Gold hits 11-week high on softer dollar, Trump policy uncertainty
Wed Jan 22 2025
Gold prices climbed to a fresh 11-week high on Wednesday, buoyed by a weaker dollar and as uncertainty surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies boosted safe-haven demand.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold was up 0.1% at $2,748.58 per ounce, as of 0105 GMT, after hitting its highest since Nov. 5 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures added 0.1% to $2,763.40.
* Trump held back from imposing trade barriers on his first day in office on Monday, pushing the dollar lower.
* A weaker dollar makes gold more attractive for foreign buyers. Gold is considered a safe investment during economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
* Trump vowed to hit the European Union with tariffs and said his administration was discussing imposing a 10% tariff on goods imported from China on Feb. 1.
* Gold's appeal as an inflation hedge may be diminished if Trump's policies, which are seen as inflationary, lead the Federal Reserve to maintain interest rates higher for longer.
* After two years of progress on inflation and surprisingly persistent economic growth, the Fed next week meets with one eye on new Trump administration policies and another on a bond market that has ratcheted up borrowing costs even as U.S. central bankers have been cutting interest rates.
* The Fed is expected to hold its benchmark interest rate steady in the current 4.25%-4.50% range at its next policy meeting on Jan. 28-29, after reducing it by a full percentage point since September.
* Higher interest rates dampen the appeal of non-yielding gold.
* SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.85% to 871.66 tonnes on Tuesday from 879.12 tonnes on Friday.
* Spot silver was flat at $30.85 per ounce, palladium gained 0.1% to $958.11 and platinum steadied at 944.05.