Gold Futures Likely To See Cautious Trading Next Week

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 (Bernama) -- The gold futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives is expected to see cautious trading next week, tracking external developments as well as the performance of the United States COMEX.

An analyst said easing tensions between the US and Iran could weigh on demand for safe-haven assets, which typically gain during heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

However, earlier on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said Iran had “no plans for executions”, easing concerns over the fate of a detained anti-government protester.

On a week-on-week basis, the January 2026 contract rose to US$4,609.20 per troy ounce from US$4,485.40 a week earlier. February 2026 climbed to US$4,625.60 from US$4,502.20, and March 2026 surged to US$4,642.60 from US$4,520.10.

The April, June and August 2026 contracts also settled higher at US$4,661.70 per troy ounce, versus US$4,538.10 previously.

Weekly trading volume slipped to 1,056 lots from 1,160 a week earlier, while open interest decreased to 192 contracts from 238.

Physical gold was fixed at US$4,610.85 per troy ounce at the London Bullion Market Association afternoon fix on Jan 15, 2025.

-- BERNAMA