Gold falls as Houthi attack lifts oil, Fed rate-cut hopes dim

Gold prices fell on Monday, as a surge ‌in energy prices fuelled inflation worries and dampened expectations for U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year. Spot gold fell 0.6% to $4,466.99 per ounce as of 0238 GMT. US gold futures for April delivery shed ​0.6% to $4,496.30. Gold has lost more than 15% so far this month, marking its ​steepest monthly decline since October 2008, as the US dollar strengthened. The currency ⁠has gained more than 2% since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on February ​28. “The bigger macro picture behind that (gold’s) underperformance is the huge shift in interest rate expectations… The ​USD has picked up on that, and as gold’s outlook was likewise rate-dependent, largely with expectations that the policy rate would fall under a new Federal Reserve chair, which has worked against gold,” said Nicholas Frappell, ​global head of institutional markets at ABC Refinery.