Gold flat as U.S. data lifts aggressive Fed rate-hike bets

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Gold prices were flat on Monday after

solid U.S. jobs report last week boosted the prospect of

aggressive interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve,

lifting the dollar and bond yields.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold was flat at $1,774.09 per ounce, as of

0121 GMT, after dropping 1% in the previous session.

* U.S. gold futures were steady at $1,790.60.

* The dollar index stood at 106.77, close to Friday’s

peak of 106.93, the strongest since July 28. A stronger

greenback makes gold more expensive for other currency holders.

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* Benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yields hovered

near their highest level in more than two weeks scaled on

Friday.

* U.S. job growth unexpectedly accelerated in July, lifting

the level of employment above its pre-pandemic levels and

pouring cold water on fears the economy was in recession.

* The Fed should consider more 75-basis-point interest rate

hikes at coming meetings in order to bring inflation back down

to the central bank’s goal, Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said on

Saturday.

* Traders currently see a 73.5% probability the U.S. Fed

continues the pace of 75-basis-point rate hikes for its next

policy decision on Sept. 21 to tame soaring inflation.

* Although gold is seen as a hedge against inflation, rising

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U.S. interest rates dull bullion’s appeal.

* Chinese and Taiwanese warships played high seas “cat and

mouse” on Sunday ahead of the scheduled end of four days of

unprecedented Chinese military exercises launched in reaction to

a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

* On the physical side, gold premiums in China rose last

week on safe-haven demand, driven by rising tensions with the

United States over Taiwan, while higher domestic prices cooled

buying activity in India.

* SPDR Gold Trust , the world’s largest gold-backed

exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.12% to 999.16

tonnes on Friday.

* Spot silver eased 0.2% to $19.83 per ounce,

platinum fell 0.2% to $930, and palladium was

unchanged at $2,125.69.

(Reporting by Brijesh Patel in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry

Jacob-Phillips)