Gold prices poised for monthly gain; focus on US data
Gold prices were little changed on Friday, but were poised for a monthly gain on prospects of a U.S. interest rate cut in September, while traders awaited key U.S. inflation data for further insights.
FUNDAMENTALS
<div data-placement=«Mid Article Thumbnails» data-target_type=«mix» data-mode=«thumbnails-mid» style=«min-height:400px; margin-bottom:12px;» class=«wdt-taboola» id=«taboola-mid-article-thumbnails-112910422»>* Spot gold was down 0.1% at $2,517.91 per ounce, as of 0037 GMT, and was on track to log its second consecutive monthly gain, rising about 3%.
* U.S. gold futures fell 0.4% to $2,551.20.
* U.S. gross domestic product grew at a 3.0% annualized rate last quarter, up from 2.8% rate reported last month, while consumer spending rose to 2.9%, revised from 2.3%.
* A separate report showed weekly initial jobless claims slipped to 231,000 last week, slightly below the 232,000 estimate of economists polled by Reuters.
* Traders have fully priced in a Federal Reserve rate easing next month, with a 66% chance of a 25-basis-point cut and about 34% chance of a bigger 50-bp reduction, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
* Market participants are now on the watch-out for Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) data, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, due later in the day to assess the central bank's policy outlook.
* Israel told the U.S. that an initial review found that shots were fired at a World Food Programme vehicle in the Gaza Strip after a «communication error» between Israeli military units.
* Bullion is considered a hedge against geopolitical and economic uncertainties and tends to thrive in a low-interest-rate environment.
* Elsewhwere, SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded
