Global gold and silver markets rebounded on 18 February 2026, with both metals regaining lost ground after a brief pullback. Investors are closely awaiting the release of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s January meeting minutes, expected to offer fresh insight into the central bank’s future interest rate path. As traders position themselves ahead of this key macroeconomic event, precious metals like gold and silver have attracted renewed buying interest—highlighting their enduring role as safe-haven assets amid monetary policy uncertainty.

 

Author : Aashiya Jain | EQmint | Market news

 

Market Recovery After Recent Weakness

After slipping over recent sessions, gold broke back above the $4,900 per ounce mark, while silver climbed more than 3 per cent on the day, snapping part of the losses seen earlier. Spot gold had fallen more than 3 per cent across the previous two sessions before this rebound, driven in part by profit-taking and subdued trading during the Lunar New Year holiday in much of Asia.

 

The rebound suggests that many investors and traders saw the recent decline as a buying opportunity, especially given the broader macroeconomic backdrop. Metals such as platinum and palladium also posted modest gains, reflecting general strength across the precious metals complex.

 

The Fed Minutes in Focus

At the heart of current market sentiment is the awaited release of the Federal Reserve’s January meeting minutes. The minutes are expected to shed light on policymakers’ discussions around inflation economic growth and future interest rate moves. The Fed had opted to hold rates steady at its January meeting but markets are keen to understand how officials view future rate adjustments, especially in light of recent inflation data and labour market developments.

 

Fed officials have offered mixed signals in recent days. For instance Fed Governor Michael Barr noted that rates should remain steady “for some time” until clearer evidence of inflation moving toward the 2 per cent target emerges while Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee suggested there could be “potential for more cuts” if inflation continues on its downward path. These comments have heightened expectations that a rate easing cycle may be on the horizon later this year, a scenario that typically supports non-yielding assets like gold and silver.

 

Basically the market’s watching closely. The Fed’s next moves are still unclear. But there’s a lot of talk about whether they’ll cut rates or keep them steady. Some officials say wait. Others say maybe cut soon. That uncertainty keeps things interesting. And for gold and silver that usually means good news.

 

Safe-Haven Demand and Macro Trends

Precious metals have long been considered a hedge against economic uncertainty, inflation, and currency volatility. Despite short-term price swings, banks including BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs have maintained that the underlying factors that previously supported gold’s strong rally remain intact such as geopolitical tensions, macroeconomic uncertainty, and monetary policy divergence.

 

Gold’s recent historical performance reinforces this perspective. Earlier in the year, prices touched record levels above $5,500 per ounce, a move driven by safe-haven buying and speculative interest, before correcting sharply. Although trading volatility has increased, the partial recovery reflects continued interest from investors looking to lock in gains from lower price levels.

 

Silver, which often mirrors gold’s direction while also being influenced by industrial demand, has demonstrated even stronger percentage gains on the rebound. This underscores its dual appeal: as both a safe-haven asset and a metal with sizeable industrial usage in sectors such as electronics, solar energy and manufacturing.

 

Domestic Price Context

In India, precious metal prices have shown similar patterns in recent sessions, with short-covering and renewed demand lifting local rates. MCX gold futures regained strength above the ₹1.53 lakh per 10 grams level, while silver contracts opened higher, trading around ₹2,33,355 per kilogram, mirroring global momentum and anticipation around the Fed minutes.

 

These domestic price movements reflect how global cues often transmit quickly to Indian markets, with traders and investors watching both international macro data and local demand trends for clues on future price directions.

 

What Traders Are Watching Next

The Fed’s meeting minutes are going to be a big deal for metals markets from here on out. If those minutes hint that policymakers are thinking about cutting rates soon it could give gold and silver a real boost. Lower interest rates make bond yields weaker and reduce the opportunity cost of holding stuff like precious metals which don’t pay anything back.

 

That makes them more appealing to investors you know. Other U. S. economic data like inflation readings and employment figures are still going to play a huge role too. They shape expectations around monetary policy and how the market feels about things. The minutes could be the trigger that moves prices. If they signal rate cuts expect metals to react fast.

 

Conclusion: Precious Metals Navigate Policy Uncertainty

The recent rebound in gold and silver illustrates how sensitive these markets are to monetary policy cues and investor psychology. With traders awaiting detailed insights from the Fed’s January meeting minutes, precious metals are once again at the forefront of global market conversations. Whether this momentum continues will depend greatly on how policymakers frame future interest rate expectations, inflation outcomes, and broader economic conditions in the weeks ahead.

 

For now, gold and silver remain key instruments in investment portfolios for those seeking diversification and protection against macroeconomic uncertainty.

 

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Resource Link : MoneyControl