Gold Range-bound on Firmer Dollar, US Debt Limit Uncertainty

Ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a workroom at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
Ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a workroom at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
TT

Gold Range-bound on Firmer Dollar, US Debt Limit Uncertainty

Ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a workroom at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
Ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a workroom at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk

Gold prices were flat on Thursday as the dollar advanced to an over two-month high and sapped demand for the greenback-priced metal, while investors awaited further developments in the drawn-out debt ceiling negotiations in Washington.

Spot gold was flat at $1,957.09 per ounce by 0519 GMT. US gold futures fell 0.3% to $1,958.80.

Rival safe-haven dollar scaled to its highest since mid-March, making gold less attractive for overseas buyers, Reuters said.

Bullion has been attempting to recover from its previous sell-off, but a stronger dollar and higher US Treasury yields continue to keep the upside in check, which seems to override safe-haven flows around the US debt ceiling situation, said Yeap Jun Rong, a market analyst at IG.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday maintained early June as a debt ceiling default deadline and said she will update Congress shortly about government finances.

Negotiators for Democratic President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy held what both sides called productive talks on Wednesday to try to reach a deal to raise the United States' $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and avoid a catastrophic default.

Investors also took stock of minutes of the May 2-3 Federal Reserve meeting that showed policy makers "generally agreed" last month that the need for further interest rate increases "had become less certain," with several saying the quarter-percentage-point hike they approved might be the last.

Investors will also scan US GDP estimates and initial jobless claims due at 1230 GMT for guidance on the economy's health.

Spot silver fell 0.2% to $23.03 per ounce, platinum eased 0.3% to $1,021.23, palladium edged 0.1% lower to $1,413.96.

"Platinum is regaining investor attention as fundamentals improve. South African mining challenges weigh on supply recovery this year, while demand is getting support from gold as well as the ongoing substitution away from palladium," ANZ said in a note.



Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
TT

Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

Oil prices were up slightly on Friday on stronger-than-expected US economic data that raised investor expectations for increasing crude oil demand from the world's largest energy consumer.

But concerns about soft economic conditions in Asia's biggest economies, China and Japan, capped gains.

Brent crude futures for September rose 7 cents to $82.44 a barrel by 0014 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for September increased 4 cents to $78.32 per barrel, Reuters reported.

In the second quarter, the US economy grew at a faster-than-expected annualised rate of 2.8% as consumers spent more and businesses increased investments, Commerce Department data showed. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted US gross domestic product would grow by 2.0% over the period.

At the same time, inflation pressures eased, which kept intact expectations that the Federal Reserve would move forward with a September interest rate cut. Lower interest rates tend to boost economic activity, which can spur oil demand.

Still, continued signs of trouble in parts of Asia limited oil price gains.

Core consumer prices in Japan's capital were up 2.2% in July from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, raising market expectations of an interest rate hike in the near term.

But an index that strips away energy costs, seen as a better gauge of underlying price trends, rose at the slowest annual pace in nearly two years, suggesting that price hikes are moderating due to soft consumption.

China, the world's biggest crude importer, surprised markets for a second time this week by conducting an unscheduled lending operation on Thursday at steeply lower rates, suggesting authorities are trying to provide heavier monetary stimulus to prop up the economy.