The gold market remained stable as new data indicated that U.S. producer prices experienced moderate pressure in September.
According to the U.S. Labor Department’s report on Friday, the Producer Price Index (PPI) rose by 0.1% last month, following a 0.2% increase in August. This slight increase matched economists’ predictions, who also expected a 0.1% rise.
Over the past 12 months, overall wholesale inflation rose by 1.8%, exceeding the expected 1.6%, but slightly lower than August’s revised figure of 1.9%. Meanwhile, core PPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, increased by 0.2% in September. This was in line with expectations and followed a 0.3% rise in August. The annual core PPI rose to 2.8%, above forecasts of 2.7% and August’s 2.4% figure.
After the 8:30 AM EDT data release, gold prices briefly spiked to session highs. Spot gold reached $2,650.19 per ounce but quickly returned to $2,646.60, marking a 0.63% gain for the day.
PPI is considered a key indicator of inflation since rising costs for producers are often passed on to consumers. Analysts suggest that if producer prices continue to ease, along with improving Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation, the Federal Reserve could feel confident in reducing interest rates in upcoming meetings. This would likely support gold’s long-term upward trend.