XAUUSD - On Bank Holiday, gold tends sidewaysWorld gold prices this morning decreased slightly with spot gold down 8.1 USD to 1,989.6 USD/ounce. Gold futures last traded at 1,991.8 USD/ounce, down 9.8 USD compared to yesterday morning.
The precious metals market in the trading session before the Thanksgiving holiday was under slight selling pressure when the latest report showed a surprise improvement in the US labor market. According to a report by the US Department of Labor, weekly applications for unemployment benefits decreased by 24,000 to 209,000 in the week ending November 18, down from the previous week's upwardly revised estimate of 233,000 applications. The latest labor market data was much better than expected as experts estimated 225,000 applications.
After the report, the dollar recovered from its lowest level and Treasury yields pared earlier losses, pushing gold off the key psychological threshold of $2,000 an ounce.
The US Dollar Index has risen to a daily high and that is limiting some gold buying demand, said senior analyst Jim Wyckoff at Kitco Metals.
However, experts say that gold's decline has been limited by recent expectations that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) has ended its interest rate hike cycle. Lower interest rates typically boost gold prices because they reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets. Previously, gold bars reached a 2-week high of 2,007.29 USD/ounce.
