PRECIOUS-Gold gains on easing Treasury yields amid Mideast uncertainty

BY Reuters | TREASURY | 02:00 AM EDT

* Lebanon announces partial ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah

* Tehran halts negotiations with US, Iranian state media says

* U.S. May employment data due later this week (Updates prices as of 0556 GMT)

By Pablo Sinha

June 2 (Reuters) - Gold prices rose on Tuesday, supported by lower Treasury yields and a partial ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, while investors awaited details on the status of U.S.-Iran peace talks amid conflicting news.

Spot gold rose 0.8% to $4,517.73 per ounce by 0556 GMT. U.S. gold futures for August delivery gained 0.9% to $4,547.80.

"It seems that because of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, we're seeing a bit of an uptick in terms of gold prices," said GoldSilver Central Managing Director Brian Lan, adding that lower Treasury yields were further supporting the metal.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note ticked lower, reducing the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.

Lebanon on Monday announced a partial ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in what would amount to a limited de-escalation of a conflict that has killed thousands of people and inflamed the broader war with Iran.

Earlier, Iranian state media said that Tehran was halting indirect negotiations with the U.S. and might end the ceasefire, while U.S. President Donald Trump said talks with Iran were ongoing "at a rapid pace."

Investors are now awaiting the U.S. nonfarm payrolls and employment reports, both due later in the week, to assess resilience in the labour market amid mounting concerns about inflation due to the Middle East conflict.

Also in focus are remarks from Federal Reserve policymakers, including Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack and Fed Governor Michael Barr, to gauge the future monetary policy path.

"On the upside, the main barrier to break here seems to be right around $4,900. If (gold) confidently re-establishes a foothold of the $5,000 mark, then we'll know that gold is once again re-engaging with its longer-term dynamics," said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive.

Among other metals, spot silver rose 2.1% to $76.41 per ounce, platinum gained 1.8% to $1,958.67 and palladium rose 1.5% to $1,382.33. (Reporting by Pablo Sinha in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Subhranshu Sahu)

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.

fir_news_article