PRECIOUS-Gold gains on US interest rate expectations

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 11/03/25 04:28 AM EST

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US ADP employment data due on Wednesday

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Dollar holds near three-month peak

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Platinum up more than 2%

(Adds comments and updates EMEA morning session)

By Brijesh Patel

Nov 3 (Reuters) - Gold prices rose on Monday, helped by expectations of further U.S. interest rate cuts after comments from the U.S. Federal Reserve Board's Christopher Waller, though a stronger dollar and easing trade tensions kept gains in check.

Spot gold was up 0.5% at $4,020.45 an ounce by 0905 GMT. U.S. gold futures for December delivery rose 0.9% to $4,031.50.

"We are still in a consolidation mode. The lack of U.S. economic data makes it a bit more difficult, but weaker U.S. economic data should support further Fed rate cuts and allow gold to move to $4,200 per ounce by the end of the year," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

The Fed should cut the policy interest rate again in December, Fed's Waller said on Friday, citing weakness in the labour market.

Traders are now pricing in about a 70% chance of a Fed rate cut in December, according to CME's FedWatch Tool. Non-yielding gold thrives when interest rates are low and in times of economic uncertainty.

Investors have their eyes on other news, including ADP U.S. employment data and ISM PMIs this week, for indicators that could alter the Fed's hawkish stance.

"Safe-haven play has been reduced at this point in time, over the de-escalation of U.S.-China trade tensions. It could also be a rotation towards a much more risk-on play in equities," said OANDA analyst Kelvin Wong.

U.S. President Donald Trump last week agreed to trim tariffs on China in exchange for concessions by Beijing on illicit fentanyl trade, U.S. soybean purchases and rare earths exports.

Meanwhile, the dollar index hovered near a three-month high, making gold more expensive for buyers with other currencies.

Elsewhere, spot silver rose 0.5% to $48.90 an ounce, platinum climbed 2.2% to $1,601.90 and palladium gained 1.3% to $1,452.58.

(Reporting by Brijesh Patel and Ishaan Arora in Bengaluru Editing by David Goodman)

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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