New Delhi, March 4 Silver and gold prices rebounded in futures trading on Wednesday, tracking firm demand in international markets as investors sought safe-haven assets amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following the US administration signaling that military operations against Iran could last for a month or longer.
On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), silver for May delivery rose by Rs 6,410, or 2.42 percent, to Rs 2,71,728 per kilogram. During the intraday session, it appreciated by Rs 8,515, or 3.21 percent, to hit a high of Rs 2,73,833 per kg.
On Tuesday, the metal had closed lower by Rs 13,163, or 4.73 percent, to Rs 2,65,318 per kg from Monday's closing level of Rs 2,78,481 per kg.
Gold futures for the April contract increased by Rs 1,872, or 1.16 percent, to Rs 1,62,980 per 10 grams after reaching an intraday high of Rs 1,63,800 per 10 grams.
In the previous trading session, the yellow metal had settled lower at Rs 1,61,108 per 10 grams, down by Rs 4,966.
Both silver and gold saw significant gains on Wednesday, with the yellow metal rising by 1.5 percent to trade above Rs 1.63 lakh per 10 grams, while the white metal surged by nearly 3 percent, Aamir Makda, Commodity & Currency Analyst at Choice Broking, said.
"This rise in both metals can be considered as a classic 'flight-to-safety' response. With the intensification of US-Iran hostilities, investors are prioritizing wealth preservation over speculative gains," he added.
Makda further stated that domestic equity markets have resumed a downward trend, falling by more than 3 percent so far, which has added safe-haven premiums to bullion prices.
Commodities markets remained closed in the morning session on Tuesday due to Holi but resumed trading in the evening session.
Globally, Comex silver futures for May delivery gained USD 1.73, or 2.07 percent, to USD 85.20 per ounce, while gold for April contract went up by USD 54.9, or 1.07 percent, to USD 5,178.6 per ounce.
"US President Donald Trump signaled that military operations against Iran could persist for a month or longer, heightening fears of a prolonged conflict," Renisha Chainani, Head - Research at Augmont, said.
She added that Iran's declaration of closing the Strait of Hormuz and threatening to target transiting vessels has intensified market concerns, given that nearly 20 percent of global oil supply moves through the key shipping corridor.
"Rising crude oil prices have amplified inflationary and growth concerns worldwide," Chainani said.
She noted that despite strong safe-haven demand, bullion is facing intermittent profit-booking as the US dollar strengthened to a five-week high.
"The greenback has gained support from safe-haven inflows and expectations that rising energy prices potentially delay Federal Reserve interest rate cuts and support US Treasury bond yields in the near-term," she added.
According to Kotak Securities, investors will now be eyeing key US macroeconomic data, including the US ADP employment change and services PMI data, which could influence the Federal Reserve's monetary policy outlook and short-term trajectory for bullion prices.
Hareesh V, Head of Commodity Research, Geojit Investments Ltd, said the broader outlook for gold remains positive due to ongoing geopolitical tensions and strong fundamentals. "We expect gold to recover further. Silver, however, may experience choppy trading, as speculative transactions dominate. Overall, we remain bullish on gold, while silver may show a mild positive bias."
