Gold drops over 1% as Treasury yields rise; investors eye US jobs data

Kitco Media
By Reuters
Published:
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Reuters
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Sept 1 (Reuters) - Gold fell ​more than 1% on Tuesday, pressured by elevated U.S. Treasury yields, while markets ‌awaited key U.S. labour market data for fresh signals on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy outlook.

Spot gold was down 1.8% at $4,369.24 per ounce by 1003 GMT, its lowest level since August 19. U.S. ​gold futures fell 1.4% to $4,418.00.
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U.S. Treasury yields rose to their highest since January 2025 ​on Tuesday as rising tensions in the Middle East stoked inflation worries, ⁠and triggered a global bond selloff.

"Bond yields around the world continue to rise ​following Kevin Warsh’s hawkish speech last Friday, thereby adding some downward pressure on gold ​prices," Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen said.

Yields on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note extended gains, raising the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.

Gold hit a more than three-month high last week before ​falling over 3% on Friday, after Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said at the ​Jackson Hole symposium that the U.S. central bank would "have work to do" if policymakers were not ‌confident ⁠inflation was returning to its 2% target.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters in the Oval Office that Warsh will "do what he has to do" on interest rates.

Traders are currently pricing in a 66% chance of an interest rate ​hike later this month, ​the CME FedWatch ⁠Tool showed.

Investors now turn their focus to the ADP employment report due on Wednesday and the nonfarm payrolls data on Friday ​for further economic policy clues.

While gold is typically seen as an inflation ​hedge, higher ⁠interest rates tend to diminish non-yielding bullion's appeal to investors.

On the geopolitical front, Trump threatened further strikes against Iran on Monday after the first exchange of direct attacks in a month, raising ⁠tensions ​in a conflict that had recently shifted into ​an economic standoff.

Among other metals, spot silver slid 2.8% to $64.64 per ounce, platinum fell 1.9% to $1,760.13, and palladium dipped ​2.2% to $1,327.00.

Reporting by Sukanya Mitra in Bengaluru; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Louise Heavens

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