Silver slips near two-week lows on Fed hike odds

Silver traded around $66.7 an ounce on Tuesday, hovering near two-week lows as rising oil prices and hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh strengthened expectations for a US rate hike this month.

Oil prices advanced for a second straight session after US forces struck an island in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran responded with attacks on the UAE and Jordan.

Higher energy costs stoked inflation concerns, strengthening the case for a near-term Fed rate increase, which is typically negative for precious metals.

Meanwhile, Chair Warsh said the Fed would “have work to do” without clearer evidence that inflation is moving back toward its 2% target.

Markets are now pricing in a more than 65% chance of a September hike, up from around 36% before his remarks.

Despite the recent decline, silver still gained over 15% in August after the US Treasury announced plans to double liquidity-support buybacks of longer-dated bonds, reviving the so-called debasement trade.