Gold Eases as Dollar Firms; Focus on Fed Minutes

A view of smelted gold bars at a smelting facility in Accra, Ghana August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko
A view of smelted gold bars at a smelting facility in Accra, Ghana August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko
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Gold Eases as Dollar Firms; Focus on Fed Minutes

A view of smelted gold bars at a smelting facility in Accra, Ghana August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko
A view of smelted gold bars at a smelting facility in Accra, Ghana August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko

Gold prices edged lower on Tuesday, pressured by a stronger dollar, while investors awaited minutes of the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting and more economic data for insights on the US interest rate outlook.
Spot gold fell 0.3% to $2,634.69 per ounce by 0728 GMT. US gold futures lost 0.5% to $2,653.90, Reuters reported.

The dollar index hovered near a seven-week high, making bullion more expensive for holders of other currencies.
Gold has lost some momentum due to the rising dollar and bond yields, but downside risks may be limited by global conflicts that favor safe-haven assets, said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.
Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel's third-largest city, Haifa, while Israel appeared ready to expand its offensive into Lebanon, marking one year since the Hamas attack that ignited the Gaza war.
Bullion is considered a safe investment during times of political uncertainty.
Investors are focused on the minutes of the Fed's latest policy meeting, due on Wednesday, followed by the US Consumer Price Index on Thursday and the Producer Price Index data on Friday. Several Fed officials are also lined up to speak throughout the week.
"Looking ahead, if we see any upside surprises in the US CPI numbers this week, this could further boost the dollar and pressure gold," Waterer said.
According to the CME FedWatch tool, markets are no longer pricing in a 50-basis-point reduction at the Fed's November meeting after last week's strong jobs report. They now see an 88% chance for a 25-bp cut.
Meanwhile, St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem expressed support for more rate cuts, emphasizing that the economy's performance will guide policy.
Spot silver lost 2.02% to $31.08 per ounce. Platinum was down 1% to $962.90 and palladium fell nearly 3% to $994.00.
Elsewhere, China said it was "fully confident" of meeting its economic targets, but refrained from introducing stronger fiscal steps to get the economy back on track.



Türkiye Receives Waiver for Gas Payments to Russia from Gazprombank Sanctions

A view shows a board with the logo of Gazprombank at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 5, 2024. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/File Photo
A view shows a board with the logo of Gazprombank at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 5, 2024. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/File Photo
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Türkiye Receives Waiver for Gas Payments to Russia from Gazprombank Sanctions

A view shows a board with the logo of Gazprombank at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 5, 2024. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/File Photo
A view shows a board with the logo of Gazprombank at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 5, 2024. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/File Photo

Türkiye has received an exemption for gas payments to Russia after the United States imposed sanctions on Gazprombank, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar revealed in response to a question from Reuters.

The US imposed new sanctions on Russia's Gazprombank in November, creating an obstacle for buyers of Russian gas, which had been using the bank to make payments. They have since been seeking clarification and exploring other ways to pay.

Türkiye imports almost all its gas requirement and Russia is the top supplier, providing more than 50% of the country's pipeline imports.

Ankara's pipeline gas imports from Russia stood at 21.1 bcm last year.

Türkiye had requested an exemption in discussions with US officials so that it can continue paying for Russian natural gas imports via Gazprombank.

The US on Thursday also granted a waiver to Hungary, which mainly relies on Russian oil and gas.