Economy

Gold slips from near 2-week high, traders weigh US rate cut chances

Spot gold was down 0.2% at $4,154.27 per ounce, as of 1052 GMT. U.S. gold futures for December delivery slipped 0.4% to $4,150.40 per ounce.

session, while investors assessed the likelihood of a U.S. interest rate cut in December.

Spot gold was down 0.2% at $4,154.27 per ounce, as of 1052 GMT. U.S. gold futures for December delivery slipped 0.4% to $4,150.40 per ounce.

“We still expect the consolidation that started with the October setback to continue as the dust of that setback has not fully settled yet,” said Julius Baer analyst Carsten Menke.

Bullion has fallen 5% since hitting a record high of $4,381.21 on October 20, but has broadly traded above the key$4,000 an ounce level.

“The factors we see in favour of the gold market are largely unchanged, including slowing U.S. growth leading to lower interest rates and a weaker U.S. dollar, sustained safe-haven demand and continued strong central bank buying,” Menke added.

Conflicting signals from the Federal Reserve on the timing and size of U.S. interest rate cuts have accelerated hedging flows into swaptions and derivatives tied to overnight rates.

Kevin Hassett, who has emerged as a frontrunner to replace Jerome Powell as Fed Chair, has aligned with President Donald Trump in advocating for a rate cut.

Meanwhile, comments this week from San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly and Fed Governor Christopher Waller also bolstered expectations of a cut.

Traders are now pricing in an 85% chance of a rate cut next month compared with just 30% a week earlier, CME FedWatch showed.

Non-yielding gold tends to perform well in a low-interest-rate environment.

U.S. markets will be closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday and will operate on a shortened schedule on Friday.

Elsewhere, spot silver fell 0.2% to $53.24 per ounce, platinum gained 0.9% to $1,601.95, and palladium was up 0.2% to $1,426.30.

© ZAWYA

GLOBAL BUSINESS AND FINANCE MAGAZINE

Recent Posts

The Danes, the Dutch, the Swedes and the feasibility of walking away from pay-as-you-go pensions

Prefunded pensions in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden pair income security with fiscal sustainability, but…

2 days ago

Worker-managed firms can curb inequality and protect free markets

Rising income inequality in Western high-income countries threatens democratic governance and social cohesion, and AI…

2 days ago

Not all geopolitical shocks are inflationary

Geopolitical tensions are often seen as a source of inflation. But this is only part…

2 days ago

Cultural norms matter for macroeconomic development

Interest in the role of cultural norms, institutions, and development has resurfaced in recent years…

2 days ago

The adjustment of the Danish labour market to AI has begun

Policymakers are asking whether generative AI is reshaping labour demand, and the literature has found…

2 days ago

Women entrepreneurs could benefit from better targeting, without changing the program content

Every year, governments and development organizations spend billions on business upgrading programs — training, mentorship,…

2 days ago