Gold prices edged lower on Monday as a rally in oil prices fuelled inflation concerns and reinforced expectations that the US Federal Reserve could raise interest rates at its policy meeting this week.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold was down 0.5 percent at US$4,327.80 an ounce by 0119 GMT after posting a third consecutive weekly decline on Friday. US gold futures for December delivery fell nearly 1 percent to US$4,368.60.
* Traders are pricing in about an 86 percent chance of a US rate hike at the central bank's policy meeting on September 15-16, up from about 67 percent prior to inflation data last week, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
* US consumer prices accelerated in August, while a key measure of underlying inflation posted its largest increase in four months, data on Friday showed, reinforcing expectations that the Fed will raise interest rates this week.
* Although gold is typically seen as an inflation hedge, higher interest rates tend to diminish non-yielding bullion's appeal to investors.
* Oil prices jumped more than 2 percent on Monday after fresh Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and Iranian attacks on ships in the Gulf compounded supply concerns following the closure of a key Saudi oil pipeline. O/R
* Middle East diplomacy appeared to falter after a meeting between Iran and other Gulf states was postponed.
* Goldman Sachs saidon Friday it still sees upside risk to its forecast for gold to reach US$4,900 an ounce by the end of 2026, although it expects price volatility to remain elevated.
* Elsewhere, two European Central Bank policymakers left the door open to further rate hikes if conflict-driven increases in energy prices feed through to broader inflation in the euro zone.
* Among other metals, spot silver slipped 1.1 percent to US$63.75 per ounce on Monday, platinum dropped 0.8 percent to US$1,782.50, and palladium slid 0.7 percent to US$1,290.36.
Reuters
