Amillex Daily Market Commentary | Safe Havens Take the Lead as Gold Hits New Highs and Bitcoin Suffers a Sharp Pullback

January 21, 2026 — As trade conflict risks linked to the Greenland issue spill rapidly across markets, global risk-off sentiment intensified again during the Asian session this morning. Spot gold extended yesterday’s strong momentum, setting a fresh all-time high at $4,780/oz on Tuesday and currently holding firmly above $4,760, with bulls gathering strength for a renewed push toward the $4,800 psychological level. In contrast, fading risk appetite has sent a chill through the cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin fell roughly 5% within 24 hours, touching an intraday low of $87,814.93, its weakest level in several weeks. This deep pullback highlights a clear defensive shift among investors amid escalating US–EU trade rhetoric and rising geopolitical tensions. Capital is rotating out of high-volatility assets and emerging financial markets as participants brace for broader market turbulence. Overall, global asset pricing is increasingly dominated by safe-haven logic, and with tariff policies and geopolitical frictions continuing to ferment, market volatility has entered a new expansion phase.

Asset Performance and Fundamental Analysis

1. US Equity Markets

Index Performance

Dow Jones Industrial Average: Around 48,500 (-1.34%). Risk-off sentiment surged, with heavyweight industrial stocks leading losses as the index slipped below the 49,000 threshold.
S&P 500: Around 6,800 (-1.61%). The index failed to hold above 7,000, triggering significant profit-taking.
Nasdaq Composite: Around 25,200 (-1.85%). Former market leaders, particularly tech stocks, bore the brunt of today’s sell-off.

Stock Highlight

Apple (AAPL): Around $246.86 (-3.39%). Comments from the Trump administration regarding potential tariffs on India and other manufacturing hubs intensified concerns over Apple’s global supply chain costs. Despite recent earnings beats, policy uncertainty pushed the stock below key technical support levels.

2. Foreign Exchange Market

US Dollar Index (DXY): Around 98.60. Supported by safe-haven demand, the dollar rebounded from early-session lows as expectations of a “strong dollar” stance resurfaced. The index remains capped below the 100 psychological level, awaiting clearer policy signals.
EUR/USD: Around 1.1720. The euro remains under pressure amid persistent US tariff threats against multiple European economies.
USD/JPY: Around 158.20. While the yen shows some support near 158, resilient US Treasury yields continue to fuel carry trades.

3. Precious Metals and Commodities

Precious Metals

Spot Gold (XAUUSD): Targeting $4,800. Gold posted exceptionally strong gains today, driven by a dual catalyst of Greenland-related geopolitical tensions and escalating US–EU trade frictions. Safe-haven inflows surged aggressively, with prices around $4,780, marking another record high.
Spot Silver (XAGUSD): Breaks Above $95. Silver accelerated sharply after clearing $93, reaching an intraday peak of $95.80/oz, a new historical high.

Commodities

WTI Crude Oil: Around $59.67/barrel, with market focus shifting toward demand-side concerns amid the absence of fresh bullish catalysts.

4. Crypto Assets and Macro Developments

Bitcoin (BTC): Risk-Off Pressure, Tests $88K Support. Amid liquidity concerns sparked by US–EU trade tensions and broad-based selling across risk assets, Bitcoin failed to rally alongside gold and instead came under notable pressure.
Ethereum (ETH): Pulls Back, Slips Below $3,000. After briefly attempting to stabilize above $3,100, Ethereum retreated sharply in tandem with the broader market, currently trading around $2,980.

5. Today’s Focus