Gold investors up the ante before critical Fed decision on rates

Gold investors upped the ante in the lead up to the Federal Reserve’s first expected cut to interest rates in more than a decade, adding to exchange-traded fund holdings on speculation that US policy guardians will deliver more than just a one-and-done reduction. Prices were steady.

Holdings in bullion-backed ETFs expanded 4.8 t to 2 350.1 t, the highest since April 2013, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, while silver options showed a spike. Spot bullion was flat near a six-year high ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee’s policy statement at 2 p.m. Washington time.