Gold headed for the biggest quarterly advance since 2016 amid a surge in demand for haven assets due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, which shows no signs of abating.
Bullion rose as the World Health Organizationwarned that the worst of the pandemic is still to come because of a lack of global solidarity. Deaths havesurpassed 500,000 worldwide and confirmed cases exceeded 10 million, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Investors will also be closely watching comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell due later Tuesday. In remarks prepared for testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, Powellstressed the importance of keeping the coronavirus contagion contained as the U.S. economy bounces back from its deepest contraction in decades.
The precious metal has rallied 17% this year as the health crisis prompted a wave of stimulus from governments and central banks as they tried to minimize the damage to the global economy. Investors also continue to pile into gold-backed exchange-traded funds, with holdings at a record.
38,845 in U.S.Most new cases today
-10% Change in MSCI World Index of global stocks since Wuhan lockdown, Jan. 23
-1.101 Change in U.S. treasury bond yield since Wuhan lockdown, Jan. 23
-2.3% Global GDP Tracker (annualized), May