Spot gold edged 0.05% lower to $4,345.45 a troy ounce in Asian trading after U.S. core inflation rose 0.3% month on month in August, exceeding expectations. The Labor Department data may strengthen the case for the Federal Reserve to raise its benchmark rate at its meeting this week, Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s Belinda Allen said in a note. Higher interest rates typically pressure nonyielding assets such as gold because they increase the relative appeal of interest-bearing investments.