By Ashitha Shivaprasad
(Reuters) – Gold prices charged to a record high on Monday as a weaker dollar and the prospects of aggressive U.S. monetary policy easing boosted non-yielding bullion’s appeal.
Spot gold was up 0.4% at $2,586.04 an ounce by 0914 GMT after touching a record peak of $2,589.59. U.S. gold futures edged up by 0.1% to $2,613.40.
The dollar index eased 0.4%, making gold more attractive to other currency holders. [USD/]
This week’s key event is the Federal Reserve interest rate decision due on Wednesday. Trader expectations are for a 59% chance of a cut of 50 basis points.
The first U.S. rate cut is getting closer and will be followed by more, supporting gold, said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.
“Any change to the Fed dot plot is likely to result in near-term volatility, but I believe we are still on the path of higher prices over the coming months,” he said.
Bullion becomes generally a more attractive investment in periods of lower interest rates and is considered a safe asset in times of turmoil.
Macroeconomic and geopolitical concerns, U.S. elections and a likely increase in equity market volatility also make a compelling case for increasing investment in gold, ANZ analysts said in a note.
“We expect gold prices to move towards $2,700 in the short term and reach a high of $2,900 by the end of 2025,” the note added.
The FBI said that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was the subject of a second assassination attempt on Sunday.
Spot silver gained 1% to $30.95 an ounce, hitting its highest in two months earlier in the session.
Platinum shed 0.2% to $993.70 and palladium was up 0.2% at $1,070.70.
Data from China over the weekend showed industrial output growth slowed to a five-month low in August while retail sales and new home prices weakened further.
(Reporting by Ashitha Shivaprasad in Bengaluru; Editing by David Goodman)
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