Metals market on April 15th: Gold prices slightly decrease, Lithium surges by over 132% year-on-year.
The trading session on April 15th saw a divergence as capital shifted from safe-haven assets like gold and silver to metals used in renewable energy and industrial production.
The metals market on April 15, 2026, witnessed a shift in investment sentiment towards "risk aversion." Capital tended to move away from safe-haven assets and towards sectors with high growth prospects such as industrial metals and new energy, reflecting positive expectations for a global economic recovery.
Precious metals are under short-term profit-taking pressure.
In the precious metals group, gold and silver prices both saw slight corrections after a period of rapid growth. Specifically, gold fell 0.67% to $4,809.35/t.oz, while silver decreased 0.40% to $79.151/t.oz. According to analysts, this development stems from short-term profit-taking pressure as demand for safe-haven assets temporarily declined.
However, in the long term, both gold and silver maintain a positive growth trend. Compared to the same period last year, the price of gold has increased by 43.52%, while the price of silver has recorded an impressive increase of 141.11%. This shows that the medium-term upward trend of the precious metals group has not been broken despite some technical corrections.
New energy and industrial metals are thriving.
The most notable highlight of today's trading session belonged to the group of metals used in new energy. Lithium prices surged 2.79% on the day, reaching 166,000 CNY/tonne. Notably, Lithium has increased by 40.08% year-to-date and 132.01% year-on-year, reflecting booming demand from the battery and electric vehicle industries.
In addition, copper also recorded a 0.29% increase, reaching $6.0879/lbs. The recovery in copper prices, along with weekly and monthly gains, suggests that expectations of improved global manufacturing activity are gradually becoming clearer. Conversely, the steel and iron ore sectors are still in a consolidation and bottoming phase with mixed movements, requiring more time to confirm a clearer trend.
Detailed metal price list as of April 15, 2026
| Metal | Current price | Unit | Compared to the beginning of the year | Compared to a year ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | 4,809.35 | USD/t.oz | +11.31% | +43.52% |
| Silver | 79,151 | USD/t.oz | +11.07% | +141.11% |
| Lithium | 166,000 | CNY/T | +40.08% | +132.01% |
| Copper | 6.0879 | USD/Lbs | +7.13% | +30.23% |
| HRC steel | 1,089.09 | USD/T | +16.48% | +15.86% |
| Platinum | 2,137.10 | USD/t.oz | +3.35% | +121.16% |
Overall, the metals market is showing flexible shifts in capital flows. In the short term, lithium and copper are expected to continue leading the market, while heavy industrial metals such as steel and iron ore may need stronger macroeconomic signals to break through.
