Gold drops as Fed says more rate hikes coming

Dec 15 (Reuters) – Gold prices fell nearly 1% on Thursday, after US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said more interest rate hikes would come next year.

Spot gold slipped 0.9% to usd 1,791.71 per ounce, as of 0724 GMT, retreating further from a more than five-month high scaled on Tuesday. US gold futures were down 0.9% at USD 1,802.10.

The Fed will deliver more rate hikes next year, even as the US economy slips towards a possible recession, Powell said on Wednesday, arguing a higher cost would be paid if the central bank does not get a firmer grip on inflation.

A hawkish Fed is weighing on the bullion market and gold’s outlook hinges on how much more tightening central banks, in particular the Fed, plan to do from here, said OCBC FX strategist Christopher Wong.

“Broadly into 2023, I still favour gold to trade higher but near term into end-year, I won’t rule out any profit-taking or pullback in prices.”

Gold is traditionally considered an inflation hedge but higher interest rates dim bullion’s appeal by increasing the opportunity cost of holding the non-yielding metal.

“Spot gold may drop into a range of USD 1,766-USD 1,780 per ounce, following its failure to break a resistance at USD 1,825,” according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao.

The dollar index was up 0.1%. A stronger greenback makes gold more expensive for overseas buyers.

Marker participants now await rate-hike decisions from the Bank of England and the European Central Bank later in the day, with both expected to deliver a 50-basis point rate hike.

Traders will also scan upcoming economic data, including the weekly US jobless claim numbers due at 1330 GMT, for their likely influence on the Fed’s rate-hike strategy.

Silver fell 2.5% to USD 23.29 per ounce, platinum lost 1.6% to USD 1,012.55 and palladium was down 0.6% to USD 1,904.69.

(Reporting by Ashitha Shivaprasad in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Subhranshu Sahu)