Palladium futures fell to around $1,700 per ounce, retreating from recent highs as investors locked in profits following strong gains, while persistent softness across the platinum group metals weighed on sentiment. The broader sell-off as markets positioned ahead of key employment and inflation reports, with markets pricing in at least two 25-basis-point rate reductions in 2026, the first potentially as early as June. Further weighing on palladium prices, renewed diplomatic engagement in the Middle East has eased fears of a broader escalation in the US–Iran standoff, reducing demand for precious metals. However, investors remain cautious. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this week to discuss developments in the Iran negotiations and broader regional security concerns, underscoring that strategic risks in the Middle East have not fully dissipated.
