Gold flat as traders await US payrolls data

Bengaluru — Gold traded little changed on Friday as investors refrained from taking big positions ahead of the US payrolls data that could provide further clues about the Federal Reserve’s interest rate outlook.

Spot gold was flat at $2,746.09/oz by 2.35am GMT. Prices ended lower on Thursday after hitting a record high of $2,790.15 in intraday trade. US gold futures rose 0.2% to $2,755.70.

“Investors are still in the mindset of buying the dips and that strategy is still going to hold through the [US] election, and maybe after that because there is going to be a lot of turmoil,” said Marex analyst Edward Meir.

Democratic vice-president Kamala Harris held a marginal 46% to 43% lead over Republican former president Donald Trump, with a glum electorate saying the country was on the wrong track, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Gold prices gained more than 4% in October amid safe-haven flows spurred by the Middle East tension and US election uncertainty.

Market focus is now on the US nonfarm payrolls report, due at 12.30pm GMT, for clues about the health of the world’s largest economy.

Traders see a 95% chance of a 25 basis point (bp) Fed rate cut next week, the CME FedWatch tool showed.

“With no signs of recession and inflation declining, the economy looks positive ... the key now is how quickly the Fed will lower rates,” Meir said.

Zero-yield gold thrives in a low interest rate environment.

Data on Thursday showed that US labour costs recorded their smallest increase in more than three years in the third quarter, while the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell to a five-month low last week.

Among other metals, spot silver was flat at $32.65/oz and platinum was nearly unchanged at $987.64.

Palladium fell 0.42% to $1,101.00, hitting a more than one-week low. 

Reuters