Why Investors Are Monitoring Gold During Packed Week of Data

WALL STREET JOURNAL-- "The 2019 rally in gold appears to be at a crossroads in the final week of October, increasing attention on how the safe-haven metal performs during a packed slate of economic data points. Gold prices are up 17% for the year, supported by bets on lower interest rates that make gold more attractive to yield-seeking investors who are less likely to miss out on outsize returns from bonds when interest rates fall....The rally in riskier assets like stocks and industrial commodities such as oil will be tested this week by data on consumer confidence and spending, Wednesday's Federal Reserve decision and October hiring figures slated for Friday. The Fed is expected to lower interest rates for the third time this year, and analysts will be watching for clues on the central bank's future plans for rates amid worries that easing monetary policy still won't spur economic growth without more clarity on trade policy. Fresh signs that a manufacturing slowdown is rippling to other parts of the economy could halt the stock-market rally and send investors back toward the safety of bonds and gold, analysts say."