Gold Price Today (Dec. 18, 2025, 09:55): XAU/USD Holds Near $4,330 as Softer U.S. CPI Revives Fed-Cut Bets
Gold prices are consolidating near record territory on Thursday, December 18, 2025, as traders juggle two powerful forces pulling in opposite directions: a still-resilient U.S. dollar and the renewed case for lower U.S. interest rates after a cooler-than-expected inflation reading. In early trading, spot gold was around the $4,330-per-ounce area, modestly lower on the day after a strong prior-session move, while U.S. gold futures were also fractionally softer. Reuters+1 But the bigger story for bullion today is macro: U.S. CPI cooled to 2.7% year-on-year in November, under the 3.1% consensus forecast in a Reuters poll—fuel for the “rates can fall