Gold price recovers in Pakistan after steep decline as inflation fear persists

• Price settles at Rs183,700 per tola after Rs300 rise.
• Goldsmiths anticipate price may rise to Rs200,000 per tola.
• Silver price declines by Rs30 per tola to settle at Rs2,100.

Gold recovered after dipping below the key Rs188,000 level a day earlier and registering its worst fall in the last few months as bleak economic data underscored concerns over an economic slowdown.

On Thursday, gold crashed as much as Rs5,200 per tola, however, it resumed its uptrend on Friday.

Data released by All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA) showed that the price of gold rose by Rs300 per tola and Rs257 per 10 grams to settle at Rs183,700 and Rs157,493.

The association mentioned that a majority of the buyers in the local market comprise gold investors these days. Earlier, they were parking their savings in the US dollar to avoid the impact of rupee devaluation at a time of high inflation.

They mentioned that the investors started moving to the bullion market following the shortfall of the dollar in the open market. In the black market, illegal traders were selling the dollar for Rs250-260 compared to Rs227 in the interbank market.

Analysts believe the decline registered a day earlier was a healthy correction, it allows more people to get in, so prices started rallying again.

Meanwhile, goldsmiths anticipate that the price of gold may rise to Rs200,000 per tola due to the rupee devaluation against the US dollar under the current cycle.

However, they also believe that an inflow of $6-8 billion from multilateral and bilateral creditors will burst the pricing bubble in Pakistan.

In the international market, the gold price settled at $1,839 after a decline of $9 per ounce.

Meanwhile, silver rates decreased by Rs30 per tola to reach Rs2,100 in the country. The price of 10-gram silver also declined by Rs25.72 to Rs1,800.41.