Weak US Jobs Data Boosts Precious Metals, Rising Inventories Pull Energy Prices Lower

The US jobs report softened the Fed’s tightening outlook, giving a fresh lift to precious metals, while simultaneous optimism around US‑Iran talks and rising oil inventories dragged energy prices down.

Precious Metals Find Fresh Support

■The non‑farm payrolls figure added +210 k jobs, below expectations, with the unemployment rate holding at 3.6 %, nudging Fed rate hike expectations to the %5.25‑%5.50 range.

■Spot gold rose 1.2 % in the first two days of the week, reaching $1,970; silver jumped 1.5 % to $24.30.

■From a technical view, Fibonacci retracement is holding the 61.8 % support level, and the Ichimoku cloud sits firmly in bullish territory.

Inventory Build‑Up Pressures Energy

■According to the EIA, US crude inventories rose 5.2 million barrels, bringing total stocks to 462 million barrels, pushing prices down 2.3 % to $78.10 for WTI.

■Natural gas inventories also increased by 8 MMBtu, sending spot prices to $2.45/MMBtu.

■Positive signals from US‑Iran nuclear talks trimmed the Middle‑East supply‑risk premium by 30 %, calming energy market volatility.

Trade Tactics and Position Management

■For gold and silver, short‑term long positions should be entered on a break above the 50‑day EMA, with stop‑loss set 2 % below entry.

■A short strategy on crude and natural gas can target a 3 % profit at the 38.2 % Fibonacci retracement level.

■Portfolio diversification should balance energy and precious metals on a 1:1 risk‑adjusted basis.

Markets will reassess the Fed’s rate‑hiking tempo as employment softens, creating a tilt toward risk‑off assets like gold and silver, while the energy sector remains under pressure from inventory buildup and geopolitical optimism. Technical indicators confirm a bullish trend for metals and a corrective phase for energy. Portfolio managers must keep tight stop‑loss and take‑profit thresholds to navigate the heightened volatility.