-- (Updates prices.)
Gold prices were down midafternoon Monday, remaining rangebound even as the dollar fell ahead of the Wednesday interest-rate announcement from the Federal Reserve.
Gold for June delivery was last seen down US$42.60 to US$4,698.30 per ounce, remaining within the US$200 range it has been stuck in since the start of the war on Iran, as high oil prices raise concerns over higher inflation and threaten to boost interest rates.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will make its latest interest-rate decision at the Wednesday afternoon end to its two-day meeting. The CME FedWatch Tool sees a 100% probability the group will leave rates unchanged.
"Gold remains stuck in neutral within a broad USD 200 range around USD 4,750, with most intraday price action dictated by energy prices and the ebb and flow of headlines from the White House and the Middle East. The FOMC is widely expected to leave rates unchanged on Wednesday," Saxo Bank noted.
The dollar was lower, with the ICE dollar index last seen down 0.09 points to 98.44. Treasury yields rose, with the yield on the two-year note up 2.1 basis points to 3.812%, while the 10-year note was paying 4.342%, up 3.5 points.