Commodities Update — Gold edges up; Corn at 6-week high, Wheat climbs; Base metals climb on supply concerns

Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $1,738.79 per ounce, as of 0325 GMT. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 23 August 2022
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Commodities Update — Gold edges up; Corn at 6-week high, Wheat climbs; Base metals climb on supply concerns

RIYADH: Gold prices edged higher on Tuesday as the dollar pulled back slightly, but mounting worries over aggressive US rate hikes to control soaring inflation kept bullion near a one-month low.

Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $1,738.79 per ounce, as of 0325 GMT, after hitting its lowest since July 27 at $1,727.01 on Monday. 

US gold futures gained 0.1 percent to $1,750.50.

Silver falls

Spot silver fell 0.2 percent to $18.97 per ounce, while platinum was steady at $875.81. 

Palladium climbed 1.4 percent to $2,023.20.

Corn at six-week high as heat curbs US yields

Chicago corn jumped to its highest level in more than one month on Tuesday, gaining 2.4 percent after a US government report showed the crop condition worsened amid hot and dry weather in key regions across the Midwest.

Wheat and soybeans rose more than 1 percent each.

The Chicago Board of Trade's most-active corn contract was up 2.4 percent at $6.44-1/4 a bushel, as of 0315 GMT. 

Wheat rose 1.3 percent to $7.98-1/4 a bushel and soybeans added 1.2 percent to $14.53 a bushel.

Metals up

Most base metals rose on Tuesday, as an energy crisis in Europe and China stoked supply worries, but gains were capped by concerns over global economic weakness and interest rate hikes.

The most-traded September zinc contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange rose 2.3 percent at $3,720.82 a ton, as of 0409 GMT.

London Metal Exchange copper advanced 0.5 percent at $8,067 a ton, aluminum gained 0.4 percent to $2,399 a ton, zinc climbed 0.7 percent to $3,520.50, lead was up 0.7 percent to $2,028.

(With input from Reuters)


Closing Bell: Saudi main index climbs to 10,485 

Updated 21 December 2025
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index climbs to 10,485 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index edged up on Sunday, gaining 34.32 points, or 0.33 percent, to close at 10,484.59. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index stood at SR2.59 billion ($690 million), with 168 listed stocks advancing and 87 declining. 

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also gained 100.37 points to close at 23,454.65. 

The MSCI Tadawul Index advanced by 0.13 points to 1,377.44. 

The best-performing stock on the main market was Nama Chemicals Co., whose share price increased by 9.98 percent to SR22.38. 

The share price of Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co. rose by 9.15 percent to SR23.85. 

Saudi Paper Manufacturing Co. also saw its stock price climb by 8.42 percent to SR57.95. 

Conversely, the share price of Canadian Medical Center Co. dropped by 6.37 percent to SR6.03. 

The stock price of Kingdom Holding Co. also declined by 3.16 percent to SR8.28. 

In the parallel market, Alfakhera for Mens Tailoring Co. was the top performer, with its share price advancing by 16.40 percent to SR8.80. 

On the announcements front, Theeb Rent a Car Co. said it had signed a long-term vehicle leasing services contract valued at SR110.4 million with Hungerstation Co. 

Under the deal, Theeb will lease 2,000 vehicles to HungerStation for a period of four years starting from 2026, according to a Tadawul statement. 

The statement added that the vehicles will be delivered in batches within the first six months from the contract start date, taking into consideration global logistical circumstances and procedures beyond the control of both the agents and the company. 

The contract is expected to have a positive impact on the company’s financials from the first quarter of 2026. 

The share price of Theeb Rent a Car Co. declined by 0.79 percent to SR37.80.