Gold edges higher ahead of inflation data

Gold bars

Gold futures recorded slight gains on Friday as markets awaited key US inflation data for signals on the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy path.

Gold futures (December delivery) rose 0.15% to $3,776.50 per ounce.

Meanwhile, spot gold was little changed at $3,748.25 per ounce as of 8:45 a.m. Makkah time.

The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, slipped 0.2% to 98.36.

Elsewhere in precious metals, silver futures (December delivery) inched down 0.1% to $45.07 per ounce, while spot platinum rose 1.15% to $1,546.56, and spot palladium gained 0.3% to $1,261.66.

Gold demand in China weakened this week as dealers widened discounts to between $31–71 per ounce below global prices — the lowest level in years — compared with $21–36 last week, according to Reuters.

Investors are awaiting the release of the core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, which is expected to show a 0.2% monthly increase in August.