Gold climbs to highest in more than seven months

Bengaluru — Gold prices hit a more than seven-month high on Tuesday as investors shun riskier assets on worries over escalation in China-US trade tensions after the US justice department charged China’s Huawei Technologies with fraud.

Spot gold rose to its highest since June 14, 2018 at $1,304.53 in morning trade and was firm at $1,303.62/oz by 3.19am GMT. US gold futures were also steady at $1,302.70/oz.

“Investors are very cautious with many uncertainties on US-China trade talks and Brexit. Those prospects don’t look positive,” said Margaret Yang, a market analyst at CMC Markets.

“Money is fleeing into safe-haven assets such as gold, seeking safety.”

The US on Monday charged Huawei, its CFO and two affiliates with bank and wire fraud to violate sanctions against Iran in a case that has escalated tensions with Beijing.

Investors fear the charges could complicate high-level trade talks set to begin on Wednesday where Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He will meet with US trade representative Robert Lighthizer and others.

The dollar index, a gauge of its value versus six major peers, held close to a two-week low, while Asian shares fell.

Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting begins later in the day, where the central bank is expected to leave interest rates unchanged.

The Fed raised interest rates four times last year, but some officials have said they will be patient in raising rates given the stalemate over global trade, the US federal government shutdown, and waning business and consumer confidence.

Gold tends to rise on expectations of lower interest rates, which reduce the opportunity cost of holding nonyielding bullion.

Gold has risen more than 12% since touching a more than one-and-a-half-year low in August mostly due to volatile stock markets and a softer dollar caused by the expectation that the Fed will pause its multiyear rate-increasing cycle.

Reflecting investor sentiment in bullion, holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund (ETF), rose 0.73% to 815.64 tons on Monday, their highest since June 2018.

“We remain moderately constructive on gold heading into the balance of the week as a more stable vote in the British parliament on Tuesday and the likelihood of a dovish Fed policy statement should exert further downward pressure on the dollar,” said INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir.

In other metals, palladium fell 0.2% to $1,328.50/oz. Prices hit a record high of $1,434.50 on January 17.

Silver shed 0.1 percent to $15.72/oz, while platinum slipped 0.1% to $808.50.

Reuters

Source: businesslive.co.za