Discount chain Lidl has announced its seventh pay rise since 2023.

The German-owned group’s £29 million investment in pay rises will see entry-level pay rise to £13.45 an hour nationwide, increasing to £14.45 with length of service, from March 1. New starter pay in London will also increase from £14.35 to £14.80, rising to £15.30 with length of service.

The group, which employs more than 35,000 workers, claimed it was once again the “highest paying UK supermarket” following the moves.

It comes ahead of the national minimum wage rising by 50p from £12.21 to £12.71 per hour for eligible workers aged 21 and over from April 1.

Lidl said it was also doubling paternity leave from two to four weeks’ full pay, which will rise to eight weeks’ full paid leave after five years of service.

Stephanie Rogers, chief people officer at Lidl, said: “Our colleagues are the backbone of our business, and their success is our success.”

“We are continuing to mark unprecedented growth across Great Britain, creating thousands more jobs along the way, while continuing to invest in our people,” she added.

On the paternity leave changes, she said: “We believe that a longer period of paid paternity leave is a vital step on our journey towards gender equality in the workplace.”

Lidl revealed plans earlier this year to open 19 stores over the next eight weeks, which will create up to 640 jobs.

The group last year hit the milestone of opening its 1,000th store as it looks to add around another 40 sites in the year to February 28.

Lidl is currently Britain’s sixth-largest grocery chain, according to experts at Worldpanel, after making the biggest market share gains in the sector in recent months.

Recent figures from the group showed it enjoyed a strong Christmas, with a 10 per cent surge in sales seeing it notch up more than £1.1 billion in turnover in the four weeks leading up to Christmas Eve.

The price of Bitcoin fell below $70,000 on February 5, down 44% from its October 2025 high of $126,210, as investors shift interest to gold and global economic concerns rise.

Earlier in the day, Bitcoin briefly touched $63,000 before closing at $70,000.

Last week alone, its value dropped more than $20,000, reducing it by almost a quarter.

Compared to four months ago, Bitcoin has now lost about half its peak value.

Analysts say investor interest in Bitcoin is waning, with growing pessimism surrounding the broader cryptocurrency market.

Last Updated:February 06, 2026, 12:08 IST

Silver and gold-linked commodity ETFs extended their slide, falling as much as 10%, tracking sharp drop in precious metal futures on the MCX

Silver ETFs

Silver and gold-linked commodity ETFs extended their slide on Friday, falling as much as 10%, tracking a sharp drop in precious metal futures on the MCX for the second straight session.

The decline came amid a global sell-off in technology stocks and a strengthening US dollar, which wiped out most of the gains from a brief rebound earlier in the week.

Silver ETFs lead losses

Kotak Silver ETF was the worst hit, tumbling 10%, while HDFC Silver ETF, SBI Silver ETF and Edelweiss Silver ETF declined about 9% each. Bandhan Silver ETF limited losses to around 6%.

Among gold-linked funds, Angel One Gold ETF slipped 8%, while Zerodha Gold ETF fell about 5%.

Volatility persists after steep correction

Hareesh V, Head of Commodity Research at Geojit Investments, said gold and silver continue to witness heightened volatility after last week’s sharp selloff. The correction was driven by hawkish US Federal Reserve expectations following Kevin Warsh’s nomination, a stronger dollar, and steep margin hikes by the CME that forced leveraged positions to unwind. Profit-taking after record highs further amplified price swings, keeping sentiment fragile.

He advised bullion investors to remain patient and avoid reacting to short-term volatility driven by margin hikes, profit booking and policy uncertainty.

“Gradual, staggered accumulation can help manage timing risks, as long-term fundamentals such as geopolitical tensions, central bank demand and currency pressures remain supportive. Closely tracking the US dollar and upcoming Federal Reserve signals is crucial in this phase of elevated volatility,” he said.

MCX futures slide sharply

In Friday’s session, MCX silver futures for March 5 delivery plunged 6%, or ₹14,628, to ₹2,29,187 per kg. Gold futures for April 2 delivery also weakened, slipping ₹2,675, or 2%, to ₹1,49,396 per 10 grams.

Globally, silver remained extremely volatile. Prices rebounded as much as 3% after plunging 10% to below the $65 level, a more than six-week low. Despite the bounce, silver was still down nearly 16% for the week. In the previous week, it had fallen 18%, marking its steepest weekly decline since 2011.

Margin hikes add pressure

The selloff spilled into domestic ETFs after sharp margin hikes in precious metal futures. On Thursday, commodity-based ETFs dropped as much as 21%, led by silver ETFs, while gold ETFs declined up to 7%.

Margins on silver futures were raised by 4.5% and on gold futures by 1% effective February 5, followed by an additional hike of 2.5% on silver and 2% on gold on Friday. As a result, total additional margins now stand at 7% for silver futures and 3% for gold futures from February 6.

“Markets often see sharp corrections after extended rallies. Broader risk sentiment and geopolitical cues can trigger profit booking in commodities, especially where positioning has been crowded,” said Nirpendra Yadav, Senior Commodity Research Analyst at Bonanza.

However, he added that industrial demand for silver remains strong, with a tight global supply environment and persistent deficits supporting prices over the medium to long term. Short-term intraday swings, he said, do not alter the long-term outlook.

Trade deal, macro cues in focus

Ross Maxwell, Global Strategy Operations Lead at VT Markets, said the India–US trade deal could improve risk appetite by easing supply-chain frictions and reducing tariff-linked inflation pressures.

“In this context, gold and silver will balance lower trade tensions against ongoing macro uncertainty. A clearer trade outlook can reduce risk aversion, limiting upside in precious metals,” he said.

Maxwell added that gold remains supported by concerns around inflation, currency stability and geopolitical risks, making it attractive as a strategic hedge rather than a short-term trade. Silver, he noted, also benefits from industrial demand, meaning improved global trade expectations could lend support through stronger manufacturing activity.

“While reduced tariffs may dampen fear-driven buying, both gold and silver are likely to remain structurally firm as long as economic and policy uncertainty persists,” he said.

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