- The market is not yet done with buying safe-haven assets.
- US official ISM PMI to confirm or deny increased odds for a rate cut.
- Spot gold stabilized well into bullish territory, speculative interest to buy dips.
- The FX Poll is showing a mixed picture looking forward.
Gold prices soared at the beginning of the week, with spot hitting on Monday $1,689.27 a troy ounce, a level that was last seen in January 2013. Safe-haven assets, the bright metal included, gave up in favor of the American dollar, as generally encouraging US data provided support to the greenback.
However, the sentiment toward the dollar took a turn to the worse on Wednesday, amid collapsing equities and Treasury yields. Wall Street plummeted, with the DJIA losing roughly 3,000 points these last few days, and the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note falling as low as 1.21%. Odds for a US Federal Reserve rate cut soared, now above 70% for March, according to the CME Group FedWatch tool.
Recession sounds out loud
The coronavirus spread through Europe like wildfire, and Italy now has the third-largest number of contagions, above Japan. The outbreak sparked concerns about a global economic downturn, but it’s not just about the virus. Economies such as the EU and Japan have been flirting with recession for most of 2019, while the world suffered from US-China trade tensions. Markets were already worried about growth before the COVID-19 hit the world.
Given that the virus is still far from contained, uncertainty will likely persist, and so will demand safe-haven assets.
Macroeconomic releases passed unnoticed, mainly due to the data being collected before the market become fearing a pandemic. News confirming that the US economy grew 2.1% in the final quarter of 2019 wasn’t enough to offset growth concerns.
Growth data in the spotlight
The US will publish its official February ISM Manufacturing PMI next Monday, foreseen contracting to 49.8 from 53.3. Markit estimate for the same month dropped to 50.8 from 51.9 in January, while the Markit Services PMI plummeted to 49.4, its lowest in six years. The official ISM Non-Manufacturing Index will be out next Wednesday, foreseen unchanged from the January reading at 55.5. If the official figures came as expected or better, for sure will cold down expectations for a rate cut in the US, at least in the nearest term. In the upcoming week, Markit will release the final versions of its output estimates.
On Friday, the country will publish February Nonfarm Payrolls. At this point, the country is expected to have added 178K new jobs, while the unemployment rate is seen stable at 3.6%. Wages are seen posting a modest advance. Anyway, and given that jobs’ creation hasn’t been an issue for long, the report has the limited potential of shaking the greenback, mainly if it comes better than expected. A dismal outcome, on the other hand, would fuel speculation of a rate cut, and hurt the greenback further.
Spot Gold Technical Outlook
Spot gold has been stable around 1,630/50 in the last three trading days, down roughly $60.00 from its weekly high, but holding on to its long-term bullish trend. The weekly chart shows that technical indicators have reached overbought levels, where they are currently consolidating. Also, the commodity is developing far above bullish moving averages, with the closest being the 20 SMA, which stands at around 1,526.
In the daily chart, technical indicators have corrected extreme overbought conditions, and despite heading lower, they remain well above their midlines. The 20 DMA has extended its advance above the 61.8% retracement of the long-term slump between 2011 and 2015 at 1,585.98, while the larger MA picked up momentum below the shorter one.
The metal may lose some ground should odds for a US rate cut decrease, but given the risk-averse background, speculative interest will be willing to buy the dips. The immediate support is the weekly low at 1,621.15, followed by 1,603.81 ahead of the mentioned Fibonacci level. Resistances this week come at 1,651.80 and 1,662. Beyond this last, there’s nothing in the way toward the multi-year peak at 1,689.27.
Gold Sentiment
The FXStreet Poll is showing sideways moves in the short term, rises later on and moderate slides afterward. Overall, it seems that experts are seeing through the recent volatility. Targets are little changed in comparison to last week.
Related Forecasts
- EUR/USD Forecast: Coronavirus comeback may end abruptly in a chaotic week, two critical caps
- GBP/USD Forecast: Potential upside from Brexit talks competes with coronavirus concerns
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD stays pressured toward 1.0500, US PPI data next in focus
EUR/USD remains heavy toward 1.0500 in the European session on Thursday, hanging at yearly lows. The Trump trades-driven unabated US Dollar demand and tarrifs threat weigh on the pair. Mixed Eurozone data fail to lift the Euro. Eyes turn to US PPI data and Fed Chair Powell.
GBP/USD holds losses near 1.2650 on relentless US Dollar buying
GBP/USD is holding losses while flirting with multi-month lows near 1.2650 in European trading on Thursday. The pair remains vulnerable amid a broadly firmer US Dollar and softer risk tone even as BoE policymakers stick to a cautious stance on policy. Speeches from Powell and Bailey are eyed.
Gold price approaches 100-day SMA/50% Fibo. confluence amid sustained USD buying
Gold price touches its lowest level since September 19, around $2,550 area during the early part of the European session on Thursday. The US Dollar buying remains unabated in the wake of optimism over the expected expansionary policies by US President-elect Donald Trump.
XRP struggles near $0.7440, could still sustain rally after Robinhood listing
Ripple's XRP is trading near $0.6900, down nearly 3% on Wednesday, as declining open interest could extend its price correction. However, other on-chain metrics point to a long-term bullish setup.
Trump vs CPI
US CPI for October was exactly in line with expectations. The headline rate of CPI rose to 2.6% YoY from 2.4% YoY in September. The core rate remained steady at 3.3%. The detail of the report shows that the shelter index rose by 0.4% on the month, which accounted for 50% of the increase in all items on a monthly basis.
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads
VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.