Gold Prices Rise as All Signs Point to More Stimulus
China reported last Friday that its July consumer price index (CPI) rose to 1.8% from the previous year, representing its lowest jump since January 2010. Industrial production declined to 9.2% from June's 9.5% thanks to slowing growth in heavy industrial production. Retail sales fell to 13.1% from June's 13.7%.
There's more: July exports increased 1% from the previous year, while imports rose 4.7%, exemplifying a weak external demand, but also a slowdown in Chinese investment.
As if this wasn't enough news to fuel a little action in the gold markets, Japan continued the trend on Monday with news that its economic growth in the second quarter had slowed down more than anticipated.
Also triggering stimulus speculation was news out of Europe that the Eurozone's economies contracted in the second quarter. The European Union's statistics office said yesterday (Tuesday) that six countries were in recessions.
"It looks like the gold market will continue to be held up by the sentiment of expected central-bank stimulation," Marex Spectron Group said in a report Tuesday. "The downside risk is limited."
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