Gold edges lower as dollar firms; trade tensions limit downside

By Karen Rodrigues

BENGALURU (Reuters) - Gold prices edged lower on Monday, pressured by a strong U.S. dollar amid prospects of higher interest rates, while global trade tensions kept the metal buoyed above a six-month low hit last week.

Spot gold was down 0.3 percent at $1,264.70 an ounce as of 0624 GMT.

U.S. gold futures for August delivery were 0.3 percent lower at $1,266.60 per ounce.

"There are specific factors that will actually push the dollar higher, given the trade tensions as well as the booming U.S. economy versus other economies," said OCBC analyst Barnabas Gan.

"Gold prices are very much influenced by the dollar movement rather than anything else. It's less of a safe-haven demand into gold but rather a reaction to USD strength."

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to escalate a trade war with Europe by imposing a 20 percent tariff on all imports of European Union-assembled cars.

Trump also plans to bar many Chinese companies from investing in U.S. technology firms and block additional technology exports to Beijing, Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Global shares fell on escalating trade tensions, while the dollar index against a basket of six major currencies was 0.1 percent higher at 94.585, having hit its highest since July 2017, at 95.529, late last week.

Gold usually gains from political and economic tensions, but has struggled this time around as the dollar has risen strongly, making the dollar-priced metal costlier for non-U.S. investors.

"The overhang of higher U.S. interest rates and dollar continues to hold relatively firm as dealers sell on rally. We need the dollar to weaken significantly to get above $1,282," said Stephen Innes, APAC trading head at OANDA.

Last week, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed should continue with a gradual pace of interest rate hikes amid a strong economy to balance its employment and inflation goals.

Higher U.S. interest rates make gold a less attractive investment since it does not bear interest.

Gold prices hit a six-month low last week, weighed down by a firm dollar and as the Fed kept its outlook for higher interest rates.

Meanwhile, speculators trimmed their net long position in COMEX gold to the weakest in 2-1/2 years in the week to June 19, data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed on Friday.

In other precious metals, silver fell 0.7 percent to $16.31 an ounce.

Platinum was 0.1 percent higher at $873.70 per ounce. It touched $851.74, the weakest since February 2016, in the previous session.

Palladium was down 0.6 percent at $951.22 per ounce. The metal slipped to a seven-week low of $947.15 an ounce on Friday.

(Reporting by Karen Rodrigues in Bengaluru, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Subhranshu Sahu)