الذهب فوق 4,300 دولار بعد الارتفاع وسط تخفيف المحادثات في الشرق الأوسط لرهانات رفع الأسعار

Giulia Petroni, Dow Jones Newswires

Gold prices held above the $4,300-an-ounce mark after Wednesday's rally amid growing optimism that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz will ease inflationary pressures and interest-rate hike expectations.

"The market is increasingly focusing on the disinflationary implications of lower energy prices," analysts at ING said. "Expectations for Federal Reserve tightening have eased, improving the outlook for non-yielding assets such as gold."

Oil prices are headed for a weekly loss of more than 8%, with Brent crude trading below $80 a barrel as investors grow optimistic about negotiations between Iran and Oman on reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. In early trading, New York gold futures rose 0.2% to $4,314 a troy ounce, up nearly 4% on the week.