Gold Forecast: XAU/USD Extends Its Rally Above $4,100 per Ounce

It is a pleasure to join you today for the Boston Fed’s 24th annual Regional and Community Bankers Conference. I want to thank all of you for attending, and for the constructive engagement that you have with the Federal Reserve. The “North Star” for us at the Boston Fed is a vibrant economy that works for everyone. That requires a resilient financial and banking system. The Federal Reserve supports that in a number of ways – and constructive engagement, with banks and many other stakeholders, is a key ingredient. I believe it is essential for us at the Federal Reserve to listen well to the stakeholders in all of our work, and to explain well our policy decisions. So, I’ll share my perspectives on the economy and monetary policy. I’ll then shift to describing some of the trends in community banking that we at the Fed are following. And I’ll comment briefly on innovation in finance and payments. First let me note, as always, that these remarks today are my own views; I am not speaking for any of my colleagues at the other Federal Reserve Banks or the Board of Governors. *COLLINS: ADDITIONAL SUPPORT RISKS STALLING INFLATION PROGRESS *COLLINS: SEE RELATIVELY HIGH BAR FOR FURTHER EASING NEAR TERM *FED'S COLLINS FAVORS HOLDING RATES STEADY 'FOR SOME TIME' - Fed's Collins warns that additional monetary support may hinder inflation's return to 2% - Current Fed policy is mildly restrictive; financial conditions support growth - Anticipates modest unemployment rise, with tariffs keeping inflation high into early 2026 - No…