September gold futures on COMEX settled at $4,563.31 per troy ounce on August 19, gaining $142.71, or 3.23%, after falling $73.94 the previous session. The rebound reflected easing expectations for additional U.S. interest-rate hikes before the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Federal Reserve panel that sets monetary policy, releases minutes from its July meeting in the early hours of August 20. Lower U.S. Treasury yields and a weaker dollar against the yen encouraged gold inflows and short-covering, while investors reassessed whether the prior session’s decline had been excessive. Gold traded between $4,378.15 and $4,568.36, including after-hours activity, and remained mainly around $4,563 after the regular close. October WTI crude futures settled at $84.21 a barrel, up $0.15, or 0.18%, amid continued tension between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. Market participants remain focused on Middle East developments and U.S. monetary policy, with the FOMC minutes potentially providing a clearer near-term direction for gold.