Gold recovers as Middle East tensions buoy demand; Fed meeting in focus

Gold prices rebounded on Tuesday, as rising tensions between Israel and Iran buoyed demand for the safe-haven asset, while investors looked forward to the outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve‘s policy meeting this week.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold rose 0.5% at $3,399.90 an ounce, as of 0048 GMT, after dropping more than 1% in the previous session.

* U.S. gold futures edged 0.1% higher to $3,419.20.

* Israel and Iran attacked each other for a fifth straight day on Tuesday, and U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iranians to evacuate Tehran, citing what he said was the country’s rejection of a deal to curb nuclear weapons development. * On Monday, an Israeli strike hit Iran’s state broadcaster and the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog also indicated extensive damage to Iran’s biggest uranium enrichment plant.
* Gold is considered a safe-haven asset during times of geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
* Investors will look forward to a host of central bank monetary policy decisions this week, with the spotlight on the Fed.
* The U.S. central bank is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged at the end of its policy meeting on Wednesday.

* Its Chair Jerome Powell’s comments following Fed’s interest rate decision will be eagerly watched for more cues on the rate cut path.

* Stock indexes closed higher after last week’s losses and a barrel of oil got $1 cheaper on Monday as investors took heart from reports that Iran was seeking to end hostilities with Israel.

* SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings rose 0.15% to 941.93 tonnes on Monday from 940.49 tonnes on Friday.

* Elsewhere, spot silver was up 0.1% at $36.35 per ounce, platinum fell 0.3% to $1,242.03, while palladium eased 0.2% to $1,027.50.