PRECIOUS-Gold edges higher as US-Iran peace deal eases rate-hike fears

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 12:50 AM EDT

* US, Iran sign ceasefire agreement, details unclear

* Gold rose to a more than one-week high on Monday

* Fed interest rate decision due on Wednesday (Updates prices, adds details as of 0431 GMT)

By Noel John

June 16 (Reuters) - Gold prices edged higher on Tuesday, extending gains for a fourth straight session, as a preliminary U.S.-Iran peace agreement eased rate hike concerns, while investors awaited further details on the deal.

Spot gold was up 0.4% at $4,322.99 per ounce, as of 0431 GMT, after rising as much as 3.6% on Monday to hit its highest level since June 5.

U.S. gold futures for August delivery were down 0.2% at $4,343.50.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Persian Gulf has been signed by the U.S. and Iran, though details have yet to be made public and both countries said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.

"We have had a good run in gold prices ever since late Thursday on the Iran news. I think this euphoria rally might last for another few days culminating in Friday's signing ceremony," said Edward Meir, an analyst at Marex.

The U.S. dollar held near 10-day lows ahead of the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision.

Investors are also watching out for the Federal Reserve policy decision and remarks, the first under Chair Kevin Warsh, on Wednesday, with rates widely expected to remain unchanged.

"Markets are expecting no rate decreases this year. If Warsh signals that at least one cut could be on the table later this year, the dollar should decrease further and we could see another rally in gold," Meir said.

"However, if he comes across as more hawkish on rates, gold could come under some pressure."

Traders have scaled back expectations for a U.S. rate hike in December to 57% after the peace deal, down from about 70% last week, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

Gold loses appeal in a high-interest-rate environment as it is a non-yielding asset.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to a 31-year high, its first hike since December, aligning it with other central banks shifting towards tighter policy to combat inflation.

Spot silver fell 0.4% to $69.76 per ounce, platinum lost 0.3% to $1,761.95, and palladium was down 1.2% to $1,331.86. (Reporting by Noel John in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Ronojoy Mazumdar)

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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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