Gold holds below 7-week high as dollar, equities recover

[MANILA] Gold hovered below a seven-week high on Tuesday as equity markets and the US dollar rebounded from a brutal selloff in the prior session that was fuelled by fears over the fate of the Chinese economy.

After Monday's rout, most Asian stocks recovered in tandem with US futures and Chinese shares pared losses. The dollar rose 0.6 per cent versus a basket of currencies after falling the most since 2011. "If that remains the case over the course of this session then buying interest in gold could dry up," said Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney.

Spot gold was flat at US$1,154.60 an ounce by 0240 GMT. It closed a tad lower on Monday after a five-day rally that lifted it to US$1,168.40 on Friday, its loftiest since July 7.

US gold for December delivery was also flat at US$1,154 an ounce.

Gold was among the least bruised by Monday's selloff, dropping half a percent versus a 6 per cent slide in Brent crude and a 2 per cent decline in copper.

A near-9 per cent dive in China shares sent global stocks and commodity prices tumbling overnight. That helped gold hold up as uncertainty over the global economy boosted investor appetite for safe-haven assets. "Gold should continue to hold its value during the current market turbulence, however a material surge higher is unlikely as participants find liquidity by selling all asset classes, including precious metals," MKS Group trader James Gardiner said in a note.

Also potentially limiting gold's upside potential, a key Federal Reserve official stuck to his view that a US interest rate hike would happen this year.

Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said the Fed will likely begin raising rates "sometime this year," even as the steep drop in oil prices clouds the inflation outlook. Two weeks ago, Mr Lockhart said he was "very disposed" to a rate hike in September.

CMC Markets' McCarthy believes a US rate hike can still happen next month. "The Fed is focused on the underlying economy, not the share market. They want to normalise rates so that they have room to move should another crisis emerge," he said.

Spot palladium fell to as much as US$555.50 an ounce, its lowest since July 2012, before paring losses to trade at US$564.25, down 1.1 per cent.

Platinum gained 0.5 per cent to US$993 an ounce and silver rose 0.8 per cent to US$14.90.

REUTERS