PRECIOUS-Gold falls as easing geopolitical tensions dampen safe-haven demand

Updates for Asia morning trade

By Ishaan Arora

Jan 22 (Reuters) - Gold and other precious metals fell on Thursday as geopolitical tensions and safe-haven demand eased after U.S. President Donald Trump backed down from new tariff threats and proposals to annex Greenland by force, while a firmer dollar also pressured prices.

Spot gold XAU= was down nearly 1% to $4,793.63 per ounce, as of 0332 GMT, after scaling a record peak of $4,887.82 in the previous session.

U.S. gold futures GCcv1 for February delivery lost 1% to $4,790.10 per ounce.

"Reversal of comments by the U.S. President was one factor that eased geopolitical tensions, and so we see a retracement in prices," said ANZ commodity strategist Soni Kumari.

Trump abruptly stepped back on Wednesday from threats to impose tariffs as leverage to seize Greenland, ruled out the use of force and suggested a deal was in sight to end a dispute over the Danish territory that risked the deepest rupture in transatlantic relations in decades.

The dollar firmed, while Wall Street indexes also jogged higher on news of Trump's reversal on tariffs. A stronger dollar makes greenback-priced metals more expensive for overseas buyers. USD/ MKTS/GLOB

Meanwhile, U.S. Supreme Court justices signalled scepticism toward Trump's unprecedented bid to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook in a case with the central bank's independence at stake.

Traders await November's Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) data, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, and weekly jobless claims, due later in the day, for further cues on monetary policy trajectory.

The U.S. Fed is broadly expected to maintain interest rates steady at its January meeting despite Trump's calls for cuts.

Gold, which does not yield interest, typically performs well in a low-interest-rate environment. FEDWATCH

"We still prefer gold as it has central bank backing while it also remains on firmer ground as compared to other industrially-exposed precious metals as geopolitical tensions still persist," Kumari added.

Goldman Sachs on Thursday raised its gold price forecast for December 2026 to $5,400 from $4,900/oz previously.

Spot silver XAG= was steady at $92.27 an ounce, after hitting a record high of $95.87 on Tuesday.

Spot platinum XPT= lost 1.8% to $2,438.43 per ounce after touching a record peak of $2,511.80 on Wednesday, while palladium XPD= edged 0.1% higher to $1,840.40.

(Reporting by Ishaan Arora; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and)

((Ishaan.Arora@thomsonreuters.com;))