Gold rises on softer dollar ahead of Jackson Hole meeting

Spot gold was up 0.3 per cent at $1,756.20/oz, while US gold futures gained 0.4 per cent to $1,769.20

Gold prices rose on Thursday, supported by a pullback in the dollar, while investors awaited guidance on interest rates by the US Federal Reserve from a key central bankers’ meeting at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, this week.

Spot gold was up 0.3 per cent at $1,756.20/oz, at 4.14 am GMT, while US gold futures gained 0.4 per cent to $1,769.20. The dollar was down 0.2 per cent, making gold less expensive for buyers holding other currencies.

The benchmark US 10-year treasury yields held near multi-week highs hit in the previous session.

Investors across financial markets are bracing for the US central bank to reiterate its commitment to tame inflation or signal a ‘pivot’ to subdued interest rate hikes. Powell will address the annual global central banking conference at Jackson Hole on Friday.

Will the Fed still be looking at aggressively increasing interest rates and affecting the economy and whether that will be on the back-burner for now. People want to have clarity on this, said Brian Lan, MD at Singapore-based dealer GoldSilver Central.

Monetary policy will be the key factor in the short-term for the gold market, with higher interest rates affecting consumer behaviour, Lan said.

Rate hikes increase the opportunity cost of holding bullion, which pays no interest, while boosting the greenback. The Fed has raised its benchmark overnight interest rate by 225 basis points in total since March to fight sky-high inflation and had noted that further tightening would depend on economic data.

Spot silver rose 0.4 per cent to $19.23/oz, platinum was up 0.5 per cent at $880.74 and palladium climbed 1.2 per cent to $2,058.76.