Gold prices pulled back from a record high on Thursday as investors booked profits following a rally driven by concerns around US President Donald Trump’s latest wave of tariff policies.
Spot gold was down 0.3% at $3,331.73 an ounce, as of 1120 GMT, after touching a record $3,357.40 earlier in the session. Bullion has gained nearly 3% this week.
US gold futures were steady at $3,346.30.
“Likely the reversal off fresh all-time highs can be attributed to some profit-taking on the highs. A slightly firmer tone to an otherwise weak US dollar likely took the edge off gold,” said Ross Norman, an independent analyst, Reuters reported.
“Price dips are well bought into, suggesting underlying sentiment is very positive.”
The dollar index recovered from near a three-year low on Thursday, making gold more expensive for holders of other currencies.
Gold rose 3.6% on Wednesday, driven by Trump’s order to open a probe into potential tariffs on all critical mineral imports, in addition to reviews into pharmaceutical and chip imports.
Meanwhile, US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday the Fed would wait for more data before changing interest rates, while also cautioning that Trump’s tariff policies risked pushing inflation further from the central bank’s goals.
Gold, traditionally viewed as a hedge against inflation, also tends to thrive in a low-interest rate environment.
“The market’s interpretation seems to be that gold would benefit either way,” said Carsten Menke, an analyst at Julius Baer.
Demand for physical gold was tepid in India this week as a blistering price rally curbed purchases, while premiums held firm in top consumer China.
“Reduced participation in the rally by traditional gold buyers might signal the move is nearer the end than the beginning. But it’s hard to see a scenario where gold would correct lower just now, other than being technically overbought and overextended,” Norman said.
Spot silver dropped 1.1% to $32.39 an ounce, platinum shed 1.4% to $954.12, and palladium fell 2.5% to $949.26.
