Gold, Copper Slip as Powell Dashes Fed Pivot Hopes
Gold prices fell on Thursday, reversing recent gains as hawkish comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell dashed hopes that interest rate hikes will end soon, while copper prices were also hit by uncertainty over China withdrawing its zero-COVID policy.
The Fed hiked interest rates by an as-expected 75 basis points (bps), and said that it was “very premature” to consider pausing further rate hikes.
While Powell hinted that future rate hikes may be of a smaller magnitude, the central bank appears to be further away from the end of its tightening cycle than previously thought. Powell said that U.S. rates will likely end the cycle higher than previously expected.