Prices on the precious metal exchanges are under pressure: Palladium is the biggest loser, dropping around 15% since the beginning of the year. Weak demand from the automotive industry and the recent downturn in the Gold market are weighing on the price. The latter is mainly due to disappointed hopes of quick interest rate cuts.

We believe that the first interest rate cut in the US is not expected until May, so the Gold price is unlikely to make any major leaps in the short term.