Gold falls as commodity index rebalancing sparks selling pressure

Gold prices fell on Thursday as investors braced for futures selling tied to a commodity index reshuffle, with a stronger US dollar adding pressure by making the metal costlier for overseas buyers, reports Reuters.

Spot gold fell 0.6 per cent to $4,428.06 per ounce, as of 1115 GMT. US gold futures for February delivery fell 0.6 per cent to $4,436.30.

"Gold and silver remain under pressure as the annual commodity-index rebalancing gets underway. Over the next five days, COMEX futures could see selling in the region of $6 to $7 billion in each metal," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

The annual Bloomberg Commodity Index rebalancing, designed to keep the index aligned with the current state of the global commodity market, begins this week.

"(The US-Venezuela conflict) added a small georisk premium at the beginning of the week which is now deflating as the attention turns to the rebalancing," Hansen added.

Meanwhile, the US dollar hovered near a one-month high as investors assessed mixed economic data ahead of Friday's nonfarm payrolls report.

Data on Wednesday showed US job openings dropped to a 14-month low in November while hiring resumed its sluggish tone, pointing to ebbing labor demand.

Investors are now awaiting the US non-farm payrolls data for more clues on monetary policy, with markets pricing in two interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year.

On the geopolitical front, the US seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday.