Gold fell more than 2% on Thursday after fighting in the Middle East pushed oil
prices higher, stoking inflation concerns, lifting Treasury yields and
reinforcing expectations for further US rate hikes this year. American Gold
Exchange analyst Jim Wyckoff said rising crude is driving yields up because
investors see the Fed as less able to cut rates amid inflation; markets expect
the Fed to hold rates next week, possibly with hawkish rhetoric, but would react
to any surprise dovish or hawkish shift.