3 ASX 200 gold shares hitting new 52-week lows today

a group of business people sit dejectedly around a table, each expressing desolation, sadness and disappointment by holding their head in their hands, casting their gazes down and looking very glum.Image source: Getty Images Thursday is proving to be a rough day for S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gold shares as many of the market’s favourites hit new 52-week lows. It comes after the price of the yellow metal slipped overnight. Here’s how these ASX 200 gold shares were trading at their lowest points today:

  • Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM)
    • Fell around 1% to a new multi-year low of $19.41
  • Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)
    • Tumbled 1.9% to a new four-year low of $6.78  
  • Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)
    • Slumped around 2.5% to a near-five year low of $2.35

For context, the ASX 200 is in the green on Thursday. It’s currently up 0.35%. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) has lifted 1.98%. So, what exactly is dragging on these ASX 200 gold shares? Let’s take a look. The price of gold plummeted more than 2% overnight to reach a new nine-month low. Gold futures slipped 2.1% to US$1,763.90 an ounce in Wednesday’s session overseas, according to CommSec. Spot gold was also lower, trading at US$1765.87 an ounce when the US market closed. It came as the US dollar strengthened while the US Federal Reserve appeared to become more hawkish, reports Reuters. A rising US dollar makes buying gold more expensive for those trading in other currencies. Meanwhile, expectations of upcoming rate hikes likely damages demand for the metal, which yields no interest.