The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield hovered near 5%, pressuring Wall Street to close lower overnight. Tensions in the Middle East escalated again, including an attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and continued disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. WTI held firm in the $104–105 a barrel range, while Brent hovered near $108, curbing global risk appetite.

India has set a 13.5 lt sugar sales quota for September 16–30, lifting the total allocation for September to a record 26.5 lt to steady domestic prices. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka received 4.25 lt, 4.13 lt and 2.02 lt, respectively. The government has also allowed duty-free imports of 1 million tonnes of raw sugar, and retail prices have fallen below ₹60/kg. In global trade, ICE raw sugar futures slipped below 18 cents a pound, while London white sugar futures were quoted at $529.1 a tonne.

The Indian government has asked sugar mills to ensure adequate supplies during the festival season and keep prices stable. Sugar prices in the world’s biggest consumer hit a record high last month on supply concerns, after which New Delhi allowed dutyfree imports of 1 million metric tons. The government has so far received applications to import 800,000 metric tons, while prices have eased recently but remain nearly 20% higher than two months ago.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has proposed a 15% tariff on refined copper imports starting next year, rising to 30% by 2028, with an investigation report on whether to impose the duties due by June 30. COMEX copper inventories have climbed to a record 696,000 tonnes while LME stockpiles have fallen 40%. LME spot copper has traded at $14,737 a tonne, at a sharp premium to the three-month futures price. Against that backdrop, copper prices have remained elevated.

Spot gold rose 0.4% to $4,372.19 an ounce on Wednesday, supported by a subdued U.S. dollar. Renewed attacks between the United States and Iran, along with upcoming U.S. inflation readings, kept attention on the interest-rate outlook. Expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike continued to cap bullion, even as concerns over dollar debasement trades and fiscal deficits lent support. Spot silver gained 0.4% to $66.00, platinum climbed 1% to $1,831.76, while palladium slipped 0.3% to $1,344.69.

Shares of GE Vernova T&D India rose 8.77% to ₹4,750 on September 8 after the company was named the L1 bidder by Power Grid Corporation of India for an HVDC transmission project. The order covers the design and execution of a 6,000 MW, 800 kV converter station to evacuate renewable power from Rajasthan’s Barmer II renewable energy zone to South Kalamb. Brokerages upgraded their growth outlook for the stock, projecting a 31% CAGR in profit after tax from FY26 to FY29.

Chicago wheat futures surged after limited progress in U.S. diplomatic efforts to ease conflict in the Black Sea reignited concerns over Ukrainian and Russian grain export prospects. The most-traded wheat contract jumped 3% to $7.56-1/2 a bushel. Corn rose 0.7% to $5.40-1/4 a bushel, while soybeans edged up 0.2% to $13.12 a bushel.

Brent crude rose about 8% last week, hovering near $95 a barrel as escalating U.S.-Iran tensions fueled worries about potential supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. India’s foreign-exchange reserves climbed to a record $740.8 billion as of August 28, giving the central bank a larger buffer to manage currency swings. In the U.S., August nonfarm payrolls increased by 1,62,000, keeping uncertainty around the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook in focus.

A 1% rise in the Indian rupee against the U.S. dollar, driven by FCNR deposit inflows, has weighed on rupee-denominated gold and silver prices. India’s spot gold fell 4% over eight trading sessions to ₹1,54,884, while silver also dropped 4% to ₹2,35,456. Over the same period, U.S. spot gold slid 3% to $4,523 an ounce, pointing to broader weakness in global bullion prices. The pullback ahead of the festive season is influencing consumer buying behaviour, with some holding off purchases amid uncertainty.