August 22, 2018

Gold climbs to 1-week high on dollar weakness; Fed minutes awaited

(Reuters) - Gold prices hit a one-week high on Wednesday and inched closer to the key $1,200 level as the dollar remained weak on U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of the Federal Reserve and ahead of minutes from the central bank's August meeting.

    Trump's reiteration on Monday of displeasure with rising interest rates has weighed on the dollar, ahead of the release

of the Fed's minutes later on Wednesday and its annual economic symposium at Jackson Hole, Wyoming on Friday. 

    "Trump's comments have certainly put a dampener on the dollar," said Sydney-based ANZ analyst Daniel Hynes. "This

especially ahead of the Jackson Hole symposium is an issue, which the investors are clearly focussed on."

    Gold is highly sensitive to rising U.S. interest rates as it increases the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding metal

while boosting the dollar.

    Spot gold was largely unchanged at $1,195.68 an ounce at 0227 GMT, after touching $1,197.66, its highest level since

Aug. 14. U.S. gold futures  rose 0.2 percent to $1,202 an ounce.

    The precious metal has come under pressure this year, sliding more than 12 percent since hitting a high of $1,365.23

in April amid U.S. interest rate hikes and a soaring dollar.

    But the dollar's advance has slowed ahead of lower-level trade talks between Chinese and U.S. officials in Washington

this week and has further weakened after Trump told Reuters on Monday he was "not thrilled" at the Fed's rate hikes.

    A weaker dollar, in which gold is priced, has helped the precious metal recover from a more than 1-1/2-year low hit last

week after prices slipped below the key psychological level of $1,200.

    The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, fell about 0.1 percent on

Wednesday after touching its lowest since Aug. 9 at 95.08 in the previous session. 

    Meanwhile, liquidations continued at SPDR Gold Trust , the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund. Holdings

have fallen about 3.4 million ounces from a peak in late April.

    Spot silver  was up 0.3 percent at $14.79 an ounce.

    Platinum  rose 0.3 percent to $795.70, after touching a one-week high of $803.10. Palladium  fell 0.6 percent to $911.