Gold prices lingered near a Mid-March low on Thursday, dragged down by a stronger dollar and hawkish comments from U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Spot gold fell 0.1% to $1,906.17 per ounce, near a mid-March low hit on Wednesday.
Powell's hawkish remarks reinforced interest rates going higher for longer, with a higher opportunity cost of holding gold dimming the appeal of gold, said OCBC FX strategist Christopher Wong.
Powell suggested another two rate hikes to the Fed funds target rate were likely, and he did not see inflation abating to the 2% target until 2025.
Asian shares were subdued on the premise of higher interest rates, while the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan struggled to lift from lows amid fears of official intervention.
Persons:
Jerome Powell, Christopher Wong, Powell
Organizations:
Aurum, U.S . Federal, Reuters
Locations:
Munich, U.S, .