Gold prices declined for the eighth consecutive session on Wednesday as U.S. Treasury bond yields surged, fueling expectations that the Federal Reserve will maintain higher interest rates for a longer period, weighing on investor sentiment.
Spot gold contracts dropped by 0.1% to $1,821.69 per ounce, while U.S. gold futures fell by 0.4% to $1,834.80 per ounce.
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond reached its highest level in 16 years, making non-yielding assets like gold less attractive.
Gold initially saw an uptick at the beginning of the trading session following the news that private payrolls in the U.S. increased slightly more than expected.
Additionally, the U.S. services sector lost momentum in September, with new orders dropping to a nine-month low. However, the pace still aligns with expectations of robust economic growth in the third quarter.
CME's FedWatch tool currently indicates a 24% probability of the Fed raising interest rates by another 0.25% this year.
Investor focus now lies on the nonfarm payroll report set to be released on Friday, providing further clarity on the Fed's interest rate trajectory.
Gold prices declined despite a cooling-off of the U.S. dollar, with the U.S. Dollar Index decreasing by 0.2%. Palladium prices also fell by 1.7% to $1,169.40 per ounce, hitting their lowest level since late 2018 at the start of the session.
Silver spot contracts decreased by 0.7% to $20.9986 per ounce, while platinum lost 0.5%, dropping to $867.54 per ounce.