PRECIOUS-Gold eases as Treasury yields rise, focus on US data

BY Reuters | TREASURY | 10/28/24 11:12 AM EDT

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Dollar index on track for best month since April 2022

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Market awaits key US economic data for Fed's rate outlook

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10-year Treasuries yields at three-month high

(Recasts as of 1435 GMT)

By Anjana Anil

Oct 28 (Reuters) - Gold's record rally took a breather on Monday, as U.S. Treasury yields and dollar gained the upper hand, while investors awaited a series of U.S. economic data due this week for cues on the Federal Reserve's interest rate outlook.

Spot gold fell 0.2% to $2,742.79 an ounce by 10:35 a.m. ET (1435 GMT). Bullion hit a record high of $2,758.37 last Wednesday.

U.S. gold futures were steady at $2,755.20.

Yields on benchmark 10-year Treasuries rose to a three-month high. The dollar index was on track for its best month since April 2022, making gold less attractive for overseas buyers.

"I think the $2,800 target is certainly achievable this week. Our expectations are that the elections are actually impeding the appetite for selling activity and therefore any catalyst for buying activity is likely to have a larger impact," said Daniel Ghali, commodity strategist at TD Securities.

With the Nov. 5 U.S. election approaching, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are caught in a knife-edge battle to win over some of the more competitive states.

The market also awaits a slew of data this week, including ADP employment on Wednesday, U.S. Personal Consumption Expenditures on Thursday, and Friday's payrolls report.

"Gold is still in a buy-on-dips mode and while some would-be investors have been looking for dips in excess of $200, they are not appearing as others are piling into corrections," said StoneX analyst Rhona O'Connell in a note.

"While one of the key elements of geopolitical risk this year has been the plethora of elections with over half the world's electorate having the opportunity to vote, the uncertainty will not dissipate just because the elections are over."

Spot silver added 0.1% at $33.72 an ounce and platinum rose 1.1% to $1,033.50.

Palladium rose 1.6% to $1,212.00, after hitting a 10-month high earlier in the session on concerns over sanctions on top producer Russia. (Reporting by Anjana Anil and Brijesh Patel in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

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.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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