PRECIOUS-Gold climbs to over one-month high after Fed rate cut; silver hits fresh record

By Sarah Qureshi

Dec 11 (Reuters) - Gold rose on Thursday to hit its highest level in more than a month after the U.S. Federal Reserve's quarter-point rate cut pushed the dollar lower, while silver surged to a fresh record high.

Spot gold XAU= was up 1.2% at $4,275.39 per ounce, as of 11:49 a.m. ET (16:49 GMT), reaching its highest level since October 21. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 for February delivery gained 1.9% to $4,303.90 per ounce.

Spot silver XAG= added 3.2% to $63.77 per ounce, hovering near the session’s record high of $63.93.

"Silver seems to be pulling gold up with it and it's also pulling up platinum and palladium...there's a lot of momentum behind it right now," said Marex analyst Edward Meir.

The U.S. dollar slipped to over seven-week low against a basket of rival currencies, making greenback-priced gold more affordable for overseas buyers. USD/

"Inflation hasn't really come back down to the Fed's 2% target, so, when you're lowering rates in an inflationary environment that is still not optimum, and that's very bullish for gold," Meir added.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday delivered its third consecutive quarter-point cut, while policymakers also signaled a likely pause in further reductions as they monitor labor market trends and inflation that "remains somewhat elevated".

Lower interest rates tend to be favorable to gold, as it is a non-yielding asset.

U.S. President Donald Trump has advocated for lower interest rates since the start of his second term in January, and his nominee for the next Federal Reserve chair is expected to maintain that stance. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett is currently viewed as the leading candidate for the position.

Investors now await the monthly U.S. non-farm payrolls report, set to be released on December 16, for fresh cues on the Fed's policy path.

Meanwhile, India's pension regulator on Wednesday permitted investments in gold and silver ETFs for the country's pension funds.

Elsewhere, platinum XPT= gained 2.5% to $1,698.10, while palladium XPD= rose 1.3% to $1,494.88.