Gold prices drifted higher on Monday, aided by worries that the United States could be headed for a recession and rising bets that the Federal Reserve will likely need to start cutting interest rates aggressively.
Spot gold rose 0.14% to $2,446.83 per ounce after falling 1% earlier in the session.
U.S. gold futures rose 0.8% to $2,488.50.
“Gold is picking up safe-haven flows, with financial markets in a risk-averse mindset to start the week,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.
“Markets are in a flux about the U.S. economic outlook and whether rate cuts will arrive quickly enough from the Fed.”
Share markets tumbled and bonds rallied in Asia as U.S. recession fears sent investors rushing from risk assets.
Data on Friday showed that U.S. job growth in July fell short of expectations, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.3%, pointing to possible weakness in the labour market and greater vulnerability to recession.
Traders are pricing a more than 70% chance of the U.S. central bank lowering rates by 50 basis points in September, compared with an 11.5% chance a week earlier, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
Lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding a non-yielding bullion.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin maintained a cautious outlook, stating he is not ready to adjust his monetary policy.
Investors will keep a tab on the final July S&P Global services and ISM non-manufacturing PMI due later in the day.
They also kept a close eye on the Middle East conflict, with the
Pentagon announcing that the U.S. military will deploy additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the Middle East to strengthen defence against threats from Iran and its allies, Hamas and Hezbollah.
Spot silver was down 0.4% at $28.43 per ounce, platinum fell 1.23% to $946.10 and palladium declined 0.9% to $882.09.
