Gold prices traded lower on Monday, though seesawed between losses and gains for part of the session, as investors looked to debt-ceiling talks this week that may or may not yield a resolution.
Price action
- Gold futures for June delivery GC00, +0.17% GCM23, +0.17% declined by $ 1.30, or nearly 0.1%, to $ 2,018.50 per ounce on Comex trading between a high of $ 2,027.50 and low of $ 2,011.20, FactSet data show.
- Silver futures for July delivery SI00, +0.46% SIN23, +0.46% climbed by 2.1 cents, or 0.1%, to $ 24.175 per ounce.
- Palladium futures for June PAM23, +1.96% gained $ 12.20, or 0.8%, to $ 1,526 per ounce, while platinum futures for July delivery PLN23, +0.90% added $ 1.80, or 0.2%, to $ 1,068.80 per ounce.
- Copper futures for July delivery HGN23, +0.48% gained 1.9 cents, or 0.5%, to $ 3.747 per pound.
Market drivers
“Focus this week is on the U.S. debt-limit extension talks between the White House and Congress,” said Jim Wyckoff, senior analyst at Kitco.com.
A second round of debt-ceiling talks between the White House and congressional leaders appeared set for Tuesday, President Joe Biden said Sunday.
“I remain optimistic because I’m a congenital optimist,” Biden told reporters Sunday in Rehoboth Beach, Del. “But I really think there’s a desire on their part as well as ours to reach an agreement. I think we’ll be able to do it.”
Against that backdrop, the dollar index DXY, -0.20% was off by 0.2% at 102.52 in recent trade, helping to limit any losses for dollar-denominated gold prices.
“The prospect of the world’s largest economy defaulting is keeping demand for gold and its safe-haven appeal very healthy,” said Rupert Rowling, market analyst at Kinesis Money, in a daily note.” Add in a Federal Reserve that looks to have come to the end of its hiking cycle and the medium-term outlook for gold looks supportive.”
Gold futures remain higher for the month and year so far.