(Bloomberg) -- Gold fell as the latest US inflation report and surging crude prices reinforced bets that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this month.
Bullion extended losses to drop by as much as 1.7% following the producer price data, while the US dollar and yields rose. The headline numbers showed price increases were mostly in line with estimates. Swap traders are now pricing in a roughly 70% chance of a hike at next week’s meeting, up from about 60% earlier on Thursday.
Gold has stayed largely in a range either side of $4,400 an ounce in recent weeks as traders try to gauge the outlook for Fed policy, bracing for a raft of economic reports this week that could shift sentiment, including consumer price index figures due Friday. Higher interest rates are a headwind for the non-yielding metal.
“We would expect a September hike to generate a knee-jerk correction, but not to derail the broader recovery,” UBS Group AG strategist Joni Teves wrote in a note. “A hold would likely deliver a stronger upside response.”
Surging energy prices in particular have continued to press interest rate expectations higher. Brent crude spiked above $105 a barrel as rising tensions in the Middle East heightened concerns over global supplies.