National News
AUGMONT WEEKLY BLOG:Gold on beast mode as Liberation Day approaches
Gold has continued its terrific run, on beast mode, hitting $3177 (Rs 91400) to set another milestone, as uncertainty about tariffs that would drive inflation and deteriorate economic development boosted safe-haven demand and maintained gold on track for its best quarter since 1986. The buying demand in gold continues unabated, with markets scrambling for shelter in the traditional store of wealth amid concerns over US President Donald Trump’s tariff plans on ‘Liberation Day’, April 2.
What is Liberation Day?
As per Wikipedia, “Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an Independence Day. Liberation marks the date of either a revolution, as in Cuba, the fall of a dictatorship, as in Syria, or the end of the occupation by another state, as in the Netherlands, thereby differing from the original independence day or creation of statehood, while in Italy commemorates the victory of the Italian resistance movement against Nazi Germany and the Italian Social Republic, a puppet state of the Nazis and rump state of the fascists, the culmination of the liberation of Italy from German occupation and the Italian civil war in the latter phase of World War II”.
US Liberation Day on April 2
Donald Trump has threatened a “Liberation Day” with tariffs on countries having persistent trade deficits with the US. On Wednesday, April 2, the world will learn about Donald Trump’s new style of doing business with almost everyone. That is when the White House will unveil its tariff plan, which includes duty increases for all countries that trade products and services with the United States. Trump has not hinted at imposing a levy on gold, but the prospect of such a move has pushed prices to their current levels. Is gold taxed on imports? We find out on Wednesday. Until then, speculation is likely to continue in full swing.
Trump rattling the markets
Furthermore, US President Donald Trump shook markets last week by placing 25% tariffs on all non-American vehicles and light trucks ahead of the so-called reciprocal tariffs, which are scheduled to take effect on April 2. On Sunday, Trump expressed his rage and frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, threatening large tariffs on Russian energy and even bombings in Iran. He also stated that if he believes Moscow is impeding his efforts to end the Ukraine conflict, he will slap secondary tariffs ranging from 25% to 50% on Russian oil customers. Trump also slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, warning that he would suffer serious consequences if he pulled out of the important rare earth minerals deal. This further weighs on investors’ sentiment and contributes to the global flight to safety.
What next?
Bullion is up around 18% this year after climbing more than 27% in 2024, owing to a favorable monetary policy background, significant central bank buying, and demand for exchange-traded funds, among other things. This comes on top of continuing concerns over slowing US economic growth, which drives stagflation fears, pulling the US Dollar down and providing more support to gold.
The next resistance for gold is $3210(~Rs 92000) while Silver is stuck in the range of $33 to $35, prices need to sustain above its $35 resistance to head higher towards $38.
National News
P N Gadgil Jewellers Delivers Record Q1 FY27 Revenue Of 24,130 Mn; With 41% Revenue Growth, 57% EBITDA Growth & 52% PAT Growth; YoY
P N Gadgil Jewellers Limited, one of the most reputed jewellers in the country, boasting 194 years of excellence in craftsmanship and trusted service in the retail business of gold, silver, and diamond jewellery, announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended 30th June 2026.
Key Financial & Operational Highlights:
- Retail Contribution: Retail sales continued to strengthen, with the retail share of total revenue increasing to 78% in Q1 FY27 from 70% in Q1 FY26, reflecting the Company’s continued focus on expanding its high-margin retail business.
- Strong Same-Store Performance: The Company delivered a robust Same-Store Sales Growth (SSSG) of 46.1% YoY, driven by healthy customer footfalls and higher transaction volumes.
- Improving Product Mix: The retail stud ratio improved to 10.9% from 9.9% in the previous quarter. Notably, the recently launched stores across Northern and Central India are delivering a significantly higher stud ratio in the range of 15% to 18%, validating the Company’s expansion strategy into markets with structurally higher demand for studded jewellery. Additionally, LiteStyle by PNG recorded an impressive stud ratio of 32.9%, highlighting strong customer acceptance of the newly launched lightweight jewellery brand.
- Healthy Gold Retail Mix: Retail sales of Gold vedhani, bars and coins (GBC) accounted for 21.7% of total retail revenue during the quarter, while the average gold purchase per invoice is 4.84 grams. The Company’s (GBC) strategy continues to strengthen customer acquisition and retention, with the conversion to jewellery ratio improving to 53% in Q1 FY27 from 46% in FY26, and reinforcing the long-term value of this customer lifecycle strategy.
- Retail Product-wise Performance: During the quarter, the diamond category continued to witness exceptional momentum, delivering 29% growth in value and 26% growth in volume, underscoring increasing customer preference for studded jewellery and supporting the Company’s premiumization strategy. The gold category recorded a robust 54% growth in value, while volumes remained broadly stable with only a 1% YoY moderation, reflecting healthy demand despite elevated gold prices. The silver category registered 131% growth in value, even as volumes softened slightly by 7% YoY.
- Outstanding Festive Performance: The Company delivered a strong Akshay Tritiya performance, with festive sales increasing 80.3% YoY to Rs 2,514.1 Mn, driven by robust consumer demand, effective festive campaigns and continued market share gains during the festive season.
- Higher Customer Engagement: Healthy customer acquisition continued across markets, with footfalls increasing 25.9% YoY to 214,587, while maintaining a robust conversion rate of 91.8%, reflecting strong brand recall, healthy demand and the Company’s ability to consistently convert store visits into purchases.
- Growth in Transactions & Spending: Transaction volumes increased 26.3% YoY, while the Average Transaction Value (ATV) is Rs 92,264, indicating healthy customer engagement and higher spending per visit.

- Strengthened Hedging Framework: The Company further enhanced its risk management practices by increasing its overall hedge coverage to approximately 70%, significantly reducing exposure to gold price volatility. The Company intends to increase hedge coverage to 80%+ in the near term, with a long-term objective of achieving near-full inventory hedge coverage (~100%), thereby enhancing earnings stability and reducing commodity price risk.
- Underlying Operating Performance: The remaining unhedged inventory resulted in a unhedged gain of Rs 97 Mn during Q1 FY27, compared to Rs 101 Mn in Q1 FY26. Excluding this unhedged gain, Adjusted EBITDA increased to Rs 1,827 Mn from Rs 1,128 Mn, with the Adjusted EBITDA Margin improving to 7.6% from 6.6% in the corresponding quarter last year.
- Adjusted Profitability: Excluding the net impact of the unhedged gain, Adjusted PAT stood at Rs 981 Mn in Q1 FY27, compared to Rs 618 Mn in Q1 FY26, translating into an Adjusted PAT Margin of 4.1%, as against 3.6% in the corresponding quarter last year.
- Expansion Pipeline on Track: During the quarter, the Company remained focused on enhancing the productivity of its existing network while progressing site identification, franchise partner onboarding and operational readiness for its upcoming expansion, with a significant focus on Northern and Central region, in line with its growth strategy.

As of 30th June 2026, the Company operated 78 stores (77 in India and 1 in the U.S.A.). A few store launches are planned during Q2 FY27, with the majority of the year’s expansion scheduled across Q3 and Q4 FY27, in line with the Company’s phased rollout.
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