Global commodity markets made a mixed start on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, with precious metals attracting buying interest even as crude oil suffered steep declines at the opening bell on the Multi Commodity Exchange.
Gold rose $15.60, or 0.34%, to $4,538.80 per troy ounce at the open. Translated to domestic terms at an indicative exchange rate of approximately ₹83 to the dollar, MCX gold was trading near ₹1,21,088 per 10 grams. The yellow metal’s upward move stood in contrast to the broader commodity picture, offering a rare point of strength in an otherwise divided market.
Silver outpaced gold in percentage terms, climbing $0.83, or 1.09%, to $77.03 per troy ounce. On MCX, silver was indicated at approximately ₹2,05,498 per kilogram, making it one of the stronger performers among major commodities at the open. Copper also edged higher, adding $0.03 or 0.44% to trade at $6.41, reinforcing a modest positive tone across parts of the metals complex.
The energy segment, however, told a sharply different story. WTI crude oil tumbled $4.77, or 4.94%, to $91.83 per barrel, while Brent crude fell $5.01, or an even steeper 5.00%, to $95.20 per barrel. The scale of the decline in both crude benchmarks was the defining feature of Tuesday’s opening session, dragging the overall commodity basket lower despite the gains in precious metals.
Natural gas moved in the opposite direction from crude, rising $0.04, or 1.36%, to $3.06 per million British thermal units, aligning itself with gold and silver on the positive side of the ledger.
Agricultural commodities opened on the back foot. Wheat declined 8.50 US cents, or 1.32%, to 637.75 US cents per bushel, while corn slipped 5.00 US cents, or 1.08%, to 458.25 US cents per bushel. The softness across grains added to the weight of crude oil losses in pulling the broader commodity complex into mixed territory.
On balance, four of the eight commodities tracked — gold, silver, copper, and natural gas — opened with gains, while crude oil, Brent, wheat, and corn recorded losses. The magnitude of the crude oil declines, however, meant that the session opened with a broadly cautious tone despite pockets of strength in metals.
Market data sourced from Yahoo Finance. Prices reflect closing/last traded values as of Tuesday, 26 May 2026, 10:00 AM IST. Data may be delayed by approximately 5 minutes. This article is for informational purposes only.
