Gold hits four-week peak on safe-haven demand

Gold prices rose to a near four-week high on Thursday, supported by safe-haven demand, while investors weighed how US President-elect Donald Trump’s policies would impact the economy and inflation.

Spot gold inched up 0.4% to $2,672.77 per ounce, as of 1155 GMT. U.S. gold futures rose 0.8% to $2,690.30.

“Safe-haven demand is modestly supporting gold, offsetting downside pressure coming from a stronger dollar and higher rates,” UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.

The dollar index hovered near a one-week high, making gold less appealing for holders of other currencies, while the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield stayed near eight-month peaks.

“Market uncertainty is likely to persist with the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president,” Staunovo said.

Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal justification for a series of universal tariffs on allies and adversaries, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

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Trump will take office on Jan. 20 and his proposed tariffs could potentially ignite trade wars and inflation. In such a scenario, gold, considered a hedge against inflation, is likely to perform well.

Investors’ focus now shifts to Friday’s U.S. nonfarm payrolls for further clarity on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate path.

Non-farm payrolls likely rose by 160,000 jobs in December after surging by 227,000 in November, a Reuters survey showed.

Gold hit a near four-week high on Wednesday after a weaker-than-expected U.S. private employment report hinted that the Fed may be less cautious about easing rates this year.

However, minutes of the Fed’s December policy meeting showed officials’ concern that Trump’s proposed tariffs and immigration policies may prolong the fight against rising prices.

High rates reduce the non-yielding asset’s appeal.

The World Gold Council on Wednesday said physically-backed gold exchange-traded funds registered their first inflow in four years.

Spot silver rose 0.8% to $30.34 per ounce, platinum was steady at $955.85 and palladium shed 0.1% to $927.75.