Gold price secures third week of gains, holds above $2,400

• Gold price sticks to key support level, set for third consecutive weekly gain on Fed rate cut expectations.
• US PPI rises above estimates; University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment drops, inflation expectations moderate.
• CME FedWatch Tool indicates 94% chance of September rate cut; US Dollar Index falls over 0.40% to 104.09.

Gold’s price clung above $2,400 on Friday after hitting a daily low of $2,391. The golden metal is set to extend its gains for the third consecutive week on speculation that the Federal Reserve (Fed) might begin its easing cycle in September. Data from the US Department of Labor showed that factory prices rose above estimates, though they failed to underpin the Greenback, a tailwind for the precious metal.

The XAU/USD trades at $2,415, virtually unchanged. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday revealed that the Producer Price Index (PPI) jumped modestly in June, above analysts’ estimates. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment preliminary July reading deteriorated, but inflation expectations have tempered.