Gold steady as US payrolls data takes centre stage
Gold prices held steady on Wednesday as investors braced for a monthly U.S. payrolls report that could influence the size of a likely interest rate cut this month.
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-113047771»> * Spot gold held its ground at $2,493.62 per ounce, as of 0025 GMT. U.S. gold futures edged 0.1% higher to $2,524.90.
* The U.S. non-farm payrolls report is due on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters are looking for a 160,000 increase in U.S. non-farm payrolls in August and a dip in the unemployment rate to 4.2%.
* Traders see a 38% chance of a 50-basis-point (bp) cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve on Sept. 18 and a 62% chance of a 25 bp cut, according to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool.
* Data on Tuesday showed that U.S. manufacturing contracted at a moderate pace in August amid some improvement in employment, but a further decline in new orders and rise in inventory suggested factory activity could remain subdued for a while.
* Fed Chair Jerome Powell last month said «the time has come» to reduce borrowing costs, given that price pressures have eased considerably and the labor market has cooled.
* A low interest rate environment tends to boost non-yielding bullion's appeal.
* Market will also keep a tab on U.S. job openings data later in the day, along with ADP employment report and jobless claims print on Thursday.
* Bullion is heading for its best year since 2020, driven by investor optimism about upcoming U.S. rate cuts and lingering concerns about the Middle East conflict.
* Israeli forces killed at least 35 Palestinians across
