subscribe Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Subscribe now
Gold grain at a refinery in Russia. Picture: BLOOMBERG/ANDREY RUDAKOV
Gold grain at a refinery in Russia. Picture: BLOOMBERG/ANDREY RUDAKOV

Bengaluru — Gold prices were steady on Wednesday as investors refrained from making big bets ahead of a US central bank decision on the pace of policy tightening, while anxiety over Ukraine kept bullion supported near the previous session’s 10-week high.

Spot gold held its ground at $1,846.87/oz, at 3.25am GMT, after hitting its highest level since November 19 on Tuesday. US gold futures were down 0.3% at $1,847.50.

Gold will be supported “as long as they [the Fed] don’t spook the markets with anything new, as long as they don’t advance the narrative and things sound basically about where they are, which is three to four rate hikes this year,” DailyFX currency strategist Ilya Spivak said.

US President Joe Biden has said he would consider personal sanctions on President Vladimir Putin if Russia invades Ukraine, as Western leaders stepped up military preparations and made plans to shield Europe from a potential energy supply shock.

The Federal Reserve’s two-day meeting will end later in the day, and Fed funds futures have fully priced in a quarter-point tightening for the March meeting, plus three more for 2022.

Though gold is considered a hedge against inflation and geopolitical risks, interest rate hikes would raise the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.

Expected rate hikes by the Fed may delay emerging Asia’s economic recovery and keep pressure on policymakers to guard against the risk of capital outflows, a senior International Monetary Fund official said on Tuesday.

SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings rose about 0.5% to 1,013.10 tonnes on Tuesday.

Spot gold may rise into a range of $1,860/oz-$1,872/oz, as it has pierced above a resistance at $1,850, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao.

Spot silver shed 0.5% to $23.70/oz. Palladium fell 0.7% to $2,185.61 and platinum was steady at $1,025.07.

Reuters

subscribe Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.