The good, the bad and the ugly of the midterm elections - thenational.co.za

AI desk brief

Gold rose $173 over the reported week, while platinum gained $109 and palladium $37; the article supplies no closing metal prices. Brent reportedly fell $20 to around $97 a barrel, which the commentary attributes to expectations of US-Iran diplomacy; a negotiated agreement is not established. If sustained, cheaper oil could ease inflation pressures, but reduced geopolitical risk could also temper bullion haven demand. Citing US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the article reports October 2026 payroll growth of 165,000 and unemployment of 4.1%, down from 4.2%; it provides no corresponding dollar or real-yield evidence to establish bullion direction.