This positive momentum comes even as gold struggled, earlier touching a mid-March low, prompted by robust economic data fueling expectations of prolonged higher U.S. interest rates. With global attention focused on U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell’s upcoming speech, anticipation mounts on whether his statements will align with the recent hawkish undertones of the FOMC minutes. Asian Markets React to China’s Moves Rising Treasury bond yields and increasing home mortgage rates hint at a possible wane in the Federal Reserve’s enthusiasm for more hikes, especially given the softer inflation backdrop.