Market News

Gold (GC=F)

Gold prices edged higher on Wednesday morning, buoyed by a softer US dollar following mild US inflation data that solidified expectations for an interest rate cut in September. Meanwhile, market participants looked ahead to this week’s high-stakes talks between US and Russian officials regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine.

At the time of writing, gold futures rose 0.2% to $3,404.90 per ounce, while spot gold inched up by 0.1% to $3,357.03 per ounce.

"The fall in the USD enabled a moderate bounce in the gold price, with the precious metal oscillating around the $3,350 level ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting on Friday," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.

"If the meeting in Alaska doesn't resolve anything and the war in Ukraine continues, gold could be making a push back towards $3,400 once again," he added.

The uptick in gold came as US inflation data, released on Tuesday, showed a modest rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which increased by 0.2% in July, following a 0.3% increase in June. Year-over-year, the CPI was up 2.7%, signalling that inflation pressures are cooling.

This data reinforced market expectations that the Federal Reserve may soon cut interest rates, which tends to boost demand for non-yielding assets like gold. The decline in the US dollar supported the precious metal’s rise, as a weaker dollar makes gold more affordable for holders of other currencies.