Editor’s Picks: Gold Price Breaks US$3,700 for First Time, Major Miners

Gold hit yet another new price record this week, rising past US$3,700 per ounce.

The yellow metal broke that level on Wednesday (September 16), the first day of the US Federal Reserve’s meeting, and then did it again the next day just after the gathering wrapped up.

The Fed was widely anticipated to cut interest rates, and that’s exactly what happened — it announced a 25 basis point reduction to the 4 to 4.25 percent range, with Chair Jerome Powell describing it to reporters as a “risk-management cut.”

Although inflation is still outside the Fed’s 2 percent target, Powell said the central bank has shifted its focus toward the jobs market due to a change in the balance of risks — in his view, it’s no longer possible to call the labor market “very solid.”

“Labor demand has softened, and the recent pace of job creation appears to be running below the break-even rate needed to hold the unemployment rate constant.” — Jerome Powell, US Federal Reserve

All Fed governors were in favor of the 25 basis point cut, with the exception of new addition Stephen Miran, who wanted to see a 50 basis point decline. Miran, who is on leave from his position at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, was confirmed by the Senate this week. He was selected by US President Donald Trump to replace Adriana Kugler.

Miran’s new role at the Fed has raised questions about the central bank’s independence, as Trump has now nominated three out of seven governors. Lisa Cook, who Trump attempted to fire in August, ultimately did not lose her position after a federal appeals court ruling.

Looking forward, the Fed’s latest dot plot shows policymakers expect two additional 25 basis point cuts this year, which would take rates to the 3.5 to 3.75 percent level.

In 2026, they are currently anticipating only one quarter-point reduction.

Going back to gold, it took a breather after passing US$3,700, sinking back down to the US$3,640 level after the Fed’s meeting. It was back at up at US$3,685 as of Friday (September 19) afternoon.

While that’s a fairly big move in a short amount of time, many experts agree that right now it’s the big picture that’s important for gold, not day-to-day factors.

Here’s how Will Rhind of GraniteShares explained it:

“I think the main thing that’s driving gold, like I said, is this alternative to the dollar. People want an alternative to fiat money and particularly the dollar, and also to traditional stocks and bonds. And so gold’s appeal as being a genuine alternative, an uncorrelated alternative grows by the month, seemingly.”

Bullet briefing — Gold M&A heats up, GDX switches index

Newmont announces sale of Coffee

Denver Gold Group hosted its Mining Forum Americas in Colorado Springs this week, bringing together the gold sector’s major players — and with them a slew of news.

Among the major transactions announced was Newmont’s (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM) sale of its Yukon-based Coffee…