BENGALURU: Gold fell on Monday, retreating from last week’s 2-1/2 month peak as rallying global stock markets pointed to improved investor appetite for risk.

Spot gold was down 0.2 per cent at $1,223.74 an ounce at 1042 GMT, having hit a 2-1/2-month peak last week at $1,233.26 per ounce. US gold futures fell 0.2pc at $1,226.60 an ounce.

European shares gained ground after Moody’s kept Italy’s sovereign rating intact, with the market also taking cues from rallies in Asia, after China’s promise to provide stimulus to stabilise its economy and offset the impact of US tariffs.

However, losses for gold were limited, with a weakening dollar and prices still hovering around the 100-day moving average, around $1,224, a key technical level, analysts said.

“We are still in a lateral phase between $1,220 and $1,230. I wouldn’t be worried about the low correction this morning as long as it is keeping positive momentum,” ActivTrades chief analyst Carlo Alberto De Casa said.

Indicative of the prevailing sentiment in the bullion market, gold speculators cut their net short position in COMEX gold contracts by 65,637 contracts to 37,372 contracts, the smallest since late July, in the week to Oct 16, data showed.

Among other precious metals, silver was up 0.3pc at $14.64 per ounce, while platinum was down 0.1pc at $829.5. Palladium climbed 0.8pc to $1,089.0 per ounce.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2018

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