PRECIOUS-Gold ticks up; spotlight on Fed meet, details of US-Iran deal

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 11:18 AM EDT

* Warsh-led Fed expected to hold interest rates steady

* Any whiff of hawkishness may weigh on gold, analyst says

* Trump threatens to resume bombing campaign if Iran does not "behave" (Updates prices, adds comment from trader in paragraph 3)

By Ashitha Shivaprasad

June 17 (Reuters) - Gold prices edged higher on Wednesday as investors awaited the U.S. central bank's first policy decision under new Chair Kevin Warsh, along with further details of the U.S.-Iran peace agreement for further direction.

Spot gold was up 0.3% at $4,344.47 per ounce by 11:09 a.m. EDT (1509 GMT). U.S. gold futures rose 0.2% at $4,364.70.

"Gold buyers may be betting on a dovish Warsh later today, grinding higher despite indifferent stocks, higher yields and a higher dollar," said Tai Wong, an independent metals trader.

The Federal Reserve's rate decision, policy statement and updated policymaker projections will be released at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT). Warsh, who replaced former Fed chief Jerome Powell last month, will hold a press conference half-an-hour later.

"Looking at the charts, prices may push higher toward $4,350 if $4,300 proves reliable support. Weakness below $4,300 could trigger a selloff back toward the $4250-$4200 per ounce support area," said Lukman Otunuga, senior research analyst at FXTM.

Spot gold touched a near six-month low last week as inflation fears stoked by the Iran conflict boosted expectations of U.S. rate hikes. While gold is often seen as a hedge against inflation, elevated interest rates tend to pressure bullion, as it offers no yield.

Prices rebounded after the U.S. and Iran agreed on a framework deal.

However, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the agreement reached this week with Iran was not final, and that he could resume a bombing campaign if he did not like it.

"Gold and silver could hit a cyclical low between late 2026 and early 2027. In our baseline scenario, gold could trade at an average of around $4,000 per ounce by the end of the year, whilst silver could settle at around $60," Intesa Sanpaolo economist Daniela Corsini said in a note.

Among other metals, spot silver gained 0.2% to $70.30 per ounce. Platinum lost 1.2% to $1,782.23 and palladium fell 0.2% at $1,349.36. (Reporting by Ashitha Shivaprasad in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Diti Pujara)

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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