Gold firms as dollar eases on US-China trade hopes; Fed signals watched

GOLD prices edged higher on Tuesday, buoyed by a slight retreat in the US dollar amid optimism about a potential resolution of the US-China trade conflict.

Spot gold was up 0.2% at $1,310.95 an ounce at 1:48 p.m. EST (1848 GMT), having declined 0.4% in the previous session.

US gold futures settled 0.2% higher at $1,314.00.

“Gold is likely to be quiet for the remainder of the week pending news on the US-China trade talks, and the US government shutdown,” said Bob Haberkorn, senior market strategist at RJO Futures.

“If there is an announcement that the government is going to be open and if there’s a breakthrough in trade talks, gold will initially sell off, but traders want to own gold right now with the US Federal Reserve being dovish.”

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against six major currencies, eased on Tuesday, after its longest winning streak in two years which was partly buoyed by investors piling into it as a preferred refuge amid worries over the trade row.

In the latest development surrounding a logjam in Washington over funding for a border wall with Mexico, President Donald Trump said he had yet to decide whether to support an agreement reached by congressional negotiators to avert another partial government shutdown that includes no funds for the wall.

Gold’s momentum was held in check by increased appetite for riskier assets, with world stock markets gaining on expectations of a trade agreement between Washington and Beijing.

US and Chinese officials expressed hopes that a new round of talks, which began in Beijing on Monday, would bring them closer to easing a nearly yearlong trade war. “A US-China trade deal could boost the yuan, allowing Chinese investors to purchase more gold than would otherwise be the case,” Forex. com analyst Fawad Razaqzada said in a note.

Investors will also be watching for further clarity on the Fed’s monetary policy going forward, analysts said.

Spot gold rose to its highest since late April at $1,326.30 in January, after the Fed kept interest rates steady and said it would be patient on further hikes amid a cloudy outlook for the US economy due to global growth concerns.

Among other precious metals, palladium gained 0.8% to $1,397 an ounce, while silver rose 0.1% to $15.71.

Platinum climbed 0.4% to $784.50 an ounce, having touched its lowest since Jan. 2 at $779.50 in the previous session. —