Gold price prediction today: Gold is seeing intense selling pressure and this is likely to continue this week amid global tensions, says Manav Modi, Senior Analyst, Commodity Research at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.Gold prices have witnessed a sharp decline, marking their worst performances in years, as rising inflation concerns and expectations of prolonged higher interest rates outweighed safe-haven demand. Escalating tensions in the US-Israel-Iran conflict pushed crude oil prices above $100, fueling fears of sustained energy-driven inflation. Central banks have maintained a cautious stance, with the Fed holding rates steady while signaling inflation risks, and others like the RBA hiking rates. Stronger US dollar and rising bond yields further pressured bullion. Despite intermittent stability from easing oil prices, markets shifted away from rate cut expectations, limiting gold’s upside amid persistent geopolitical uncertainty.The focus this week will be on Preliminary PMI reports from major economies. Gold has turned technically weak after a sharp breakdown from the recent consolidation range. Prices have slipped below the middle Bollinger Band (20 SMA), indicating loss of bullish momentum, and are now approaching the lower band—suggesting increased downside volatility. The recent price action resembles a distribution top followed by a breakdown, confirming a short-term bearish structure.The immediate resistance is seen near Rs 142,000-145,000, which aligns with the middle Bollinger Band and prior support zone. A stronger resistance is placed at Rs 150,000, where repeated rejections were observed earlier. On the downside, key support lies around Rs 136,000, and a decisive break below this could extend the fall towards Rs 130,000 -128,000 levels.Volume expansion during the decline indicates strong selling pressure. Unless prices reclaim Rs 145,000 quickly, the bias remains sell-on-rise for the week.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

As tensions in the Middle East stretch into their fourth week, shockwaves are now being felt across global markets and gold is no exception. The precious metal has taken a sharp hit, tumbling to its steepest weekly fall in nearly four decades, with prices reaching $4,354 per ounce.The fall marks a swift retreat from levels of around $5,200 per ounce seen on March 13, highlighting the speed and scale of the correction. The metal had earlier surged to an all-time high of $5,595.51 before losing momentum.The sharp decline is raising concerns about gold’s traditional safe-haven status. Market participants note that despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, the yellow metal has struggled to hold its appeal, with broader financial factors taking centre stage.Gold prices fallAccording to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the recent decline may open up opportunities for long-term investors looking to enter the market at lower levels.Priyanka Sachdeva told WSJ “this correction is a golden opportunity for staggered entry by long-term buyers,” she said.The report added that a sustained move below $4,400 per ounce has brought the 200-day moving average of $4,154 per ounce into view as a potential support level before any stabilisation.Data from ICE showed spot gold trading 2.0% lower at $4,400.44 per ounce, after touching an intraday low of $4,320.08, its weakest level since early January.The downturn has also been linked to expectations of liquidity-driven selling in global markets amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Gold proceeds with a ‘cautious tone’Ole Hansen, Saxo Bank’s Head of Commodity Strategy, told WSJ that there is speculation some economies may need to raise liquidity, which could include selling gold.“While not a confirmed driver, it adds to the more cautious tone,” he said.He further noted that gold’s inability to rally despite geopolitical tensions suggests other factors are currently dominating market behaviour.“Gold’s failure to rally despite geopolitical stress highlights the current dominance of higher real yields, a firmer dollar and position adjustment over its traditional safe-haven role,” he said.Analysts broadly indicate that while the correction has been sharp, the current price levels may still present selective buying opportunities for investors with a long-term perspective, even as short-term volatility continues.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

The ongoing war in the Middle East has triggered an energy crisis for the world and “no country is immune” to its shockwaves, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned on Monday. Addressing the National Press Club in Australia’s capital, Birol said the current situation has evolved into an unprecedented disruption, combining multiple shocks to oil and gas supplies.“This crisis as things stand is now two oil crises and one gas crash put all together,” he said. He also drew comparisons with the oil shocks of the 1970s and the fallout from Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.Highlighting the broader economic risks, Birol said, “The global economy is facing a major, major threat today, and I very much hope that this issue will be resolved as soon as possible.”Also read | Bigger US strike on Iran today? Trump’s ‘mild’ warning as 48-hour deadline expires todayCommenting on the fallout of the energy crisis, Fatih Birol said, “no country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues to go in this direction,” adding, “so there is a need for global efforts.”The conflict has already caused extensive damage to energy infrastructure, with Birol noting that at least forty facilities across nine countries in the region have been “severely or very severely damaged”.

“At least forty… energy assets in the region are severely or very severely damaged across nine countries,” he said.The disruption was intensified by the near shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments. The standoff has deepened as the war entered its fourth week, with Donald Trump and Tehran issuing repeated threats, including Washington’s demand for the reopening of the waterway.Follow live updates hereBirol identified the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as the most critical step towards stabilising the situation, while also flagging rising fuel shortages in Asia as a growing concern. Oil markets reflected the strain, with US benchmark crude briefly touching the $100-per-barrel mark early on Monday. As fuel prices continue to rise, he added that there would not be any specific crude level to trigger another release.He added that the agency is currently consulting governments worldwide and remains prepared to release additional oil from emergency reserves if needed, though he clarified that no specific price level would automatically trigger such a move.Also read | Oil prices today: Brent crude steady at $112 as Trump’s ultimatum, Iran threat keep markets on edgeMeanwhile, US President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum to Iran to reopen the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, warning of military consequences if it failed to comply. He said, “If Iran doesn’t fully open, without threat, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 hours from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various power plants, starting with the biggest one first! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” In response, Tehran warned, signalling that any attack on its energy infrastructure would prompt retaliation beyond conventional military targets. The message was conveyed by Ebrahim Zolfaghari and carried by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. He said any strike on Iran’s fuel and energy sector would trigger action against a broader range of targets linked to the United States and its regional allies.Earlier this month, 32 member nations of the IEA agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves to the market, to deal with the ongoing energy supply disruption.

Stock market crash today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex plunged in opening trade on Monday with oil prices continuing to remain Hugh amid the ongoing US-Iran war. While Nifty50 went below 23,000, BSE Sensex dropped over 1,300 points. At 9:17 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 22,698.55, down 416 points or 1.80%. BSE Sensex was at 73,168.18, down 1,365 points or 1.83%.The near-term outlook remains heavily dependent on incoming economic data, while geopolitical developments in the Middle East and fluctuations in crude oil prices are expected to be the primary external factors shaping market direction.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “With the war in West Asia getting into the fourth week, there is no clarity on when the war will end. Unfortunately, the war is escalating with President Trump giving an ultimatum to Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz in 48 hours. The Iranian president’s response that “ the Strait of Hormuz is open to all except those who violate our soil” has prevented panic in the oil market. However, the uncertainty is huge and markets will be waiting and watching the outcome.“It is important to understand that the huge risk-off globally has impacted all assets including stocks, bonds and precious metals like gold and silver. In fact, the crash in safe haven gold is worse than in equities. There is nothing that investors can do during this crisis characterised by huge uncertainty. If history is any guide, investors should not panic, but keep cool. The sharp depreciation in the rupee will benefit exporters like pharmaceuticals and autos and auto ancillaries. The beaten down IT segment may surprise with a bounce back.”Asian markets opened on a weak footing, with equities declining and oil prices showing sharp volatility at the start of the week. The ongoing conflict, with no clear signs of easing, has added to investor nervousness, while US Treasury yields continued to climb amid an extended selloff in bonds.Wall Street ended sharply lower on Friday, dragged down by declines in major technology stocks such as Nvidia and Microsoft, as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran entered its fourth week. The prolonged tensions have heightened concerns about rising inflation and the likelihood of higher interest rates.Crude oil prices remained largely steady on Monday, as markets balanced the risk of escalating attacks on energy infrastructure by the US and Iran against the potential increase in global supply following Washington’s decision to allow the release of Iranian oil held at sea.On the domestic front, foreign portfolio investors remained net sellers, offloading equities worth Rs 5,518 crore on Friday. In contrast, domestic institutional investors provided some support to the market, emerging as net buyers to the tune of Rs 5,706 crore.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

Gold and silver prices witnessed a steep decline at the opening of trade on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) on Monday, as escalating tensions in the Middle East and inflationary pressures linked to higher crude oil prices reinforced expectations of elevated global interest rates.

Silver futures on the MCX, expiring in May 2026, dropped by Rs 13,606, or 6 per cent, to Rs 2,13,166 per kilogram. Gold futures for April 2026 delivery also saw a sharp fall, slipping Rs 7,115, or 5 per cent, to Rs 1,37,377 per 10 grams.

As tensions spike in the Middle East, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) took a swipe at US President Donald Trump, mocking him with his own catchphrase: “You’re fired.”The remark came from an IRGC spokesperson after Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding that Iran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face US strikes on its power infrastructure.“Hey, Trump, you’re fired. You are familiar with this sentence. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” the spokesperson said, in a pointed jab that echoed Trump’s signature line from his time as host of The Apprentice. The closing line, “Thank you for your attention to this matter”, also appeared to mimic Trump’s tone on social media posts.

This comes after Donald Trump warned that the United States would “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power plants if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, a move that would directly target critical civilian infrastructure.Iran responded with its own sweeping threat. Military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari said that if Iran’s energy network were attacked, Tehran would retaliate against US-linked assets across the Gulf.“If Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked by the enemy, all energy infrastructure, as well as information technology…and water desalination facilities, belonging to the US and the regime in the region will be targeted pursuant to previous warnings,” he said.Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf reinforced that warning, saying key infrastructure across the Middle East could be “irreversibly destroyed” if Iranian power plants were hit.At the heart of the standoff is the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but critical shipping route through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes.Iran has already moved to effectively shut the strait amid the conflict, triggering the worst energy disruption since the 1970s. The IRGC warned the waterway would remain closed until damaged Iranian infrastructure is rebuilt.“The Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed and will not be opened until our destroyed power plants are rebuilt,” Iran said.The near-closure has already rattled global markets, with oil prices rising and European gas prices surging sharply in recent days.The latest war, launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, has now stretched beyond three weeks, with more than 2,000 people reported killed.