BENGALURU- Gold prices inched down on Monday as investors awaited key US inflation reports, which could shed more light on the timing of the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut.
Spot gold fell 0.2 percent at $2,354.77 per ounce. Prices hit a two-week high in the previous session.
US gold futures fell 0.6 percent to $2,361.
The US producer price index (PPI) data is scheduled for release on Tuesday, followed by the consumer price index (CPI) on Wednesday.
Median forecasts are for core consumer prices to rise 0.3 percent in the month, compared with 0.4 percent in March, pulling the annual rate down to 3.6 percent , according to a Reuters poll.
“I suspect inflation will be stickier than people want to see, so we need to allow for a few bumps in the road – but that doesn’t necessarily mean inflation will rip higher,” said City Index senior analyst Matt Simpson.
“It just won’t disinflate as quickly as doves hope. And that could result in some choppy trade for gold prices around these highs, at a time of year usually associated with negative returns for gold prices.”
After a softer-than-expected US payrolls report for April and a weak jobs report last week, expectations have increased for rate reductions this year.
Traders expect the US central bank to start its easing cycle in September. Lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding gold.
But comments by Fed officials last week were varied as speakers debated whether interest rates were high enough. A jump in consumers’ inflation expectations, revealed in a survey on Friday, could further complicate the conversation.
