Gold Jumps to Record High on Fed Rate Cut Outlook

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
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Gold Jumps to Record High on Fed Rate Cut Outlook

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Gold prices charged to a record high on Monday as a weaker dollar and the prospects of aggressive US monetary policy easing boosted non-yielding bullion's appeal.

Spot gold was up 0.4% at $2,586.04 an ounce by 0914 GMT after touching a record peak of $2,589.59. US gold futures edged up by 0.1% to $2,613.40, Reuters reported.

The dollar index eased 0.4%, making gold more attractive to other currency holders.

This week's key event is the Federal Reserve interest rate decision due on Wednesday. Trader expectations are for a 59% chance of a cut of 50 basis points.

The first US rate cut is getting closer and will be followed by more, supporting gold, said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

"Any change to the Fed dot plot is likely to result in near-term volatility, but I believe we are still on the path of higher prices over the coming months," he said.

Bullion becomes generally a more attractive investment in periods of lower interest rates and is considered a safe asset in times of turmoil.

Macroeconomic and geopolitical concerns, US elections and a likely increase in equity market volatility also make a compelling case for increasing investment in gold, ANZ analysts said in a note.

"We expect gold prices to move towards $2,700 in the short term and reach a high of $2,900 by the end of 2025," the note added.

The FBI said that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was the subject of a second assassination attempt on Sunday.

Spot silver gained 1% to $30.95 an ounce, hitting its highest in two months earlier in the session.

Platinum shed 0.2% to $993.70 and palladium was up 0.2% at $1,070.70.
Data from China over the weekend showed industrial output growth slowed to a five-month low in August while retail sales and new home prices weakened further.



Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Cut China's 2024 Growth Forecast

Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)
Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)
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Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Cut China's 2024 Growth Forecast

Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)
Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)

Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have lowered their full-year projections for China's economic growth to 4.7%, after the world's second-largest economy's industrial output slowed to a five-month low in August.

Weak economic activity in August has ramped up attention on China's slow economic recovery and highlighted the need for further stimulus measures to shore up demand.

The faltering growth has prompted global brokerages to scale back their 2024 projections to below government's target of around 5%.

Goldman Sachs earlier expected full-year growth for the economy at 4.9%, while Citigroup had forecast growth at 4.8%.

China's industrial output in August expanded 4.5% year-on-year, slowing from the 5.1% pace in July and marking the slowest growth since March, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Saturday.

Goldman Sachs said in a note dated Sept. 15, “We believe the risk that China will miss the 'around 5%' full-year GDP growth target is on the rise, and thus the urgency for more demand-side easing measures is also increasing.”

The bank maintained the country's 2025 GDP growth forecast at 4.3%.

However, Citigroup on Sunday trimmed its 2025 year-end forecast for China's GDP growth to 4.2% from 4.5% due to a lack of major catalysts for domestic demand.

“We believe fiscal policy needs to step up to so as to break the austerity trap and timely deploy growth support,” economists at Citigroup said.

In a separate development, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is making “tangible investments” to ensure the Big Four firm has high quality and sustainable business in China, it said in a memo to staff after Chinese regulators on Friday hit the company's mainland unit with a record penalty.

PwC Zhong Tian LLP was hit with a six-month suspension and a record fine of 441 million yuan ($62 million) on Friday over the firm's audit of failed property developer China Evergrande Group .