Gold slides to 2-year low on weak global cues, down Rs 300

Gold prices plummeted by Rs 300 to trade at over two-year low of Rs 25,700 per 10 grams at the bullion market on Monday, tracking a weak global trend amid slump in demand from jewellers and retailers.

Silver also fell further by Rs 150 to Rs 34,200 per kg on lack of buying support from industrial users and coin makers.  

Bullion merchants attributed the steep fall to a weak global trend where it crashed to the lowest level in over five years amid prospects for higher US interest rates which dragged gold prices to this year's lowest level in the national capital.

Besides, muted demand from jewellers at domestic spot markets and reports of larger-than-usual sell-off in China, world's top consumer of gold, weighed on the gold prices, they said.

Gold in Singapore, which normally determines price trend on the domestic front, lost 4.2 per cent to $1,086.18 an ounce, the lowest price since March 2010 and silver 2.3 per cent to $14.54 an ounce, the lowest since December 2014.

In the national capital, gold of 99.9 and 99.5 per cent purity plunged by Rs 300 each to Rs 25,700 and Rs 25,550 per 10 grams respectively, a level last seen in June 2013.

Sovereign followed suit and fell by Rs 200 at Rs 22,700 per piece of eight grams.

Tracking gold, silver ready fell by Rs 150 to Rs 34,200 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 600 to Rs 33,600 per kg.

Silver coins nosedived by Rs 1,000 to Rs 49,000 for buying and Rs 50,000 for selling of 100 pieces.

Meanwhile, there are reports saying that gold plunged 4 per cent to its lowest in more than five years on Monday with platinum also sinking 5 per cent to its weakest since 2009 as investors sold the precious metals on the outlook for the US dollar.

It was a sudden, massive drop for gold and platinum prices as they breached critical support levels as the dollar strengthened on growing expectations that the US Federal Reserve will hike interest rates this year.

"It looks like someone was taking advantage of the low liquidity environment at the moment.

It's a bit of speculative selling going on," said Victor Thianpiriya, analyst at ANZ Bank in Singapore. Nearly 900,000 lots were traded on a key contract on the Shanghai Gold Exchange, compared to less than 27,000 lots on Friday, Reuters data showed. Prior to Monday, volume for July had averaged less than 30,000 lots.