Gold climbs as US rating downgrade spurs demand

Bengaluru — Gold climbed on Wednesday as the US dollar, treasury yields and Asian stocks stumbled after Fitch downgraded the US’s coveted triple-A credit rating, souring confidence in the economy and shoring up interest in safe-haven bullion.

Spot gold was up 0.2% at $1,946.97 per ounce by 3.12am GMT, while US gold futures rose 0.3% to $1,984.

Fitch downgraded the US government’s credit rating from AAA to AA+ after the Wall Street close on Tuesday, citing fiscal deterioration over the next three years and growing general government debt burden.

“Last time S&P downgraded in 2011, the markets went nuts, although we are not seeing the same type of reaction in the early going, but things bear watching,” said Edward Meir, a metals analyst who provides research for Marex.

Gold, which is priced in dollars, is a favoured safe-haven investment in times of stress and economic uncertainty.

Gold dropped 1% and hit a three-week low on Tuesday as the dollar firmed after solid data on US manufacturing and construction in June offset a decline in job openings last month.

Focus remains on Friday’s non-farm payrolls report, a key barometer of the health of the US economy, with expectations that it would rise by 200,000 jobs in July after increasing by 209,000 in June.

US central bankers have expressed hope they can beat inflation without cratering the job market, though they also said doing so will require keeping rates high for some time.

Higher interest rates raise the cost of holding gold, which yields nothing and needs money to store and insure.

In other metals, spot silver eased 0.2% to $24.29, platinum dropped 0.5% to $926.18 and palladium was down 0.1% at $1,238.59.

Reuters