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Gold costs flat as profit-taking counters US rate outlook

Rates of safehaven gold were flat on Monday as some profittaking partly offset support from U.S. economic downturn jitters and increasing expectations of a September rate cut from the Federal Reserve.

Area gold held its ground at $2,443.44 per ounce, as of 0335 GMT, after falling 1% earlier in the session.

U.S. gold futures rose 0.7% to $2,485.80.

There is some profit-taking occurring while traders try and evaluate how aggressive the Fed may become in September with regards to the size of the rate cut, said Tim Waterer, chief market expert, KCM Trade.

However, the essential photo (for gold) hints at further gains provided the expectations for dovish U.S. financial policy.

Data on Friday showed that U.S. task growth in July fell short of expectations, with the joblessness rate increasing to 4.3%, indicating possible weak point in the labour market and greater vulnerability to economic crisis. This strengthened the case for a rate cut at the Federal Reserve's conference on Sept. 17-18.

Traders are pricing a more than 70% chance of the U.S. central bank reducing rates by 50 basis points in September, compared with an 11.5% possibility a week earlier, according to CME FedWatch tool.

Lower interest rates lower the chance expense of holding a non-yielding bullion.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin maintained a careful outlook, mentioning he is not prepared to adjust his financial policy.

Financiers will keep a tab on final July S&P Global services and ISM non-manufacturing PMI due later on in the day.

Elsewhere, the Pentagon revealed on Friday that the U.S. armed force will deploy additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the Middle East to strengthen defence versus risks from Iran and its allies, Hamas and Hezbollah.

Spot silver was flat at $28.52 per ounce, platinum fell 0.5% to $953.25 and palladium was almost the same at $889.98.

(source: Reuters)