Gold rises as growth, trade worries curb risk-taking

Gold prices rose on Tuesday, after its biggest one-day percentage fall in 2-1/2 years the previous session, as risk appetite soured on worries over global growth and uncertainties around a Sino-U.S. trade deal.
Spot gold was up 0.55% at $1,391.53 per ounce, after falling 1.8% on Monday, its biggest one-day percentage decline since November 2016. U.S. gold futures were up 0.35% at $1,394.2 an ounce.

President Donald Trump said on Monday that any trade deal with China would need to be “somewhat tilted” in favour of the United States. The U.S. government also threatened tariffs on $4 billion of additional European Union goods in a long-running dispute over aircraft subsidies.
“The trade fiasco could be a positive factor for gold as the deal is still not reached yet… The stock markets are in red, which is another positive thing for gold,” said Carlo Alberto De Casa, chief analyst with ActivTrades.
Data showed manufacturing activity slowed last month, weakening appetite for risk. Factory activity shrank across much of Europe and Asia in June, while growth in manufacturing cooled in the United States, keeping the world’s monetary policymakers under pressure to avert a recession.
“The support level $1,380 was able to push up prices despite the correction. As far as we hold $1,380, the trend appears positive despite the big correction,” De Casa said.
“Investors are still confident that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut rates in the next few months. As far as that holds we can see gold rise above $1,400.”

Gold prices hit a six-year high last week at $1,438.63 an ounce, driven by a dovish outlook from major central banks and an escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran.
The market will now focus on U.S. non-farm payrolls data due on Friday, which should help investors better assess whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates later this month.
“Upcoming U.S. economic numbers and Federal Reserve speakers’ comments are critical as we approach the Federal Open Market Committee meeting at the end of July,” UBS analysts said in a note.
“The potential for renewed trade tensions and broader geopolitical risks, in our view, is likely to spur further inflows into gold by financial investors.”
Holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.78% to 800.20 tonnes on Monday.
Elsewhere, silver was down 0.37% at $15.07 per ounce, while palladium was steady at $1,546.5 per ounce.
Platinum fell 0.86% to $822.95, after touching a near seven-week high on Monday.