Gold Gains as Dollar off 2-month Highs on Fed Rate Cut Expectations

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
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Gold Gains as Dollar off 2-month Highs on Fed Rate Cut Expectations

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk

Gold extended gains after the release of the latest data on US producer prices on Friday, as the US dollar pulled back from two-month highs on heightened expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in November.

Spot gold rose 0.7% to $2,647.55 per ounce by 1316 GMT. US gold futures gained about 1% to $2,665.

US producer prices were unchanged in September, pointing to a still-favorable inflation outlook and supporting views that the Fed would cut interest rates again next month.

"After stronger-than-expected US jobs data and higher-than-expected inflation data, the market is a bit split on how many rate cuts we will see from the Fed over the coming months," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said, Reuters reported.

Data on Thursday showed US consumer prices rose slightly more than expected in September, but the annual increase in inflation was the smallest in more than 3-1/2 years.

Slowly cooling inflation and a US job market that remains strong but at the risk of deteriorating give a green light for more interest-rate cuts in coming months, Fed policymakers indicated on Thursday.

The CME FedWatch tool shows markets currently see an 84.4% chance of a 25-basis-point rate reduction in November and a 15.6% probability of the Fed keeping rates on hold.

"Gold prices are likely to stay volatile in the short term, but we look for higher prices as we look for further rate cuts by the Fed," Staunovo said.

Gold is on track for its second straight week of declines after prices retreated from a record high of $2,685.42 hit last month.

Physical gold dealers in India charged premiums for the first time in two months this week as the upcoming festival season attracted some jewellery buying.

Spot silver rose 0.7% to $31.41 per ounce and platinum climbed 1.2% to $979.20. Both metals were headed for weekly declines.

Palladium firmed 0.2% at $1,071 and was up nearly 6% for the week.



Pakistan Ends Power Purchase Deals to Cut Costs

A power transmission tower is seen in Karachi, Pakistan, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo
A power transmission tower is seen in Karachi, Pakistan, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo
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Pakistan Ends Power Purchase Deals to Cut Costs

A power transmission tower is seen in Karachi, Pakistan, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo
A power transmission tower is seen in Karachi, Pakistan, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo

Pakistan's government has reached an agreement with utilities to end power purchase contracts, including one with Pakistan's largest private utility that should have been in place until 2027, as part of efforts to lower costs, it said on Thursday.

The news confirms comment from Power Minister Awais Leghari to Reuters last month that the government was renegotiating deals with independent power producers to lower electricity tariffs as households and businesses struggle to manage soaring energy costs.

Earlier on Thursday Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan has agreed with five independent power producers to revisit purchase contracts. He said that would save the country 60 billion rupees ($216.10 million) a year.

The need to revisit the deals was an issue in talks for a critical staff-level pact in July with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $7-billion bailout.

Prior to the prime minister's announcement, Pakistan's biggest private utility, Hub Power Company Ltd, said the company agreed to prematurely end a contract with the government to buy power from a southwestern generation project.

In a note to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, it said the government had agreed to meet its commitments up to October 1, instead of an initial date of March 2027, in an action taken “in the greater national interest.”

A decade ago, Pakistan approved dozens of private projects by independent power producers (IPPs), financed mostly by foreign lenders, to tackle chronic shortages.

But the deals, featuring incentives, such as high guaranteed returns and commitments to pay even for unused power, resulted in excess capacity after a sustained economic crisis reduced consumption.

Short of funds, the government has built those fixed costs and capacity payments into consumer bills, sparking protests by domestic users and industry bodies.

Pakistan has begun talks on re-profiling power sector debt owed to China and structural reforms, but progress has been slow. It has also said it will stop power sector subsidies.