With bullion markets closed for the weekend, gold and silver are set to reopen in Asian trade on Monday into a fresh escalation around the Strait of Hormuz. But the first response may again be higher oil and rate expectations rather than a clean safe-haven bid: Iran said the waterway was closed, while U.S. Central Command said traffic was flowing after heavy strikes on Sunday.
Newmont Corp. shares fell nearly 8% on Friday, closing at $99.71, as a sharp drop in gold prices and a broad Wall Street selloff hit the world’s largest gold miner. Trading volume rose to about 9.4 million shares, above its 50-day average, and the stock ended roughly 26% below its late-January 52-week high.
Newmont topped analyst estimates for first-quarter profit Thursday, with the board greenlighting another $6 billion in share buybacks following the completion of its earlier program. The miner flagged that output will slip and costs will climb in the next quarter, even as it doubled down on cash returns for investors.
Gold took a sharp dive Thursday, with spot prices slumping 3.9% to $4,629.29 an ounce—marking the lowest since early February—as surging oil and a hawkish stance from top central banks weighed on appetite for bullion. By late morning in New York, U.S. gold futures due in April shed 5.4%, hitting $4,632.40.
B2Gold Corp. dropped close to 5% Wednesday, caught in a wave of selling across gold miners after gold prices hit their lowest in over a month. The Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged and issued fresh warnings about inflation. Shares trading in the U.S. slipped 4.96% to $4.60.
Newmont Corp closed out Friday with a 1.98% gain at $130.00, bucking a downward trend in the broader market. The S&P 500 slipped 0.43%, while the Dow shed 1.05%. That made Newmont’s advance all the more notable during a lackluster session for equities.
Shares of Newmont Corp slid 2.61% to $122.13 on Friday after the miner revealed it had issued a notice of default to Barrick, their partner in the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture. That move brought renewed focus to one of mining’s largest alliances.
Basic materials names in the U.S. finished Friday with gains, as the Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF added 0.91% to end at $53.31. As the sector moves forward, it’s macro data and metals prices calling the shots.
Basic materials names in the U.S. wrapped up the week stronger. The Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund, which tracks a group of materials stocks, rose 0.9% to $53.31 on Friday.
Basic materials shares in the U.S. climbed on Friday. The S&P 500 materials sector index closed up 1.77% at 645.93, leaving the group 12.45% higher year-to-date.
Shares of Newmont Corp ended Thursday roughly 7% lower, settling at $108.53. The stock bounced sharply throughout the day, ranging from $103.53 up to $115.55, amid a choppy pullback in the precious-metals sector.
Newmont shares dropped $7.64, or 6.5%, to $109.21 in afternoon trading Thursday after the company paused operations at its Tanami mine in Australia and gold prices weakened. The stock hit a session low of $108.69 and was last down on heavy volume.
Newmont shares ended Monday up 0.45%, closing at $112.85. The stock fluctuated between $110.48 and $116.25 as traders reacted to bullion’s late-session moves.
Eldorado Gold shares dropped Monday following the announcement of a deal to acquire Foran, expanding its copper portfolio and adding a near-term development project. The New York-listed stock fell $4.03 to $38.89, having earlier dipped to $36.40.
Shares of Newmont Corp dipped Monday, dragged down by another drop in gold prices as traders debated if the sharp decline in the metal still has room to fall.
Northern Star Resources shares dropped 8.1% to A$26.60 on Monday, with roughly A$308 million changing hands. That made it one of the most actively traded stocks by value on the market. Newmont Corporation and Evolution Mining also tumbled, highlighting the pressure on gold-linked shares.
U.S. basic materials stocks led the declines on Friday, with the S&P 500 materials index falling 1.9%. This slide mirrored a sharp pullback in metal prices, hitting U.S.-listed gold and silver miners particularly hard.
Evolution Mining shares fell 6.42% to close at A$14.71 on Friday, dragged down by a late-week dip in bullion prices and a wider sell-off in the mining sector.