Gold slips from 2-week peak

Gold fell on Thursday from a two-week high hit the previous day, as an escalating Middle East conflict drove oil prices higher, while traders awaited the Federal Reserve policy meeting next week for clues on the timing of potential interest rate hikes.

Spot gold slipped 0.6 percent to $4,103.39 per ounce by 0713 GMT, having climbed to its highest since July 7 at $4,165.87 on Wednesday. US gold futures for August delivery fell 1.1 percent to $4,106.40.

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“Oil continues to be up, adding to pressures of inflation and expectations of Fed rate hikes, capping a positive undertone in gold as the dollar weakens,” said Jigar Trivedi, a senior research analyst at IndusInd Securities.

Oil prices rose to their highest in more than six weeks, with the US launching a new round of strikes on Iran and Yemen’s Houthis targeting oil tankers in the Red Sea. The dollar eased 0.1 percent, making greenback-priced bullion more affordable for holders of other currencies.

Interest rate-sensitive two-year US Treasury yields climbed to a 17-month high as rising oil prices stoked concerns that renewed energy disruptions could reignite inflation and raise the odds of Fed rate hikes.

The Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged next week, although futures markets are broadly positioned for at least one hike by year-end.

Traders are pricing in a 77 percent chance of a rate increase in September, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

High interest rates tend to diminish the appeal of non-yielding bullion.

The European Central Bank is all but certain to keep interest rates unchanged on Thursday but will hold the door wide open to another hike in September.