LATEST NEWS   PM Anwar, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov witnessed the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement between Petronas and Turkmenistan authorities-- PMO | At 6 pm, the ringgit eased to 4.1340/1395 versus the US dollar from Thursday's close of 4.1145/1195 | The collaboration opens up space for more strategic engagements in future, including exploring the great potential of Turkmenistan's natural gas sector, which has among the world's largest gas reserves - PMO | Gabungan Kelab Media Malaysia (GKMM) state affiliates receive RM10,000, GKMM receive RM30,000 from Communications Ministry - Fahmi | The achievement comes as Malaysia and Turkmenistan mark 30 years of cooperation in the energy sector, which has been a key pillar of bilateral relations between the two countries -- PMO | 

Gold Futures Expected To Trade Higher Next Week

By Harizah Hanim Mohamed

KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 (Bernama) -- Gold futures on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives are expected to be well supported into next week and trend higher within a stable range of US$3,320 to US$3,380, barring a sharp reversal in bond market sentiment, said SPI Asset Management managing partner Stephen Innes.

He said continuous central bank accumulation, geopolitical overhangs, and the slow-burn fear of systemic debt stress all influence market sentiment.

“That gives room for both the Japan-driven tail risk and residual artificial intelligence-fueled dollar resilience, though a break above US$3,380 on real bond stress would open the door to higher ground,” Innes told Bernama.

On a weekly basis, the new August 2025 contract rose to US$3,378.3 per troy ounce from US$3,362.70, while the September 2025 contract improved to US$3,384.20 per troy ounce from US$3,377.60.

Meanwhile, the October 2025, December 2025 and February 2026 contracts increased to US$3,413.40 per troy ounce from US$3,397.50 a week earlier.

Weekly trading volume edged up to 199 lots from 139 lots in the previous week, while open interest slipped to 68 contracts from 72 contracts.

Physical gold was priced at US$3,318.50 per troy ounce based on the London Bullion Market Association’s afternoon fix on July 17, 2025.

-- BERNAMA