Alongside regional leaders, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the meetings
world3 hours ago
Gold prices held steady near record highs on Thursday as a weaker US dollar and hopes of more stimulus measures to mitigate the economic fallout from the pandemic underpinned the metal's safe-haven appeal.
1. Spot gold was steady at $2,039.75 per ounce by 0042 GMT, after hitting an all-time high of $2,055.10 on Wednesday.
2. US gold futures rose 0.3 per cent to $2,055.90.
3. The precious metal is priced at Dh247.75 for 24K, Dh232.75 for 22K and Dh190.25 for 18K, per gram in Dubai.
4. The dollar index fell 0.2 per cent to hold close to a more than two-year low against its rivals, making gold less expensive for holders of other currencies.
5. Gold has gained nearly 35 per cent so far in 2020 and is one of the year's best-performing assets.
6. On Wednesday, gold pushed further past $2,000 an ounce in the face of a weak dollar and expectations of more stimulus measures for the pandemic-ravaged global economy, while stocks in Europe and on Wall Street rallied on encouraging corporate earnings.
7. The US government bond yield curve steepened on Wednesday as prices fell on the prospect of increased supply in longer-dated debt. More than 18.66 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally, while death toll surpassed 700,000 on Wednesday, with the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico leading the rise in fatalities. The rapid rise in cases has dented hopes of a swift economic rebound, driving inflows into safe-haven assets such as gold, which has risen more than 34 per cent so far this year.
8. US private payrolls growth slowed sharply in July, pointing to a loss of momentum in the labor market and overall economic recovery as new Covid-19 infections spread across the country. Top congressional Democrats and White House officials appeared to harden their stances on new coronavirus relief legislation, as negotiations headed toward an end-of-week deadline with no sign of an agreement.
9. SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings rose 0.8 per cent to 1,267.96 tonnes on Wednesday.
10. Silver fell 0.4 per cent to $26.91 per ounce, while platinum rose 0.4 per cent to $970.67 and palladium was steady at $2,181.77.
Alongside regional leaders, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the meetings
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