Gold Heads for Longest Drop in 2 Months as U.S. Economy Improves

                   Gold retreated for a fourth day to head for a monthly decline as further signs that the U.S. recovery is gaining momentum strengthened the case for higher borrowing costs in the world’s largest economy.

Gold for immediate delivery fell as much as 0.2 percent to $1,294.24 an ounce, and was at $1,294.97 at 11:28 a.m. in Singapore, according to Bloomberg generic pricing. A fourth day of losses would be the longest streak since June. Bullion dropped 2.4 percent in July, while the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index headed for the biggest monthly rise since May 2013, as data including gross domestic product beat estimates.

Gold sank 28 percent last year on expectations that the Federal Reserve would trim monthly bond buying, which it did for a sixth time yesterday. Policy makers also said in their July 30 statement that slack in the labor market persisted even as the economy was picking up, repeating that they will keep interest rates low for a considerable time after ending asset purchases. Data tomorrow may show U.S. employers added more than 200,000 jobs for a sixth month.

“Positive U.S. economic data is good for the dollar and bad for gold,” said Lv Jie, an analyst at Cinda Futures Co., a unit of one of four funds inChina created to buy bad debt from banks. “Geopolitical concerns still exist for support but the longer-term downtrend is unchanged as the U.S. moves toward tighter monetary policy.”

Bullion rebounded 7.8 percent this year as unrest in Ukraine and the Middle East boosted haven demand. Gaza’s main public market was hit by Israeli air strikes yesterday as the U.S. and European Union escalated sanctions against Russia.

ETP Inflow

Gold for December delivery traded at $1,296 an ounce on the Comex in New York from $1,296.90. U.S. exchange-traded products backed by precious metals took in $536.81 million this month, as of July 29, after a net outflow of $319 million in the six months to June, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Palladium for immediate delivery traded at $880.76 an ounce from $880.35 yesterday, poised for a sixth month of gains in the longest such run since January 2011. The metal rallied to $889.75 on July 17, the highest price since February 2001, amid concern sanctions against Russia may curb supplies from the world’s largest producer.

Palladium, mainly used in catalytic converters, advanced 23 percent this year as output was disrupted by a five-month mine strike that ended in June in South Africa, the second-largest producer, while usage in cars increased.

Spot silver fell 0.2 percent to $20.5712 an ounce, heading for a 2.1 percent decline this month. Platinum was at $1,478.69 an ounce from $1,479.63 yesterday, set for the first monthly drop in four. - Bloomberg