- Gold price settles at Rs186,500 per tola.
- Yellow metal is “overcost” by Rs2,000 per tola in Pakistan.
- Silver price rise by Rs30 per tola in local market.
Gold price bounced back on Wednesday as bargain hunters took advantage of recent uncertainty, but the precious metal’s outlook was still clouded by prospects of aggressive rate hikes next week.
According to the data released by the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), the price of the precious metal rose by Rs2,100 per tola and Rs1,801 per 10 grams to settle at Rs186,500 per tola and Rs159,894 per 10 grams, respectively.
The association reported that the price of gold has been “overcost” by Rs2,000 per tola in Pakistan, as compared to prices in Dubai. This means that, at present, the Pakistani gold market is more expensive than the world market.
It should be noted that Pakistan meets almost all its gold demand through imports, and traders follow its international price in setting rates in the country. Jewellers import the metal against the US dollar and UAE dirham before converting its price into rupees.
Goldsmiths also mentioned that the majority of the buyers in the local market comprise gold investors these days. Earlier, they were parking their savings in the US dollar to avoid the impact of rupee devaluation at a time of high inflation.
Last week, gold prices remained volatile during the week, with the precious commodity undergoing correction during the first three sessions; however, it regained its shine. The price rose by Rs2,000 during the volatile week that ended on January 14.
Goldsmiths believe that the investors started moving to the bullion market following the shortfall of the dollar in the open market. In the black market, illegal traders were selling the dollar for Rs280-290 compared to Rs228 in the interbank market.
Meanwhile, silver prices in the domestic market rose by Rs30 per tola and Rs16.78 per 10 grams to settle at Rs2,100 and Rs1,817.19.
In the international market, the gold reversed course to trade higher on Wednesday as the US dollar pulled back from session highs and expectations of a slower pace of Federal Reserve rate hikes supported prices above the $1,900 threshold. The price settled at Rs1,909 per ounce after an increase of $6.
