Gold holds steady as rising oil prices, inflation woes cap safe-haven demand

Gold steadied on Wednesday, as higher oil prices reignited inflation ​worries and tempered hopes of ​rate cuts, while ​safe-haven demand amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran limited losses.

Spot gold
was down 0.1% at $5,186.02 per ounce. U.S. gold futures
for April ⁠delivery ‌fell 0.9% to $5,194.10.

“After yesterday’s fall, oil is rebounding today, ⁠confirming that tensions are not yet over. In the last few days gold prices have not moved significantly, holding well above $5,000,” said Swissquote analyst Carlo Alberto De Casa, adding that a rise ‌in the dollar and benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields was also pressuring bullion.

A stronger dollar raises the cost of gold for overseas buyers, while ​higher Treasury yields reduce the appeal of non-yielding bullion.

Oil prices rebounded as markets doubted whether the International Energy Agency’s reported plan for a record release of oil reserves could offset potential supply shocks from the Middle ⁠East conflict.

The U.S. and Israel traded air strikes with Iran as the war entered ‌its second week, effectively shutting the Strait of Hormuz, ‌a chokepoint for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas.

“It seems likely to me that investors are now increasing their exposure to the precious metal as a ⁠safe-haven asset,” De Casa added.

Markets now await the U.S. consumer price index for February, ⁠due later in the day, and the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) ⁠index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, on Friday.

Consumer prices likely picked up in February as the cost of gasoline increased, and ​with the conflict driving up oil ‌prices, a further rise in inflation is expected in March.