Gold extended its recent slide during Asian trading Thursday, briefly breaching the lower edge of a trading range that had held for roughly two weeks as concerns over the direction of U.S.-Iran engagement and U.S. interest rate prospects bolstered the dollar and dented demand for the metal.
Price moves - Spot gold eased 0.7% to $4,704.96 an ounce, while gold futures also fell 0.7% to $4,720.11/oz by 23:06 ET (03:06 GMT). At one point, spot prices dropped to $4,694.23/oz, moving below the $4,700-$4,900/oz range observed over the past two weeks.
Markets struggled to find clear direction as uncertainty lingered over whether further U.S.-Iran talks would take place. The pause in market confidence followed President Donald Trump indefinitely extending a ceasefire.
Negotiations between Tehran and Washington showed little forward movement after planned talks largely failed to materialize earlier in the week. Iran indicated that the United States must lift a blockade against the country before talks could resume, while Washington called for full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The situation left both sides continuing their respective blockades - Iran keeping the strait closed, and the U.S. maintaining a naval blockade of Iran while policing Iranian vessels across wider Asian waters - producing an impasse.
Energy markets added to inflation concerns as oil prices climbed back above $100 a barrel this week, a development that kept the risk of energy-driven inflation in focus for investors.
The dollar's rebound also put pressure on metal markets. The greenback steadied near a 1-1/2 week high on Thursday after President Trump’s nominee for the Federal Reserve Chair, Kevin Warsh, said he had made no commitments to cut interest rates, countering calls from the president for rate reductions. A firmer dollar typically makes dollar-denominated commodities such as gold more expensive for holders of other currencies, reducing demand.
Other precious metals registered deeper losses on the day. Spot silver dropped 2.5% to $75.7245/oz, while spot platinum declined 1.9% to $2,040.16/oz.
Clear summary
- Gold fell in Asian trade, briefly dipping below a recent $4,700-$4,900/oz range as uncertainty over U.S.-Iran talks and U.S. rate expectations supported the dollar.
- Oil rose above $100 a barrel, keeping inflation risks related to energy on investors' radar.
- Silver and platinum posted larger daily percentage losses than gold.