Gold slumps below $4,350 on higher US yields, hawkish Fed bets

Gold prices dipped below $4,350 on Wednesday, hitting a near two-week low during the early Asian session. The precious metal faced selling pressure due to higher U.S. yields and a stronger U.S. Dollar. In the previous session, U.S. Treasury yields reached their highest level since January 2025, as escalating tensions in the Middle East heightened inflation fears and triggered a global bond selloff.

The U.S. and Iran engaged in a new round of attacks, with American forces striking Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran retaliating by targeting U.S. interests across the region. Rising interest rates and higher yields on Treasuries generally have a negative impact on gold, as they increase the opportunity cost of holding the non-yielding asset.

Jim Wyckoff, a market analyst at American Gold Exchange, noted that technical selling pressure was evident as bond yields globally reached annual highs. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's hawkish remarks at the Jackson Hole symposium could also contribute to the downward trend. Warsh warned that policymakers may need to tighten monetary policy further if inflation fails to move closer to the 2% target.

Market attention will shift to the U.S. jobs data for August, which will be released later on Friday. Any signs of weakening in the U.S. labor market could further weaken the U.S. Dollar and bolster the price of the USD-denominated commodity.