(Aug 20): Gold resumed its rally to hit another record high as traders focus attention on comments from Federal Reserve (Fed) chair Jerome Powell due later this week.

Bullion climbed above US$2,520 (RM11,034.45) an ounce on Tuesday, after falling slightly in the previous session. Powell is set to speak on Friday at the annual Jackson Hole symposium in Wyoming, where his comments will be closely analysed for clues about the central bank’s thinking on widely expected cuts to interest rates.

Traders will also be monitoring other US reports due this week, including jobless claims figures on Thursday, which could play into the Fed’s plans. Lower rates are often seen as positive for non-interest bearing gold.

The precious metal has surged more than 20% so far this year. Along with expectations of rate cuts, the rally has been helped by robust purchasing by central banks. It’s also been supported by haven demand amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

“Gold remains in record-setting mode ahead of Powell’s Jackson Hole speech on Friday,” said Ole Hansen, the head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank A/S. “With the dollar and yields not providing much inspiration today, the main driver is the current positive momentum and limited selling appetite basically leaving the path of least resistance to the upside.”

Still, there are signs that gold’s stellar run may now be weighing on demand in China, after a report showed last month’s imports fell to the lowest since May 2022.

Spot gold rose 0.7% to US$2,521.51 an ounce by 10.04am in London. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index slipped further, while US 10-year Treasury yields were broadly steady. Palladium, platinum and silver also gained.

Uploaded by Siow Chen Ming