PRECIOUS-Gold extends fall as higher dollar; bond yields dent appeal

Shafaq News/ Gold prices fell further on Thursday, after declining more than 1% in the previous session, dragged by strengthening in the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields amid continued jitters over sharp rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

Spot gold XAU= fell 0.2% to $1,626.12 per ounce, as of 0358 GMT. Prices earlier hit a fresh three-week low at $1,621.20.

U.S. gold futures GCv1 were down 0.3% to $1,629.70.

The dollar index =USD rose 0.1%, hurting gold's appeal for those holding other currencies, while the benchmark 10-year Treasury yields rose to its highest level since mid-2008. USD/

"The trend for gold has been down overall, and the catalyst has been a parallel rise in both the dollar and yields around the Fed's increasingly hawkish stance," said Ilya Spivak, a currency strategist at DailyFX.

Gold might consolidate above the $1,600-figure, with the U.S. core personal consumption expenditures data, due next week, being next major inflection point, Spivak added.

The Fed's "Beige Book" survey showed U.S. economic activity expanded modestly in recent weeks, although it was flat in some regions and declined in a couple of others, while firms noted that price pressures remained elevated.

The report did little to temper expectations for a fourth straight 75-basis-point rate hike in November.

While gold is considered a hedge against inflation and economic turmoil, rising U.S. interest rates have increased the opportunity cost of holding the zero-yield bullion, and boosted the dollar. Gold is down 11% for the year so far.

Indicative of sentiment, holdings of SPDR Gold Trust GLD, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, fell 6.08 tonnes on Wednesday, their biggest one-day outflow since July 6.

Spot silver XAG= fell 0.9% to $18.28 per ounce, platinum XPT= dipped 0.2% to $882.25 and palladium XPD= slipped 0.7% to $1,985.25.

Source: Reuters