Metals: Gold Extends Gains After Fed Decision
December 13 2017 - 3:47PM
Dow Jones News
By Ira Iosebashvili
Gold prices extended gains in aftermarket trading Wednesday, as
some investors saw a dovish tilt to the Federal Reserve's latest
statement.
Gold for February delivery was recently up 1.4% to $1,259 a troy
ounce in electronic trading. Prices closed at $1,248.60 a troy
ounce in regular trading on the Comex division of the New York
Mercantile Exchange.
In a statement at the conclusion of its monetary policy meeting,
the Fed said it would raise short-term interest rates for the third
time this year, as widely expected, and remained on track for an
equal number of increases in 2018.
However, "the statement in general was a bit less hawkish than
expected, " said George Gero, managing director at RBC Wealth
Management.
Two officials cast dissenting votes Wednesday because they
wanted to hold rates steady, leading some investors to wonder
whether lukewarm inflation will keep the central bank from raising
rates as aggressively as expected next year.
"The whole world expected this quarter point hike, and two
members voted against it," said Ira Epstein, of broker Linn &
Associates. "I was a little surprised at that."
Gold struggles to compete with yield bearing investments when
rates rise.
At the same time, some investors had expected the Fed to
acknowledge the possibility of a more aggressive tightening path
next year, as growth in the U.S. picks up, Mr. Gero said.
In base metals, copper for March delivery was up 1% at $3.0535 a
pound.
Write to Ira Iosebashvili at ira.iosebashvili@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 13, 2017 15:32 ET (20:32 GMT)
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