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Gold near fresh all-time highs ahead of US trading session

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Gold’s price (XAU/USD) is seeing gains tick up trading near $2,952 at the time of writing, fueled by a weaker US Dollar (USD) and softening US yields in a reaction to the recent German federal election outcome. Although the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has gained 20% of votes, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) is comfortable in the lead with 208 seats against AfD’s 152. US yields dropped off and the CME Federal Reserve (Fed) Futures are now favoring a 25 basis points (bps) rate cut in June, where last week odds were rather for no rate cut in June.

Meanwhile, traders will watch the US Gross Domestic Product (GBP) release for the fourth quarter of 2024 later this week. Given the recent slowdown in US activity and economic data (for example, the softer Services Purchase Managers Index (PMI) reading on Friday), another drop in US yields could be triggered, with markets anticipating the Federal Reserve lowering its monetary policy rate to boost the economy and demand. The US dollar weakened after several reports and economic data points last week revealed that US business activity slowed and consumer confidence waned, with expectations for inflation surging and markets pricing in more rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year.

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International News

Chow Tai Fook Cashes In On Hong Kong’s Tourism Comeback

As Travelers Return and Gold Prices Wobble, The Jewelry Giant Proves A 52% Profit Jump Is Anyone’s Best Accessory

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Hong Kong jewelry giant Chow Tai Fook just wrapped up its fiscal year with fantastic  numbers -group revenue climbed 5% to HKD 94.4 billion (about $12.05 billion), while profit didn’t just grow, it basically exploded — up 52% to a record HKD 9.08 billion ($1.15 billion).

So what’s behind the glow-up? Two words: tourists and trust. As travelers flooded back into Hong Kong and Macau, same-store sales there jumped a staggering 17%. Mainland China wasn’t far behind, posting 7% growth even as the company admitted things got a little shaky in the final quarter thanks to gold prices doing their usual rollercoaster routine.

Chow Tai Fook didn’t just get lucky — they’ve been quietly reinventing themselves. Think less “grandma’s jewelry counter,” more curated boutique energy: trading out older locations for spots in upscale malls and leaning hard into branded collections instead of generic gold-by-the-gram sales.

Fixed-price jewelry (the stuff with a set price tag, not market-rate gold) shot up 16%, with the diamond-studded Hua Collection emerging as one of the year’s breakout hits. Gold jewelry sales overall: up a modest 3%.Store count: 5,540 in mainland China, 96 across Hong Kong and Macau

In its own words, the company chalked up the rebound to brand transformation efforts paying off even amid a softer mainland market. At the same time, the tourism recovery did some heavy lifting for Hong Kong and Macau sales. Chow Tai Fook believes fiscal 2027 will be much stronger, with “significantly fewer” store closures, as demand stabilizes.

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