Gold prices slipped on Thursday, marking a pause in what has been a record-breaking rally that has seen market prices for the precious metal surge over the last year.
Long considered a safe haven asset to hedge against economic uncertainty, gold has risen as investors deal with concerns about the U.S. economy due to the impact of tariffs on inflation, as well as signs of a weakening labor market and expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut.
An investor who bought a 1-ounce gold bar at Costco a year ago would have paid $2,495, and that investment would be worth $3,557 as of Thursday. That amounts to a one-year gain of about 42%, or more than $1,000 in dollar terms.
Spot gold prices hit a record high of $3,578 on Wednesday after weak job opening data strengthened the market’s outlook for Fed rate cuts. Additional data released on Thursday showed that the number of Americans filing new jobless claims rose more than expected last week.
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“With Fed rate cut expectations already largely priced in, tomorrow’s monthly jobs report becomes the key focal point. Any shift in that outlook would directly impact the dollar and, by extension, gold,” said David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Futures.
Federal Reserve officials who spoke on Wednesday indicated that concerns over the strength of the labor market could allow for a rate cut despite inflation remaining well above the Fed’s long-run 2% target.
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Standard Chartered said it expects gold to rise further amid a growing demand for the safe-haven asset due to the elevated uncertainty over tariff policies as well as rising concerns over the Fed’s independence.
President Donald Trump is attempting to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook, citing mortgage fraud allegations raised by his ally, FHFA director Bill Pulte.
Cook has sued to block her termination, arguing that Trump’s attempt to remove her doesn’t meet the threshold required for a “for cause” removal.
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Trump has previously threatened to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who he appointed to the role in 2017, though he has recently backed off those threats with Powell’s term as chairman set to expire in May 2026 and markets responding negatively to his threats against Powell.
Central banks around the world have also weighed increasing their gold reserves, providing further support to the asset.
Poland’s central bank governor, Adam Glapinski, has indicated he will propose increasing the target for gold as a percentage of the central bank’s reserves from the current 20% to 30%.
Reuters contributed to this report.
