New York, Feb 24, 2026, 17:01 (EST) — After-hours
- Spot gold down 1.4% at $5,158.24/oz; April futures settle 0.9% lower at $5,176.30
- Profit-taking and a firmer dollar check the rally, even as tariff uncertainty stays in play
- Traders eye Thursday’s U.S.-Iran talks and U.S. jobs data due March 6 for the next break
Gold prices eased from a three-week high on Tuesday as profit-taking and a firmer dollar cooled a rally driven by tariff and geopolitical headlines. Spot gold fell 1.4% to $5,158.24 an ounce by 1:40 p.m. ET, while U.S. gold futures for April settled 0.9% lower at $5,176.30. Silver slipped 1.2% to $87.21, while platinum rose 1% and palladium gained 2.3%. (Reuters)
The pullback follows a sharp jump on Monday, when gold rose more than 2% to a three-week high as investors sought safety after President Donald Trump signaled duties could rise to 15% following a Supreme Court ruling against his earlier levies. Gold remains below the record $5,594.82 hit on Jan. 29, and traders have been watching whether demand in mainland China — a major consumer — returns as markets reopen after the Lunar New Year holiday. CPM Group managing partner Jeffrey Christian said quieter holiday dealing could amplify moves once “activity picks up.” (Reuters)
The swings matter because bullion is trading in a range where fresh policy risk can move prices fast. Gold pays no interest, so shifts in the dollar and U.S. rate expectations can turn a safe-haven bid into a quick fade.
The dollar index was at 97.81, up 0.17%, while U.S. 10-year yields were around 4.036%, data carried by Investing.com showed. Jim Wyckoff, senior analyst at Kitco Metals, called the setback “a corrective pullback” after prices had been trending higher and said the stronger dollar was adding pressure even as tariffs and U.S.-Iran tensions limited selling. (Investing)
Earlier in the day, spot gold was down 1.2% by 0538 GMT as traders digested Monday’s run-up. “We have a little bit of a digestion here,” said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive, adding that the risk-off mood that hit Wall Street did not “extend into the Asian market.” (Dawn)
Rates are the other piece traders keep circling. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said he was open to leaving rates on hold at the Fed’s March meeting if February jobs data show the labour market has “pivoted to a more solid footing,” after January job growth of 130,000 surprised him. The February jobs report is due March 6, ahead of the March 17–18 policy meeting. (Reuters)
Tariff threats and geopolitics are still doing the heavy lifting on the demand side. Safe-haven is trader shorthand for assets people buy when they want to cut risk elsewhere.
But the downside case is not hard to sketch. If tariff warnings soften into negotiated carve-outs, or if Washington and Tehran take some heat out of this week’s talks, the hedge bid can thin quickly — and a firmer dollar would do the rest.
Next up is Thursday’s U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva and the March 6 U.S. jobs report, which could reset the rate path traders are pricing. Gold desks will be watching whether this week’s pullback stays orderly or starts to look like something bigger.
