Gold prices are moderately lower in early-afternoon U.S. trading Wednesday. A very upbeat U.S. economic report that lifted the U.S. stock indexes and a rally in the U.S. dollar index worked against the safe-haven metals today. There was also less risk aversion in the marketplace at mid-week. December gold futures were last down $4.30 an ounce at $1,202.70. December Comex silver was last up $0.002 at $14.695 an ounce.  

Today’s U.S. ADP national employment report for September showed a gain of 230,000. Forecasters were expected a rise of 185,000 jobs. Gold prices down-ticked following the report, while U.S. stock indexes up-ticked. This report comes ahead of the more important Labor Department Employment Situation Report for September on Friday morning. The non-farm payrolls number is expected to come in up 180,000. 

Worldwide attention, especially in Europe, is on the new anti-establishment Italian government’s plans to deal with Italy’s financial and economic problems. Reports overnight said Italy is backing down from its hardline stance with the European Union over the matter. The Euro currency today stabilized on the news, after being under selling pressure earlier this week. 

In other overnight news, U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans said in a speech in London the U.S. economy is humming right along and that the Fed will likely have to put the brakes on the economic growth by continuing to gradually raise interest rates. He added such Fed policy moves are historically normal during stronger economic expansion periods. 

U.S. retail giant Amazon has significantly raised its minimum wage for its workers to $15 an hour. While this move seems benign right now, it’s just another clue of rising price inflation that could very well become problematic at some point—and just maybe sooner than even economists expect. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell reiterated on Tuesday that price inflation is not a problem. Problematic inflation is generally bullish for hard assets like raw commodities and bearish for paper assets like stocks and bonds. 

The key outside markets today find the U.S. dollar index higher after hitting a 2.5-month high on Tuesday. Meantime, November Nymex crude oil prices are slightly up after hitting a four-year high Tuesday. Prices are trading around $75.50 a barrel.