By Noel John
(Reuters) -Gold rose more than 1% on Wednesday as investors sought safe-haven assets, with attention turning to the Federal Reserve’s minutes from its most recent meeting and a delayed U.S. jobs report for clues on future rate moves.
Spot gold was up 1.1% at $4,112.50 per ounce, as of 1047 GMT. U.S. gold futures for December delivery gained 1.1% to $4,112.90 per ounce.
“After rebounding from the psychological $4,000 level in the previous session, gold is slightly glittering this morning amid the cautious mood,” said Lukman Otunuga, senior research analyst at FXTM.
Investors are watching for minutes from the Federal Reserve’s October meeting later in the day and the delayed September jobs report, due Thursday.
Economists polled by Reuters expect the September employment report to show 50,000 jobs were added during the month.
“Should incoming U.S. data support the case for lower rates, gold prices may push toward $4,130 and $4,200. However, more hawkish remarks by Fed speakers, coupled with stronger-than-expected data could drag prices back toward $4,000 as traders slash expectations around lower U.S. rates,” Otunuga said.
Separately, data showed on Tuesday that the number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits stood at a two-month high in mid-October.
Minutes from the Fed’s meeting are expected to shed light on divisions among policymakers over how to respond to inflation and shifting labour trends.
Traders cut their bets for a rate cut next month to just over a 46% chance from 63% last week, the CME FedWatch tool showed.
Non-yielding gold tends to do well in a low-interest-rate environment and during times of economic uncertainty.
Weak labour data could spur a gold rally, while stronger data and signs of labour market resilience may pressure prices and lead to a potential break below the key psychological support of $4,000 an ounce, said Zain Vawda, analyst at MarketPulse by OANDA.
Elsewhere, spot silver rose 3.1% to $52.27 per ounce, platinum added 2.1% to $1,566.32, and palladium climbed 2.4% to $1,433.46.
(Reporting by Noel John in Bengaluru; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
