Prospects of the US Federal Reserve taking a more dovish stance, and perhaps, even reducing interest rates by the end of the year, weighed on the dollar, boosting gold prices in the international market.
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“US ISM Manufacturing PMI released on Monday pointed to a fifth straight month of contraction in factory activity, in a sign that tighter credit conditions are already hurting the economy,” said Ravindra V Rao, the head of commodity research at Kotak Securities.
“We expect gold prices to trade with a positive momentum, amid deteriorating macro cues,” Rao said. Among others, gold prices are likely to take further cues from the US ISM non-manufacturing data for March, analysts said.