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Gold prices hit a two-week high on Tuesday as the U.S. dollar eased from a six-month peak ahead of the start of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting later in the day, with markets braced for a new set of economic forecasts from the central bank.
Spot gold was steady at $1,933.31 per ounce after hitting its highest since Sept. 5 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures edged up 0.1% to $1,955.
"Any higher interest rate expectations from the Fed than were previously bargained for among investors could have the effect of pushing down the gold price," said Edward Gardner, commodities economist at Capital Economics.
Faster growth, cooler inflation, and a resilient job market have set the stage for updated forecasts from Fed officials likely to reflect their growing faith in prospects for an economic soft-landing while keeping one more rate hike on the table.
The U.S. dollar hovered below last week's six-month high, making gold less expensive for overseas buyers, with key central bank policy decisions also due in Britain and Japan this week.
"Fed Chair Powell's speech is likely to highlight that inflation risks have not gone away but they are in a wait-and-see mode for inflation," said Michael Langford, chief investment officer at Scorpion Minerals.
Non-interest-bearing gold could see its appeal dim if the Fed signals further rate rises to control inflation.
"There is scope for the gold price to fall further this year as investor demand for gold as a hedge against economic uncertainty and high inflation environment actually unwind a little bit," Capital Economics' Gardner said.
Holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, were near eight-month lows last week.
Spot silver gained 0.3% to $23.31 per ounce, platinum rose 0.6% to $938.97 and palladium jumped 1% to $1,248.60.
(Reporting by Deep Vakil in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)