Solid activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector is creating modest selling pressure for gold, as easing recession fears weigh on the precious metal’s safe-haven allure. The Commerce Department announced Wednesday that U.S. durable goods orders rose 0.5% in September, following August’s revised 3.0% increase. The data aligned with economists’ expectations. Core durable goods, which strip out the volatile transportation sector, rose 0.6%, beating the consensus forecast for a 0.2% increase. Meanwhile, non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft increased 0.9% in September, also exceeding consensus expectations ... (full story)