PRECIOUS-Gold eases for sixth session as dollar marches upward

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 10/09/24 09:51 AM EDT

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Dollar near a two-month high

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Bullion falls for the sixth straight session

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Odds of 25 bps US rate cut in November at 76%

(Updates with Fed's minutes details and comments)

By Anushree Mukherjee

Oct 9 (Reuters) - Gold retreated for the sixth straight day on Wednesday on an advancing dollar and diminished expectations for a larger rate cut from the Federal Reserve in November.

Spot gold fell 0.5% to $2,607.93 per ounce by 02:39 p.m. ET (1839 GMT). U.S. gold futures for December delivery settled 0.4% lower at $2,626.

"The markets aren't moving because the extraordinary payrolls report may require a recalibration by the FOMC. It's why gold hasn't budged and looks to be down for the sixth straight session though the pullback has been modest," said Tai Wong, a New York-based independent metals trader.

"The dollar has surged over the past few sessions that's adding downward pressure to gold," he added.

The dollar index hit a near two-month high, making bullion more expensive for holders of other currencies.

The

minutes of the Sept. 17-18

session, at which the Fed lowered the benchmark policy rate by half a percentage point, noted the future pace of cuts will not be determined by large initial reduction.

Markets now see a 76% likelihood of a 25-basis-point cut from the Fed next month, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Zero-yield bullion is a preferred investment amid lower interest rates.

Dallas Fed Bank President Lorie Logan said she wants

smaller reductions ahead

, given the "still real" upside risks to inflation and "meaningful uncertainties" over the economic outlook.

Investors now await U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) data due on Thursday and Friday, respectively, for further insights on interest rate outlook.

"Despite the modest pull-back, expectations of lower interest rates and ongoing geopolitical tensions suggest the backdrop for gold is likely to remain supportive over the long term," said Kinesis Money market analyst Carlo Alberto De Casa in a note.

Spot silver slipped 0.8% to $30.46 per ounce. Platinum was steady at $949.91, while palladium rose 1.6% to $1,038.25.

(Reporting by Anushree Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid, Alan Barona and Shreya Biswas)

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Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

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