It feels like the rally in precious metals simply refuses to slow down. Gold and silver touched fresh record highs on Friday as investors rushed in once again. The main reason is growing belief that the US Federal Reserve could cut interest rates, combined with ongoing global uncertainty.
Lower interest rates usually help gold and silver. These metals do not offer interest like bonds do. When rates fall, holding metals becomes more attractive.
Gold prices on COMEX came very close to the big $5,000 per ounce mark. Earlier in the day, gold touched a new record of $4,969.69 per ounce. Silver also surprised the market. It jumped to a record high of $99.395 per ounce. Many now believe the white metal could cross $100 per ounce very soon.
Another big support came from the US dollar. The dollar slipped to a more than two week low on Friday. Over the week, it lost about 1% in value. A weaker dollar makes gold and silver cheaper for buyers outside the US. This often pushes demand higher.
Earlier in the week, US stock markets saw sharp selling. Investors were nervous after President Donald Trump renewed tariff threats against the European Union. Although stocks later recovered, the fear pushed many traders toward safer assets like gold and silver.
Even though some geopolitical tension has eased, metal prices have not cooled off. EU leaders met in Brussels for an emergency summit and felt some relief after Trump backed off his comments on Greenland. At the same time, they warned that Europe is ready to respond if new threats appear.
Trump said on Wednesday that he would delay tariffs on European countries that opposed his Greenland plans. He pointed to a future framework deal related to the island. Denmark made it clear that Greenland’s sovereignty is not up for negotiation. Details of any deal remain unclear.
Market analysts say that despite improving mood in risk markets, gold remains strong. According to FXStreet’s Haresh Menghani, optimism usually reduces demand for safe assets. Still, it has not weakened the strong bullish feeling around gold and silver.
Fresh US economic data also played a role. The final reading of US GDP for the third quarter showed growth of 4.4%. This was higher than the earlier estimate of 4.3% and much stronger than the previous quarter’s 3.8%.
Inflation data showed mixed signals. The US Core PCE index rose to 2.8% year on year in November, up from 2.7% in October. Monthly inflation stayed steady at 0.2%.
Job market data showed initial unemployment claims rose slightly to 200,000. This was lower than expectations. Even so, it failed to lift the dollar.
Investors largely believe the Federal Reserve will keep rates unchanged through the end of this quarter. Some even think rates could stay steady until Jerome Powell’s term ends in May. Despite that, markets are still pricing in 2 rate cuts in 2026. This expectation continues to weigh on the dollar and support metal prices.
As gold and silver move closer to historic levels, experts are urging caution. Pullbacks are always possible after such strong rallies. According to Trade Nation analyst David Morrison, how prices react during any correction could give clues about the next big move.