{"id":4050,"date":"2026-02-23T18:01:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T07:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/?p=4050"},"modified":"2026-02-23T18:01:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T07:01:54","slug":"amillex-daily-market-commentary-tariff-war-escalates-again-gold-surges-on-safe-haven-demand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/2026\/02\/23\/amillex-daily-market-commentary-tariff-war-escalates-again-gold-surges-on-safe-haven-demand\/","title":{"rendered":"Amillex\u00a0Daily Market Commentary | Tariff War Escalates Again, Gold Surges on Safe-Haven Demand\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\">23 February 2026 \u2013 Global financial markets saw renewed volatility during the Asian trading session. Following the government\u2019s hardline escalation of trade policies over the weekend, safe-haven capital flowed rapidly back into the metals market. Spot gold jumped in early Asian trade, hovering around USD 5,140.&nbsp;On the macro front, weakening US economic fundamentals provided solid justification for gold\u2019s upside. The latest US fourth-quarter GDP growth came in at just 1.4%, well below market expectations, confirming a sharp slowdown in economic momentum under a high-interest-rate environment. Although the US Dollar Index posted its strongest weekly gain in&nbsp;nearly four&nbsp;months last week (reaching 97.80), under a backdrop of high tariffs and weak growth \u2014 a stagflation-like outlook \u2014 the dollar\u2019s safe-haven appeal&nbsp;lagged behind&nbsp;physical gold.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Asset Performance and Fundamental Analysis<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>1. US Equity Markets<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Index Performance<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI): 49,625.97<\/strong>, up\u00a0<strong>0.47%<\/strong>\u00a0on the day. Supported by heavyweight defensive sectors, the Dow outperformed broader markets, reflecting a shift toward value stocks with stable cash flows amid macro uncertainty.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>S&amp;P 500 (SP500): 6,879.32<\/strong>, down\u00a0<strong>0.48%<\/strong>. The index faced resistance below the 6,900 level, highlighting investor caution over valuation expansion, particularly due to weakness in consumer discretionary and technology sectors.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Nasdaq 100 (NQ1): 24,884.50<\/strong>, down\u00a0<strong>0.73%<\/strong>. Growth stocks came under rebalancing pressure as\u00a0real interest-rate\u00a0expectations fluctuated, pushing the index into a choppy downward trend.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Stock Highlight<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Tesla (TSLA): USD 411.82<\/strong>, marginally up\u00a0<strong>0.03%<\/strong>. While most tech stocks declined, Tesla held steady, showing resilience supported by company-specific fundamentals.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-10 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>2. Forex Exchange Market<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-11\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>US Dollar Index (DXY): 97.366<\/strong>, down\u00a0<strong>0.43%<\/strong>. The dollar met resistance above the 97 level as markets began pricing in potential shifts in Federal Reserve policy, with liquidity gradually rotating into non-US currencies and safe-haven assets.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-12\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>USD\/JPY: 154.150<\/strong>, down\u00a0<strong>0.57%<\/strong>. Narrowing interest-rate differentials and renewed safe-haven demand for the yen pushed the pair below the key\u00a0<strong>155<\/strong>\u00a0level.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-13\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>EUR\/USD: 1.18328<\/strong>, up\u00a0<strong>0.47%<\/strong>. The euro recovered some ground on dollar weakness, though fragile European fundamentals capped further upside.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-14 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>3. Precious Metals and Commodities<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-15 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Metalli preziosi<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-16\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Spot Gold (XAUUSD): USD 5,151.26 per ounce<\/strong>, up\u00a0<strong>0.84%<\/strong>. Gold extended gains after firmly holding above the\u00a0<strong>USD 5,000<\/strong>\u00a0psychological level, as geopolitical risk premiums and long-term inflation expectations continued to be priced in.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-17\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Spot Silver (XAGUSD): USD 86.6198 per ounce<\/strong>, surging\u00a0<strong>2.35%<\/strong>. Silver showed strong high-beta characteristics, with bullish momentum clearly outperforming gold.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-18 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Commodities<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-19\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Crude Oil (XTIUSD): USD 65.97 per barrel<\/strong>, down\u00a0<strong>0.74%<\/strong>. Despite lingering geopolitical risks, concerns over slowing global growth dominated short-term pricing, triggering a technical pullback near the\u00a0<strong>USD 66<\/strong>\u00a0level.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-20 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>4. Crypto Assets and Macro Developments<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-21\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Bitcoin (BTCUSD):USD\u00a067,262<\/strong>, down\u00a0<strong>0.52%<\/strong>. As risk appetite softened, Bitcoin slipped below\u00a0<strong>USD 70,000<\/strong>, with volatility suggesting a lack of fresh inflows.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-22\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>Ethereum (ETHUSD):USD\u00a01,944.3<\/strong>, down\u00a0<strong>0.66%<\/strong>. Underperformed Bitcoin, reflecting declining on-chain activity and reduced risk allocation toward secondary crypto assets.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-23 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>5. Key\u2019s Focus<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-24\" style=\"font-size:18px\">New Zealand Q4 Retail Sales (Quarter-on-Quarter)\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-25\" style=\"font-size:18px\">Speech by Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>23 February 2026 \u2013 Global financial markets saw renewed volatility during the Asian trading session. Following the government\u2019s hardline escalation of trade policies over the weekend, safe-haven capital flowed rapidly back into the metals market. Spot gold jumped in early Asian trade, hovering around USD 5,140.&nbsp;On the macro front, weakening US economic fundamentals provided solid [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0,"ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-news","entry","has-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4050"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4051,"href":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4050\/revisions\/4051"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amillex.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}