As of 5:10 PM ET, gold futures for the most active June contract traded lower by -$1.40, settling at $2,309.60. The session saw prices range from a low of $2,294.30 to a high of $2,336.10.
The Federal Reserve's latest policy statement offered some respite to the precious metal. While the Fed kept interest rates unchanged, as widely expected, it signaled potential for a continued pause, tempering expectations of higher-for-longer U.S. rates.
The Fed was less hawkish than expected and Powells press conference provided a glimmer of hope for gold investors, as Chairman Jerome Powell stated that further rate increases are unlikely, despite acknowledging the lack of progress in bringing inflation down to the 2% target. This stance alleviated some pressure on the yellow metal, which has faced headwinds from the prospect of persistently high U.S. interest rates.
"The Fed's official statement did acknowledge a 'lack of further progress' in inflation reduction in recent months. Powell expressed the strong belief that current monetary policy is sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to the Fed's 2% target eventually... therefore, it's unlikely the next policy move will be a hike," said Preston Caldwell, chief U.S. economist at Morningstar.
Despite the challenges, gold demand marked its strongest first quarter in eight years, buoyed by "healthy investment" from the over-the-counter market and robust central bank purchases, which saw their best start to any year on record, according to a report from the World Gold Council.
Investors now turn their attention to the closely watched nonfarm payrolls data on Friday, which could provide further insights into the labor market's resilience and the Fed's future rate path. Additionally, weekly jobless claims and March factory orders data, was released today.
The Labor Department reported that unemployment claims for the week ending April 27 remained unchanged at 208,000, reflecting the continued tightness in the job market. However, there are signs of potential softening, with the government reporting 8.5 million job openings in March, the lowest number of vacancies in three years.
As the tug-of-war between inflationary pressures and economic growth continues, gold's performance will hinge on the Fed's ability to navigate the delicate balance of taming inflation while avoiding a severe economic downturn.
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