Fall in US yields supports gold

Bengaluru — Gold prices edged up on Wednesday as the US treasury yields and dollar eased slightly in Asia trade, though the main focus was on US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell’s testimony later in day after a robust rise in consumer prices.

Spot gold rose 0.3% to $1,812.65/oz by 4.02am GMT, while US gold futures were 0.2% higher at $1,813.10.

While gold has made gentle gains on the back of slightly lower dollar and yields, it has not been enough to decisively shift momentum higher, said Jeffrey Halley, a senior market analyst at Oanda.

“Gold held up surprisingly well overnight after the CPI [consumer price index] data propelled the dollar higher and lifted long-dated bond yields. That should give some comfort to bullish investors that gold may finally be regaining its inflation hedging tailwind.”

The dollar index ticked 0.1% lower, having seen its best daily percentage gain in nearly a month on Tuesday. Benchmark 10-year yields also pulled back, which translates into lower opportunity cost of holding non-interest bearing gold.

Data on Tuesday showed US consumer prices in June rose by the most in 13 years. Focus now shifts to Powell’s testimony before the Congress for any views on the rising price pressures and possible tightening of monetary policy.

Powell has repeatedly stated that higher inflation will be transitory, noting that he expected supply chains to normalise and adapt.

Focus will be on “the extent to which the Fed is acknowledging that they underestimated how much inflation we're going to get and also how sticky that inflation is going to be,” said DailyFX currency strategist Ilya Spivak.

“If we get affirmation of what we heard from the Fed in June, I think the path of less resistance for gold is down.”

Gold prices slumped 7% last month after the US central bank signalled at a sooner-than-expected interest rate increase.

Elsewhere, silver gained 0.3% to $26.05/oz, palladium rose 0.2% to $2,833.37 and platinum climbed 0.5% to $1,109.32.

Reuters