Gold hits one-week high on Fed rate-cut bets and Venezuela tensions.

Gold rose to a one-week high around $4,465 an ounce after dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials lifted expectations of rate cuts and recent developments tied to Venezuela increased safe-haven demand.

Gold climbed to a one-week high after a string of dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials and political developments related to Venezuela. The moves came amid stronger market expectations for U.S. interest-rate cuts and ongoing uncertainty tied to events in Caracas. Other precious metals also posted gains, with silver, platinum and palladium rising. Market participants were watching U.S. economic data later in the week for further direction. Key developments: - Spot gold was reported up 0.4% at $4,465.32 per ounce as of 0328 GMT, after rising nearly 3% in the prior session. - U.S. gold futures for February delivery rose 0.3% to $4,465.70. - Comments from Federal Reserve officials were taken as dovish and helped boost expectations for interest-rate cuts; investors currently expect at least two cuts this year and are watching the U.S. nonfarm payroll report due Friday. - Toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to narcotics charges after the reported capture that followed actions by U.S. President Donald Trump, a development that unsettled world leaders and left officials in Caracas regrouping. - Other metals: spot silver gained 2.9% to $78.72 per ounce after hitting an all-time high of $83.62 on Dec. 29; spot platinum was up 2.5% at $2,327.17 after a recent record, and palladium traded about 0.8% higher at $1,721.74 per ounce. Summary: Gold’s advance reflected a mix of softer Federal Reserve messaging and geopolitical uncertainty linked to Venezuela, which together supported demand for non-yielding assets. Markets are focused on upcoming U.S. jobs data for further signals on monetary policy and near-term price direction.