Amillex Daily Market Review | Strong Non-Farm Payrolls Slump Gold Prices, Middle East Tensions Boost Oil Prices

On April 6, 2026, spot gold faced selling pressure after the Asian market opened on Monday, with prices falling back to around $4,620 and hitting an intraday low of $4,614. This decline was primarily driven by the U.S. March non-farm payroll data, which far exceeded expectations, with new job additions reaching a high since late 2024, leading the market to revise previously aggressive interest rate cut expectations. Although safe-haven demand still exists, the upward pressure on gold prices has increased under the dual squeeze of rising real interest rate expectations and a strengthening U.S. dollar. In the short term, the strength of the $4,600 psychological support level will face a severe test.

In contrast to the volatile downward trend in the gold market, the crude oil market rose significantly due to geopolitical risk premiums. WTI crude oil rose nearly 3% early today, stabilizing above $114, mainly because of the renewed escalation of tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which has drawn high market attention to the supply security of key energy-producing regions in the Middle East. As both sides remain deadlocked on core issues, sentiment in the energy market remains tight. Going forward, it is necessary to closely track the dynamic evolution of the geopolitical situation. If uncertainty further increases, oil prices may maintain high-level volatility, while gold prices may fall into severe fluctuations amid the tug-of-war between safe-haven buying and policy expectations.

Market Trends and Fundamental Analysis of Various Assets

1. U.S. Stock Market

Index Performance

Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI): Reported at 46,504.67. Down 61.07 points intraday, a decline of 0.13%. Weighted value stocks performed weakly in the face of macro uncertainty, with the index fluctuating near the key 46,500 level, reflecting investor caution toward traditional cyclical sectors.
S&P 500 Index (SP500): Reported around 6,580. Up slightly by 0.11% intraday. Despite overall market volatility, the S&P remains within its historical high range, showing that market confidence in the earnings resilience of large multinational corporations remains sticky amid fluctuating inflation expectations.
Nasdaq 100 Index (NQ1!): Reported at 24,159.00. Up 0.12% intraday. Tech growth stocks gained a breather under expectations of a marginal decline in Treasury yields, but overall upward momentum was limited by regulatory pressure and the debate over AI investment returns.

Stock Focus

Tesla (TSLA): Reported at $360.59, down sharply by 5.42%. Affected by market concerns over slowing global EV demand and intensifying competition for industry pricing power, the stock recorded a significant retreat.
Apple (AAPL): Reported at $255.92, up slightly by 0.11%. As a core defensive asset, Apple showed extreme resilience, with capital returning to such high-quality cash-flow targets during periods of volatility.
Intel (INTC): Reported at $50.38, up sharply by 4.89%. Driven mainly by expectations of subsequent subsidies from the Chips Act and positive outlooks for semiconductor localized supply chains.

2. Foreign Exchange Market

U.S. Dollar Index (DXY): Reported at 100.224. Up 0.04% intraday. Recent geopolitical risk premiums and market pricing of the Federal Reserve’s “Higher for Longer” interest rate path have supported the dollar in holding the 100 level.
EUR/USD: Reported at 1.15142. Intraday mostly flat. Pressed by the European Central Bank’s potential easing expectations and the slowdown in economic growth within the Eurozone, the Euro showed a typical consolidation pattern below the 1.16 resistance level.
USD/JPY: Reported at 159.772. Up slightly by 0.09% intraday. The exchange rate is approaching the 160 key psychological barrier. Although there is a risk of verbal intervention from the Bank of Japan, the trend of capital flowing out of the Yen remains unturned, driven by significant carry trade activity.

3. Precious Metals and Commodities

Precious Metals

Spot Gold (XAUUSD): Reported at $4,622.08/oz. Down sharply by $54.04 intraday, a decline of 1.16%. After gold prices repeatedly hit record highs in the previous period, profit-taking was evident, and the strong dollar environment temporarily weakened gold’s hedging attraction.
Spot Silver (XAGUSD): Reported at $72.230/oz. Down 1.07%. The high volatility of silver emerged again, influenced in the short term by revisions in industrial demand expectations and the technical correction led by gold prices.

Commodities

WTI Crude Oil (XTIUSD): Reported at $113.13/barrel. Up 0.80% intraday. Potential threats to the supply chain from the geopolitical situation continue to inject risk premiums into oil prices, with prices stabilizing above $110, intensifying concerns about global imported inflation.

4. Crypto Assets

Bitcoin (BTCUSD): Reported at $69,253. Up slightly by 0.37% intraday. After experiencing significant volatility earlier, Bitcoin is in a tug-of-war near the $70,000 mark, reflecting characteristics of sideways consolidation following deleveraging.
Ethereum (ETHUSD): Reported at $2,121.83. Up 0.60% intraday. ETH performed slightly stronger than BTC, but due to the macro sensitivity of its ecological applications, its overall trend is still suppressed by Treasury yields and liquidity tightening expectations.

5. Today’s Focus