"Gold Prices Resilient Despite Decline in US Consumer Confidence"

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index for February declined to 106.7 from 110.9 in January, marking the first drop since November. The Expectations Index also fell to 79.8 from 81.5, signaling concerns about the US economy. Consumer worries shifted from everyday expenses to white-collar layoffs and the upcoming presidential election. Mixed economic data at the start of the year, including higher-than-expected inflation and lower retail sales, has led to a scaling back of expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. Economists caution that January's data may not be enough to change the overall narrative of a growing economy with moderating inflation.