Gold gains on U.S. stimulus deal optimism, weaker dollar
· Gold prices rose on Wednesday as optimism that U.S. lawmakers could reach agreement on a pre-election coronavirus relief package pressured the dollar and bolstered the precious metal’s appeal as an inflation hedge.
· Spot gold gained 0.6% to $1,917.76 per ounce by 0323 GMT, having earlier hit a one-week high. U.S. gold futures were up 0.4% at $1,922.80.
· “The falling U.S. dollar is the main contributor to gold’s rise,” said Margaret Yang, a strategist with DailyFx, which covers currency, commodity and index trading.
· The pandemic has prompted unprecedented money printing and low-interest rates globally, putting gold on track for its best year in a decade given its appeal as a hedge against inflation and currency debasement.
· But the precious metal has been rangebound in the past few sessions, hovering near the psychologically important level of $1,900, as investors await developments on the U.S. stimulus deal.
· The market needs more certainty on the U.S. stimulus front before taking a position, IG Markets analyst Kyle Rodda said.
· On the physical front, customs data showed Switzerland’s gold exports to China and India dwindled in September, with the country instead importing record volumes of bullion from Hong Kong and sending the metal to Britain.
· Elsewhere, silver rose 1.4% to $24.98 per ounce, platinum was up 0.8% at $877.91. Palladium was 0.4% higher at $2,407.95.
Reference: CNBC
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