Gold futures rose for a third straight session on Thursday, with prices posting another finish at their highest since mid-June. Prices for the precious metal have risen sharply after the June readings in the U.S. consumer price on Wednesday and producer price index Thursday revealed a slowdown in inflation. Traders are expecting an end to interest-rate hikes, and the U.S. dollar index has “crashed,” said Chintan Karnani, an independent consultant who’s tracked the gold market for the last 20 years. Gold for August delivery GCQ23, +0.14% rose $2.10, or 0.1%, to settle at $1,963.80 an ounce on Comex. That was the highest most-active contract finish since June 16, FactSet data show.