A one kilo Swiss gold bar and US dollars gold coins are pictured in Paris on February 20, 2020.
Gold prices eased on Friday and were headed for a slight weekly fall as traders weighed recent U.S. economic data and hawkish signals from the Federal Reserve on further monetary tightening.
"Gold is struggling to move higher because the Fed's message on inflation and interest rates still remains hawkish.
So, it's sort of removing the incentive to buy gold because there are more interest rate increases on the horizon," said Edward Meir, a metals analyst at Marex.
While gold is considered a safe haven during economic uncertainties, higher interest rates dull the appeal for zero-yield bullion.
Persons:
Edward Meir, Meir
Organizations:
Federal Reserve, Traders, The Bank of Japan
Locations:
Paris