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Gold costs inch lower as US rate cut bets cool

Gold rates alleviated on Wednesday, as traders pared bets of rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve this year following remarks by some policymakers, while the market waited for key U.S. inflation data due later this week.

PRINCIPLES

* Area gold was down 0.1% at $2,357.70 per ounce, as of 0059 GMT, U.S. gold futures were up 0.1% at $ 2,358.30.

* Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari said in an interview with CNBC broadcast that the U.S. central bank needs to wait on significant progress on inflation before cutting rate of interest.

* Investors are now awaiting the April reading on the individual intake expenses (PCE) price index, the U.S. central bank's preferred inflation gauge, which is due on Friday.

* Traders' bets signified growing skepticism that the Fed will cut rates more than when in 2024, currently pricing in about a 60% possibility of a rate cut by November, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

* Bullion is known as an inflation hedge, however greater rates increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding gold.

* Israel's military denied striking a camping tent camp west of Rafah after Gaza health authorities said Israeli tank shelling had actually eliminated a minimum of 21 people there, in a location Israel has designated a civilian evacuation zone.

* Gold is used as a hedge against inflation, and economic and geopolitical unpredictability.

* Shareholders of South African precious metals producer Sibanye Stillwater enacted favour of a resolution to convert $500 million worth of bonds provided last year into shares.

* BHP was struggling to discover commonalities with Anglo American in talks over its takeover deal, with no brand-new concessions as a deadline nears for the world's biggest miner to submit a binding offer, five sources said.

* Area silver fell 0.5% to $31.95 per ounce, platinum was down 0.9% at $1,054.10 and palladium acquired 0.1% to $973.47.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT). 1200 Germany CPI Prelim YY May. 1200 Germany HICP Prelim YY May. 1800 US Federal Reserve releases the Beige Reserve

(source: Reuters)