EUR/USD
1.14676
0.137%
Gold
4834.16
0.328%
Oil
96.067
-2.827%
USD/JPY
159.685
-0.106%
GBP/USD
1.32690
0.095%
GBP/JPY
211.890
0.049%
Real-time News
1. Market Update: Precious metals futures fell overnight, and the weakness continued today. Currently, Shanghai silver futures are down nearly 7%, and Shanghai gold futures are down over 3%. 2. US February PPI rose 3.4% year-on-year, while core PPI reached a one-year high of 3.9%, indicating higher-than-expected inflation. The Federal Reserve held its March policy meeting last night, maintaining its current policy stance as expected, raising its inflation forecast, and still projecting one rate cut this year. Following the meeting, Powell stated that the economic impact of the US-Iran conflict remains uncertain, and the current decline in inflation has stalled. Tariffs and rising oil prices are creating combined pressure, gradually transmitting to core inflation. 3. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued an emergency statement early this morning (March 19th), announcing a large-scale missile attack on US-related oil and energy facilities in the region. The Revolutionary Guard stated that this action was a "direct and reciprocal retaliation" for the March 18th attack on Iranian energy infrastructure, aimed at targeting energy facilities "with US interests and US ownership." 4. Everbright Futures: Escalating geopolitical tensions coupled with hawkish rhetoric from the Federal Reserve became the final straw for gold. However, investors should not be overly pessimistic. With rapid inflation in the US, real interest rates are expected to weaken. A wait-and-see approach or a buy-on-dips strategy is recommended in the short term. Silver, platinum, and palladium are currently fluctuating in tandem with gold, making trading more difficult. Gold plays a significant role as a "ballast" for precious metals. Watch for when gold prices return to an upward trend and wait for the right opportunity. 5. Minmetals Futures: The surge in oil prices against the backdrop of the Iran war has boosted market inflation expectations and prompted a reassessment of the US economys resilience to energy shocks. The FOMC meeting decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 3.5%–3.75%. Furthermore, the possibility of further rate hikes was mentioned at this meeting. The released dot plot maintained the expectation of one rate cut each in the next two years, but the distribution was more hawkish than before, putting short-term pressure on precious metal prices. (The above content is compiled from publicly available market data such as Everbright Futures and is for reference only, not investment advice.)A Japanese power group executive said they will join a nationwide effort to ensure stable liquefied natural gas supplies amid the Iranian crisis.On March 19th, Daiwa Securities economists stated that despite rising geopolitical uncertainty, Bank of Japan Policy Board members Hajime Takada and Naoki Tamura maintained a hawkish stance, indicating that the central banks internal monetary tightening position remains unchanged. Takada proposed raising interest rates to 1%, while Tamura disagreed with the committees view on the inflation outlook, believing that core inflation will reach the 2% target sooner than other members expect. The meetings summary of opinions, scheduled for release on March 30th, may provide clues as to whether other committee members are inclined to raise interest rates.March 19th - According to Counterpoint Researchs "Foldable Smartphone Market Forecast" report, global foldable smartphone shipments are projected to grow by 20% in 2026, supported by factors such as Apples anticipated entry into the market, the continued premiumization of the smartphone market, and increased OEM participation. With Apple preparing to launch its first foldable iPhone, the foldable smartphone market will enter a new phase of competition in 2026. As the foldable market evolves, the competitive landscape is expected to change rapidly. Apples entry will be a key inflection point. Counterpoint Research predicts that Apple will achieve a 28% market share in 2026, closing in on Samsungs leading position.Goldman Sachs raised its target price for China Literature (00772.HK) from HK$44.90 to HK$45.50.
