Gold hits more than one-week low as stronger dollar

Gold dropped 1% to more than a one-week low on Monday, weighed down by a higher dollar and bond yields after a solid US jobs report and remarks from Federal Reserve officials poured dashed expectations of early interest rate cuts.

Spot gold was down 1.1% at $2,017.27 per ounce by 9:32 a.m. ET (1432 GMT), hitting its lowest level since Jan. 25.

U.S. gold futures fell 1% to $2,033.80 per ounce.

“We’re seeing the hangover effect of the Friday strong jobs report which pushed treasury yields and the U.S. dollar index higher, and that’s continuing today, and weighing on gold,” said Jim Wyckoff, senior analyst at Kitco Metals.

However, gold should hold above $2,000 level due to geopolitical uncertainties in the market that could quickly prompt some safe-haven demand, he added.

The dollar index rose 0.4% to trade near a three-month high, making bullion more expensive for other currency holders, while yields on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes climbed to a one-week peak.

Data on Friday showed that U.S. non-farm payrolls increased by 353,000 jobs in January, the largest gain in a year.

The blowout job growth and large wage gains dashed prospects of a Fed rate cut next month. Traders also lowered their bets for a cut in borrowing costs at the end of the U.S. central bank’s April 30-May 1 meeting.

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said on Monday that a resilient economy and a possibly higher neutral rate of interest means the central bank can take time before deciding to reduce interest rates.