Breaking: Gold hits new record-high on reports of Israel attacking Hamas officials in Qatar
Gold gathers bullish momentum and hit a new record-high of $3,674 on Tuesday. At the time of press, XAU/USD was up 0.85% on the day at $3,666.
Gold seems to be benefiting from safe-haven flows amid a new escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Several news outlets reported that there were several blasts heard in Qatar's Doha, specifically over the Katara District in the capital.
Shortly after, Israeli media, citing a senior Israeli official, noted that the attack targeted Hamas leadership located in Qatar, including Khalil Al-hayya and Zaher Jabarin. According to Israeli sources, the United States was notified before the attack.
Qatar released an official response, calling the attack a "flagrant violation of international law" and condemning Israel's "cowardly" strike.
Oil prices also shot higher on this development. As of writing, the barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was trading at $63.25, rising about 1.3% on a daily basis.
Risk sentiment FAQs
In the world of financial jargon the two widely used terms “risk-on” and “risk off'' refer to the level of risk that investors are willing to stomach during the period referenced. In a “risk-on” market, investors are optimistic about the future and more willing to buy risky assets. In a “risk-off” market investors start to ‘play it safe’ because they are worried about the future, and therefore buy less risky assets that are more certain of bringing a return, even if it is relatively modest.
Typically, during periods of “risk-on”, stock markets will rise, most commodities – except Gold – will also gain in value, since they benefit from a positive growth outlook. The currencies of nations that are heavy commodity exporters strengthen because of increased demand, and Cryptocurrencies rise. In a “risk-off” market, Bonds go up – especially major government Bonds – Gold shines, and safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc and US Dollar all benefit.
The Australian Dollar (AUD), the Canadian Dollar (CAD), the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and minor FX like the Ruble (RUB) and the South African Rand (ZAR), all tend to rise in markets that are “risk-on”. This is because the economies of these currencies are heavily reliant on commodity exports for growth, and commodities tend to rise in price during risk-on periods. This is because investors foresee greater demand for raw materials in the future due to heightened economic activity.
The major currencies that tend to rise during periods of “risk-off” are the US Dollar (USD), the Japanese Yen (JPY) and the Swiss Franc (CHF). The US Dollar, because it is the world’s reserve currency, and because in times of crisis investors buy US government debt, which is seen as safe because the largest economy in the world is unlikely to default. The Yen, from increased demand for Japanese government bonds, because a high proportion are held by domestic investors who are unlikely to dump them – even in a crisis. The Swiss Franc, because strict Swiss banking laws offer investors enhanced capital protection.