Gold Rises After Bessent Urges US Central Bank to Slash Rates
Gold rose for a third day as bets on Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts increased after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged the US central bank to lower borrowing costs.
Bullion traded near $3,370 an ounce after Treasury yields fell on Wednesday as Bessent suggested the Fed’s benchmark rate ought to be at least 1.5 percentage points lower than it is now. Lower borrowing costs and declining yields tend to support gold, as it pays no interest.
The increased bets on monetary easing mark a shift from last month, when markets at one point saw less than a 50% chance of a September rate cut. The consensus is now for a quarter-point move next month, with some betting on a larger reduction.
Gold has climbed 28% this year, with the bulk of those gains occurring in the first four months. It has been supported by heightened geopolitical and trade tensions that have spurred haven demand, while central bank purchases have also underpinned its strength.
Spot gold was 0.5% higher at $3,372.03 an ounce at 7:25 a.m. in Singapore, after rising 0.2% in the previous session. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index slipped 0.1%. Silver, platinum and palladium all edged higher.
The market is still seeking official clarification over whether US imports of gold bars would be subject to tariffs, after days of confusion that prompted a spike in the premium for gold futures in New York over the spot price in London. President Donald Trump said on Monday that there would not be a levy — causing the two markets to converge — but he didn’t elaborate.
Source : Bloomberg
