On Wednesday, gold futures experienced a significant leap, climbing ₹535 to reach an unprecedented ₹1,17,800 per 10 grams in India’s domestic futures market. This sharp rise mirrors robust international trends, as investors increasingly turned to safe-haven assets. Key catalysts for this demand included anxieties surrounding a US government shutdown and expectations of potential interest rate reductions by the US Federal Reserve, spurred by recent weak labor market data.
Specifically on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold futures for December delivery surged by ₹535, a 0.45% increase, to reach that impressive new peak of ₹1,17,800 for every 10 grams.
The upward momentum wasn’t limited to December contracts; the February gold futures contract continued its rally for the fifth consecutive session, climbing by ₹617, or 0.52%, to establish its own lifetime high of ₹1,19,055 per 10 grams.
Silver futures also recorded substantial gains. The December silver contract rose by ₹2,699, an increase of 1.89%, hitting a fresh peak of ₹1,44,844 per kilogram. Meanwhile, the March 2026 contract saw an even more dramatic jump of ₹3,980, or 2.77%, reaching an all-time high of ₹1,47,784 per kilogram.
Market analysts have largely attributed this sharp surge in precious metals to an intensified demand for safe-haven investments. This shift occurred after the US Senate’s failure to approve a spending bill, initiating the first government shutdown since 2018. This halt in government operations has sparked worries about potential delays in the release of critical economic indicators, such as the eagerly awaited nonfarm payrolls report, scheduled for release later this week.
Manav Modi, a Precious Metal Analyst at Motilal Oswal Financial Services, commented, “Gold achieved a record high as investors redirected their capital into safe-haven assets due to the escalating risks following the US government shutdown. Concurrently, underwhelming labor market figures bolstered expectations for further interest rate reductions from the Federal Reserve.”
Globally, Comex gold for December delivery advanced by nearly 1%, crossing the $3,900 per ounce threshold for the first time ever and hitting a peak of $3,903.45 per ounce. Similarly, December silver futures also surged, reaching a high of $47.81 per ounce.
Jigar Trivedi, Senior Research Analyst at Reliance Securities, indicated that market participants are keenly observing both the length of the government shutdown and the future policy decisions of the US Federal Reserve (Fed).
Trivedi highlighted, “Traders are currently assigning a near-certain probability to an interest rate reduction at the upcoming Fed meeting, with an approximately 76% chance of a subsequent cut in December.”
Concurrently, the dollar index, which measures the US dollar’s strength against a selection of six major global currencies, was recorded at 97.62, reflecting a marginal decrease of 0.16%.
The weakened dollar further contributed to the upward trend in bullion prices. As Trivedi elaborated, “The dollar index, serving as a barometer for the greenback’s performance against six primary currencies, lingered close to a one-week low, effectively making gold a more affordable investment for individuals holding other currencies.”