PRECIOUS-Gold gains on softer dollar as investors weigh Trump tariff impact

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 01/14/25 05:13 AM EST

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US PPI due at 1330 GMT, US CPI expected on Wednesday

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Dollar down 0.4% against its rivals

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Platinum to be under-supplied in 2025, UBS says

(Updates with EMEA morning hours)

By Anushree Mukherjee

Jan 14 (Reuters) - Gold prices rose on Tuesday, helped by a softer U.S. dollar and inflationary risks posed by President-elect Donald Trump's potential tariff policies, which could influence the pace of Federal Reserve monetary policy easing this year.

Spot gold rose 0.3% to $2,669.09 per ounce as of 0932 GMT. U.S. gold futures gained 0.2% to $2,683.20.

"Gold prices are benefiting from reports that the incoming Trump administration is considering a gradual implementation of tariff increases to mitigate their impact on inflation," said Ricardo Evangelista, senior analyst at ActivTrades, referring to a Bloomberg report.

"This news led to a slight decline in U.S. Treasury yields and a weakening of the dollar."

The dollar index fell 0.4% from a more than two-year high hit in the last session as traders scaled back U.S. rate cut bets for 2025 after a strong jobs report. A softer dollar makes gold more affordable for buyers using other currencies.

Spotlight is moving to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers due on Wednesday. A Reuters poll of economists gives a median forecast for an annual rise of 2.9%, up from November's 2.7%.

Investors are also looking out for U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) data which is due at 1330 GMT and U.S. retail sales on Thursday for further insights into the economy and the Fed's 2025 policy trajectory.

"If inflation increases again based on Trump?s spending policy, we may even see no cuts at all in the mid-term," said Henrik Marx's, head of precious metals trading at Heraeus Metals Germany.

Bullion is used as a hedge against inflation, although higher interest rates reduce the non-yielding asset's appeal.

Elsewhere, spot platinum added 0.1% to $954.65.

"We look for platinum to be under-supplied by 500,000 ounces, or 6.4% of demand, in 2025," UBS said in a note.

Spot silver firmed 0.4% to $29.70 per ounce, and palladium climbed 1% to $948.29.

(Reporting by Anushree Mukherjee in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Swati Verma; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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.

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