Kevin Warsh 
Markets

Gold and silver prices tumble sharply as Trump nominates Kevin Warsh as new US Fed chair

Market participants believe Warsh may take a tougher stance on inflation and be less inclined to support interest rate cuts.

Dhanam News Desk

Gold and silver prices saw heavy selling on January 30, as investors booked profits after a strong rally and the US dollar strengthened.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX):

  • Silver crashed ₹72,000 per kg, or 20 percent, in one of its biggest single-day falls

  • The March silver contract slipped to an intraday low of ₹3,27,913 per kg

  • In the global market, spot silver fell 18 percent to $94.85 per ounce

The sharp fall brought an end to silver’s five-day rally on MCX.

Silver slides from record highs

Silver prices had already started correcting late on Thursday. From the intraday high, prices fell by more than ₹20,000 to settle at ₹3,99,893.

  • From the record high of ₹4,20,048, silver has dropped over ₹92,000 per kg

  • This marks a correction of around 22 percent

Gold also under pressure

Gold prices mirrored the weakness seen in silver.

  • MCX gold futures for February delivery fell ₹15,246 per 10 grams, or 9 percent

  • Prices touched an intraday low of ₹1,54,157

  • From the record high of ₹1,80,779, gold has declined nearly ₹26,600 per 10 grams

What triggered the sell-off?

The sharp reversal was triggered by political developments in the US. President Donald Trump officially announced Kevin Warsh as his nominee for the next Chair of the US Federal Reserve.

Market participants believe Warsh may:

  • Take a tougher stance on inflation

  • Be less inclined to support interest rate cuts

This led traders to scale back expectations of policy easing, triggering profit-taking in gold and silver.

Stronger dollar adds pressure

After the announcement, the US dollar strengthened sharply.

  • The US dollar index rose 0.6 percent to 96.76

  • A stronger dollar makes gold and silver more expensive for buyers using other currencies

Monthly gains still intact

Despite the sharp correction, both metals are still set to end January with strong gains:

  • Gold is up around 20 percent for the month

  • Silver has gained about 46 percent

Silver’s rapid rise in recent months

Silver’s price rise over the past year has been unusually fast:

  • Crossed ₹1 lakh per kg in October 2024

  • Reached ₹2 lakh in December 2025

  • Hit ₹3 lakh in January 2026

  • Touched ₹4 lakh in just nine trading sessions before the recent fall

Market experts say short-term volatility may continue, but the broader outlook for precious metals remains positive amid global economic uncertainty and geopolitical risks.

(By arrangement with livemint.com)

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