Gold steady before US payrolls data, heads for small weekly gain

Gold maintained its position on Friday, with a potential small weekly increase, as investors focused on the upcoming U.S. payrolls data to gauge the Federal Reserve’s future interest rate decision. At 0211 GMT, spot gold was trading at $4,477.10 per ounce, having risen by 2% on Thursday as traders lowered expectations for a September rate hike following remarks from Fed Governor Christopher Waller.

U.S. gold futures for December delivery slipped 0.4% to $4,522.60. Traders anticipate a 50% probability of a Fed rate increase later in the month, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. The U.S. nonfarm payrolls report is scheduled for release at 1230 GMT. According to Ross Maxwell, global strategy operations lead at VT Markets, "Weak figures and an uptick in unemployment could undermine the rationale for a rate hike, potentially benefiting gold.

However, the metal may still be vulnerable to shifting sentiment, with inflation data releases slated for the following week." Although gold is generally regarded as an inflation shield, higher interest rates tend to burden the non-yielding asset. Data released on Thursday indicated a slight rise in Americans filing for unemployment benefits the previous week, as layoffs remained minimal, indicating stable labor market conditions.

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance described the conflict between the U.S. and Iran as not a war and refused to disclose a timeline for its resolution, highlighting the difficulties the Trump administration faces amid ongoing hostilities and the upcoming midterm elections. Other metals saw silver decline by 0.3% to $66.78 per ounce but was set for a weekly gain, while platinum slipped by 0.8% to $1,811.28 and palladium fell by 0.4% to $1,415.75, both metals expected to undergo minor weekly declines.