Gold fell to a fresh five-month low early on Monday, falling for a second day as oil prices rose again after Iran and Israel traded strikes on the weekend, heightening concerns central banks will need to raise interest rates to combat the inflation that has followed higher energy costs.
Gold for June delivery was last seen down US$8.20 to US$4,357.10, the lowest since Jan. 2.
The drop comes as Iran on the weekend launched strikes on Israel to deter Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon and end its attacks on Beirut in its war on the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. The renewed hostilities are testing the two-month ceasefire between Iran and the United States, as talks between the two countries are stalled due to Iran's insistence Israel first must end its war in Lebanon. The fighting is lowering hopes for a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, freeing up the oil exports from Persian Gulf nations that supplied 20% of daily oil demand and ending the largest-ever supply shock and boosted inflation.
May U.S. consumer price data will be released on Wednesday, with the consensus estimate expecting the Consumer Price Index to rise to 4.2% annualized from 3.8% in April.
"Gold ... extended Friday's selloff as renewed Israeli strikes on Iran pushed oil prices higher, reigniting inflation concerns. On Friday, an already weakened precious metals market tumbled after a stronger-than-expected US jobs report reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve may need to hike rates in 2026.," Saxo Bank wrote.
The drop comes even as the dollar moved lower, with the ICE dollar index last seen down 0.12 points to 99.95, falling off the highest since March 30. Treasury yields were mostly steady, with the yield on the U.S. two-year note last seen unchanged at 4.147%, while the 10-year note was paying 4.532%, up 0.1 basis points.