Gold nears $4,400 as cooling US retail sales revive Fed rate-cut bets
Gold rose 0.6% to $4,374/oz as weak US consumer sentiment and the steepest July retail-sales drop in over a year eased fears of an imminent Fed rate hike. Chicago Fed's Goolsbee wants more inflation cooling to confirm the 2% path, while Iran-linked oil gains keep tightening risk alive, leaving bullion open to consolidation.