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Gold slips as dollar firms, traders brood on US rate cut timing

Gold prices slipped on Wednesday as the dollar edged up, while market individuals assessed the timeline for prospective U.S. interest rate cuts and were on the lookout for fresh hints for further clearness on financial policy.

Area gold fell 0.3% at $2,307.87 per ounce as of 0757 GMT. U.S. gold futures eased 0.3% at $2,317.20.

The dollar index rose 0.2%, making bullion more expensive for other currency holders.

The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment reading on Friday and remarks from a multitude of Federal Reserve officials are on financiers' radar today, while the U.S. consumer price index information is due on May 15.

The Fed is fretted about inflation but isn't going to hike rates more and still wants to cut if it gets an opportunity - this is the story. Very little will occur to the story until we get CPI next week, stated Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive.

If the upcoming reports show scary inflation, then the Fed can not cut rates and it will pressure gold, Spivak included.

Greater rates minimize the appeal of holding non-yielding bullion.

Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said on Tuesday that stalled inflation buoyed in part by real estate market strength indicates the U.S. reserve bank might need to hold rates constant all year.

Markets presently see a 65% chance of the Fed cutting rates in September, based on CME's FedWatch Tool.

I would say keep watching China due to the fact that it is a wild card here, Spivak stated.

China's central bank added 60,000 troy ounces of bullion to its reserves in April, information revealed on Tuesday.

In the near-term, resistance levels await gold at $ 2,327 and $2,340, while assistance is seen at $2,298 on the low side, stated Tim Waterer, primary market expert at KCM Trade.

Area silver fell 0.3% to $27.19 per ounce.

Platinum was down 0.7% at $969.44 and palladium lost 0.7% to $964.51.

(source: Reuters)