Gold flat as dollar firms

Gold rates were flat in range-bound trade on Wednesday as the dollar ticked higher, with cautious investors awaiting more cues on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s monetary policy direction.

Spot gold rate was steady at $2,179.33 per ounce, as of 0747 GMT. U.S. gold futures were little changed at $2,178.50.

The dollar index strengthened 0.1% against its rivals, making gold more expensive for other currency holders.

Gold prices have risen more than 5% so far this year and hit a record high last week, helped by increasing bets for Fed easing, persistent safe-haven demand and central bank purchases amid geopolitical tensions.

“It’s difficult to construct an overly bearish case for gold prices with the current backdrop of geopolitics and potential central easing,” City Index senior analyst Matt Simpson said.

The Fed left its funds rate on hold between 5.25% and 5.5% last week and retained projections for three cuts by 2024-end.

Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said on Monday that he pencilled in three rate cuts for this year at the Fed’s policy meeting.

Investors now look forward to U.S. core personal consumption expenditure price index data due on Friday to gauge when the Fed may begin cutting interest rates.

Traders are pricing in a 72% probability that the Fed will begin cutting rates in June, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool. Lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding bullion.

US stocks slipped on Tuesday, giving up modest gains late in the session to send the Dow and S&P 500 to their third straight decline.

SPDR Gold Trust , the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.62% to 830.15 tons on Tuesday.

“Aligned with the supported yet more sideways price action, open interest figures show that most of the early March inflows into gold have so far stuck,” JP Morgan said in a note.
Spot silver was flat at $24.44 per ounce, platinum gained 0.2% to $905.05 and palladium fell 0.5% to $988.81.