Gold steadies as traders weigh next round of US-Iran peace talks

[SINGAPORE] Gold steadied, as traders weighed prospects for a negotiated settlement to the war in Iran that’s disrupted global energy supplies and heightened inflation risks.

Bullion was near US$4,830 an ounce in early trading, having lost 0.2 per cent in the previous session. US Vice-President JD Vance is heading to Pakistan for the next round of talks, while Iran is also sending a delegation after saying earlier that it was hesitant to participate, according to sources familiar with the plans. US President Donald Trump said a two-week ceasefire is due to expire on “Wednesday evening Washington time”.

Oil prices slipped on Tuesday, after US equities fell on Monday from record highs. Now in its eighth week, the war in the Middle East has triggered an unprecedented energy-supply shock that has intensified inflationary pressures, making central banks more likely to hold interest rates steady or even raise them – a headwind for non-yielding bullion. Gold has lost about 8 per cent since the conflict began in late February.

Bullion’s wartime decline does not change “the fundamental case for gold”, Marc Loeffert, a trader at Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH, said in a note.

“Some repositioning and deleveraging during times of cross-asset volatility should be expected,” he said. “This volatility is likely to last for some time, but in the long run, gold will retain its fundamental attraction as a way to retain purchasing power.”

Investors will also be watching Trump’s pick to head the US Federal Reserve later Tuesday when Kevin Warsh maps out his plans before the Senate Banking Committee. Any sense that Warsh will push for monetary easing this year would likely support bullion, while greater caution around inflation – and a reluctance to cut rates – would be negative for gold.

SEE ALSO

Gold falls on stronger US dollar amid renewed US-Iran tensions

DECODING ASIA

Navigate Asia in
a new global order

Get the insights delivered to your inbox.

In a nod to concerns about the Fed’s future, Warsh will vow to protect the central bank’s independence, according to a copy of his prepared remarks viewed by Bloomberg News.

Spot gold edged up 0.2 per cent to US$4,831.77 an ounce at 7.00 am in Singapore. Silver was 0.5 per cent higher at US$80.09 an ounce. Platinum and palladium were little changed. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, a gauge of the US currency, was flat after ending the previous session down 0.1 per cent. BLOOMBERG