This, along with comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicating a less aggressive stance, has increased the appeal of gold as a safe-haven investment. The minutes of the recent Federal Open Market Committee meeting will be released soon, but the debt limit discussions may overshadow other economic reports. The recent statements from Powell about the uncertainty regarding the need for further interest rate hikes, as well as concerns about inflation and credit tightening, led to a 1% increase in gold prices on Friday.