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Gold wanders higher on Mideast tensions, US rate outlook

Rates of safehaven gold edged higher on Thursday, supported by Middle East tensions and optimism surrounding U.S. rate cuts, while traders awaited financial information for clues on the Federal Reserve's policy trajectory.

Area gold was up 0.3% at $2,389.42 per ounce, since 0331 GMT. U.S. gold futures slipped 0.2% to $2,428.40.

Longer-term fundamentals look supportive for gold, which include geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the downward trajectory of the U.S. treasury yields, said Kelvin Wong, OANDA's senior market analyst for Asia Pacific.

Iran will not remain peaceful over aggressiveness, President Masoud Pezeshkian told French equivalent Emmanuel Macron according to state media, amid fears of more local dispute after the killing of Hamas leader in Tehran recently.

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield slipped, making non-yielding bullion more appealing. While U.S. dollar likewise edged lower.

Brokerages including J.P. Morgan, Citigroup and Wells Fargo have actually forecast a 50 basis-point interest rate cut by the Fed in September after last week's surprisingly weak U.S. work report for July.

Lower rate of interest decrease the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.

Market focus will be on initial U.S. jobless claims information due at 1230 GMT, while Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin is also anticipated to speak later on in the day.

In the near-term, I think market will consolidate around $ 2,350 level and move towards $2,500 later on this year, stated Peter Fung, head of dealing at Wing Fung Precious Metals.

China's reserve bank kept back on purchasing gold for its reserves for a third straight month in July, according to data.

Spot silver rose almost 1% to $26.84 per ounce, platinum edged 0.1% as much as $920.40 and palladium gained 1.2% to $892.75.

Impala Platinum on Wednesday flagged $1 billion of problems amid lower value of its properties as metal rates plunged.

(source: Reuters)