appeal.
Higher interest rates hurt demand for gold, which does not pay any interest, as assets such as bonds become more lucrative due to their higher yields.
On Nov. 29, Fed Governor Christopher Waller said he envisioned easing policy if inflation data continues to ease over the next three to five months, prompting analysts to forecast a spike in gold prices.
On Friday, while Fed Chairman Jerome Powell pushed back on expectations for aggressive interest rate cuts ahead, his remarks indicated the Fed may at least be done hiking for now.
“We believe the main factors buoying gold in 2024 will be interest rate cuts by the U.S. Fed, a weaker U.S. dollar and high levels of geopolitical tension,” BMI, a Fitch Solutions research unit, said in a recent note.
