Gold prices dropped to a two-week low on Thursday. Moreover, a stronger U.S. dollar and expectations of big interest rate increases from the Fed diminished the metal's appeal. Spot gold inched down 0.3 percent at $1,691.63 per ounce, as of 0312 GMT, after touching its lowest since Sept. 1 at $1,689.78 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures fallen 0.4 percent to $1,702.40. "The Fed needs to shock the economic system hard and the chance of a 100-basis-point rate rise is a very real possibility," director at corporate advisory firm AirGuide Michael Langford stated. The dollar index inched up towards recent peaks. As hotter-than-expected inflation data boosted bets for even more aggressive monetary policy tightening by the Fed. Fed funds futures are putting prices in a 37 percent chance that the U.S. central bank will hike rates by 100 basis points at its policy meeting next week. "A 100-basis-point rate rise will see gold break below $1,680/oz," Langford added. Holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, dropped 0.24 percent to 960.56 tons on Wednesday from 962.88 tons on Tuesday. "Outflows from gold-backed exchange traded funds suggest investors are reluctant to hold the precious metal in the short term," analysts at ANZ noted.
