Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Gold edges lower as markets reassess rate hike outlook

Published 09/02/2023, 02:02
Updated 09/02/2023, 02:02
© Reuters.

© Reuters.

By Ambar Warrick

Investing.com -- Gold prices fell slightly on Thursday as traders weighed hawkish signals on monetary policy from the Federal Reserve, while copper prices retreated further amid growing uncertainty over a potential global recession.

A slew of Fed officials spoke on monetary policy this week, with all of them raising the prospect of more interest rate hikes. While Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted recent progress against inflation, he warned that a strong jobs market and sticky inflation could invite more rate hikes.

This was echoed by Fed Governor Christopher Waller and New York Fed President John Williams, who also said that market expectations for two more rate hikes was a “reasonable view.”

The prospect of higher U.S. interest rates bodes poorly for non-yielding assets such as gold, given that it raises the opportunity cost of holding such assets.

Spot gold fell 0.1% to $1,874.13 an ounce, while gold futures fell 0.3% to $1,886.05 an ounce by 19:30 ET (00:30 GMT). While bullion prices were trading slightly higher for the week so far, they were also nursing steep losses from the prior week, after data showed unexpected resilience in the U.S. jobs market.

Such a scenario gives the Fed enough headroom to keep raising interest rates, which is negative for gold and broader metal markets.

Focus is now on U.S. consumer price index inflation data for January, which is due next week. While the reading is expected to show a further easing in inflation, price pressures are still expected to remain relatively high.

Other precious metals also fell. Platinum futures shed 0.3%, while silver futures shrank 0.6%.

Among industrial metals, copper prices inched lower on Thursday, extending steep declines marked in the prior session.

High-grade copper futures fell 0.1% to $4.0435 a pound, after tumbling 0.9% in the prior session.

While demand in major copper importer China is expected to perk up this year, traders have begun selling the red metal on concerns over a potential recession in the rest of the world.

Markets fear that rising interest rates will weigh on economic activity in the coming months, with recent data already signaling a slowdown in global manufacturing activity.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.