Gold holds gains; Fed split cools future easing bets

• Gold steadied around $4,305/ounce after four days of gains, with conflicting US Federal Reserve remarks tempering expectations for further monetary easing.
• The Fed's recent third interest-rate cut faced dissent, with officials like Goolsbee and Schmid expressing concerns over waiting for more data and high inflation.
• This division among Fed policymakers creates uncertainty about future easing, which typically benefits non-interest-bearing assets like gold and silver.
• Gold has surged over 60% and silver more than doubled this year, marking their best annual performances since 1979, driven by central bank buying and investor shifts.
• Silver recently hit a record high of $64.6573/ounce, supported by speculative bets on supply tightness.

Why It Matters: Fed's divided views on easing impact gold prices and future investment.