Gold hits over six-month low on rate-hike concerns amid Middle East conflict

[BENGALURU] Gold hit a more than six-month low on Thursday (Jun 11), as fresh US strikes on Iran drove oil prices higher, deepening concerns around inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates.

Spot gold was down 0.2 per cent at US$4,063.87 per ounce, as at 8.43 am in Singapore, after hitting its lowest level since Nov 21 earlier in the day.

US gold futures for August delivery were down 1.1 per cent at US$4,086.50.

The United States began a fresh round of strikes against multiple targets overnight in Iran, the US military said on Wednesday, hours after US President Donald Trump vowed new attacks if no peace deal is secured.

Oil prices climbed more than US$2 on Thursday, as Iran declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the US strikes.

Elevated crude oil prices can accelerate inflation, and while gold is seen as a hedge against inflation, higher interest rates tend to weigh on the non-yielding metal.

Data showed that US consumer inflation increased at its fastest pace in three years in May, boosted by surging prices for energy products amid the Middle East conflict, and giving more ammunition for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged into 2027.

Markets are awaiting the May US Producer Price Index data, due later in the day, to further assess the Fed’s monetary policy stance.

Ivory Coast’s gold output is expected to reach 62 tonnes in 2026, up from 59.33 tonnes in 2025, as established mines expand operations, the West African country’s director general of mines told Reuters.

SEE ALSO

Gold slumps below US$4,200 as renewed US-Iran clashes test truce

Spot silver fell 0.9 per cent to US$63.15 per ounce, platinum lost 0.6 per cent to US$1,655.06, while palladium gained 1 per cent to US$1,225.25. REUTERS