Gold price remains capped in a familiar trading range ahead of US Services PMI data


Most recent article: Gold recovers as global interest-rate expectations fall

  • Gold price manages to hold its neck above a multi-week low touched on Monday.
  • Fed rate cut bets cap the attempted USD recovery and lend support to the metal.
  • Traders now look to the US ADP report and ISM Services PMI for a fresh impetus.

Gold price (XAU/USD) attracted some sellers on Tuesday and dropped to the $2,316-2,315 area, back closer to a multi-week low touched the previous day in the wake of a modest US Dollar (USD) strength. The attempted USD recovery from over a two-month low, however, lacked follow-through on the back of growing acceptance that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will start cutting interest rates later this year, bolstered by softer US macro data. The expectations keep the US Treasury bond yields depressed, which, in turn, is seen benefitting the non-yielding yellow metal during the European session on Wednesday. 

Apart from this, geopolitical risks stemming from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East lift the safe-haven Gold price back closer to the 50-day Simple Moving Average (SMA). Despite a combination of supporting factors, the XAU/USD remains confined in a one-week-old trading range as investors seem reluctant to place aggressive directional bets and prefer to wait for the release of the crucial US monthly employment details, or the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report on Friday. In the meantime, the US ADP report on private-sector employment and the US ISM Services PMI should provide some impetus later today. 

Daily Digest Market Movers: Gold price draws support from weaker USD, Fed rate cut bets

  • The US Dollar staged a modest bounce from over a two-month low touched on Tuesday and exerted downward pressure on the Gold price, though dismal US macro data helped limit losses. 
  • The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, showed that job openings fell more than expected, by 296K to 8.059 million in April, or the lowest in more than three years.
  • This follows the disappointing release of the US ISM Manufacturing PMI on Monday, which showed a surprising weakness in business activity and pointed to signs of a cooling US economy.
  • Meanwhile, there is a risk that the US economy might be softening more than anticipated cemented bets for a September rate cut by the Federal Reserve, dragging the US Treasury bond yields lower.
  • The rate-sensitive two-year US government bond and the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield languish near a two-week low, capping the USD and lending support to the non-yielding yellow metal. 
  • Traders now look forward to Wednesday's US economic docket, featuring the release of the ADP report on private-sector employment and the ISM Services PMI to grab short-term opportunities.
  • The focus, however, remains glued to the official monthly employment data, popularly known as the Nonfarm Payrolls report, which will determine the next leg of a directional move for the XAU/USD.

Technical Analysis: Gold price needs to move above $2,350 hurdle for bulls to seize back control

From a technical perspective, the Gold price now seems to have found acceptance below the 50-day Simple Moving Average (SMA). Moreover, oscillators on the daily chart have just started gaining negative traction and support prospects for further losses. A subsequent slide below the multi-week low, around the $2,315-2,314 area touched on Tuesday, will reaffirm the bearish bias and drag the XAU/USD below the $2,300 mark, towards testing the $2,280 horizontal support. Some follow-through selling will be seen as a fresh trigger for bearish traders and pave the way for an extension of the recent corrective decline witnessed over the past two weeks or so.

On the flip side, any meaningful upside now seems to confront stiff resistance near the $2,349-2,350 supply zone. The next relevant hurdle is pegged near the $2,360-2,364 area, which, if cleared decisively, should allow the Gold price to climb further towards the $2,385 intermediate hurdle en route to the $2,400 mark. The momentum could extend towards the $2,425 zone and eventually lift the XAU/USD to the $2,450 region, or the all-time peak touched in May.

US Dollar price in the last 7 days

The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies in the last 7 days. US Dollar was the strongest against the .

  USD EUR GBP CAD AUD JPY NZD CHF
USD   -0.23% -0.13% 0.23% -0.14% -0.84% -0.76% -2.28%
EUR 0.21%   0.11% 0.47% 0.09% -0.62% -0.53% -2.04%
GBP 0.13% -0.09%   0.37% -0.03% -0.72% -0.66% -2.17%
CAD -0.24% -0.45% -0.35%   -0.41% -1.10% -1.04% -2.55%
AUD 0.14% -0.07% 0.03% 0.38%   -0.70% -0.64% -2.10%
JPY 0.84% 0.61% 0.72% 1.06% 0.67%   0.10% -1.43%
NZD 0.76% 0.56% 0.66% 1.03% 0.62% -0.07%   -1.52%
CHF 2.21% 2.04% 2.12% 2.49% 2.09% 1.41% 1.48%  

The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Euro from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent EUR (base)/JPY (quote).

Gold FAQs

Gold has played a key role in human’s history as it has been widely used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Currently, apart from its shine and usage for jewelry, the precious metal is widely seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that it is considered a good investment during turbulent times. Gold is also widely seen as a hedge against inflation and against depreciating currencies as it doesn’t rely on any specific issuer or government.

Central banks are the biggest Gold holders. In their aim to support their currencies in turbulent times, central banks tend to diversify their reserves and buy Gold to improve the perceived strength of the economy and the currency. High Gold reserves can be a source of trust for a country’s solvency. Central banks added 1,136 tonnes of Gold worth around $70 billion to their reserves in 2022, according to data from the World Gold Council. This is the highest yearly purchase since records began. Central banks from emerging economies such as China, India and Turkey are quickly increasing their Gold reserves.

Gold has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar and US Treasuries, which are both major reserve and safe-haven assets. When the Dollar depreciates, Gold tends to rise, enabling investors and central banks to diversify their assets in turbulent times. Gold is also inversely correlated with risk assets. A rally in the stock market tends to weaken Gold price, while sell-offs in riskier markets tend to favor the precious metal.

The price can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can quickly make Gold price escalate due to its safe-haven status. As a yield-less asset, Gold tends to rise with lower interest rates, while higher cost of money usually weighs down on the yellow metal. Still, most moves depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAU/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Gold controlled, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to push Gold prices up.

 

Share: Feed news

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


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD stays in positive territory above 1.0850 after US data

EUR/USD stays in positive territory above 1.0850 after US data

EUR/USD clings to modest daily gains above 1.0850 in the second half of the day on Friday. The improving risk mood makes it difficult for the US Dollar to hold its ground after PCE inflation data, helping the pair edge higher ahead of the weekend.

EUR/USD News

GBP/USD stabilizes above 1.2850 as risk mood improves

GBP/USD stabilizes above 1.2850 as risk mood improves

GBP/USD maintains recovery momentum and fluctuates above 1.2850 in the American session on Friday. The positive shift seen in risk mood doesn't allow the US Dollar to preserve its strength and supports the pair.

GBP/USD News

Gold rebounds above $2,380 as US yields stretch lower

Gold rebounds above $2,380 as US yields stretch lower

Following a quiet European session, Gold gathers bullish momentum and trades decisively higher on the day above $2,380. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield loses more than 1% on the day after US PCE inflation data, fuelling XAU/USD's upside.

Gold News

Avalanche price sets for a rally following retest of key support level

Avalanche price sets for a rally following retest of  key support level

Avalanche (AVAX) price bounced off the $26.34 support level to trade at $27.95 as of Friday. Growing on-chain development activity indicates a potential bullish move in the coming days.

Read more

The election, Trump's Dollar policy, and the future of the Yen

The election, Trump's Dollar policy, and the future of the Yen

After an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and drop out of President Biden, Kamala Harris has been endorsed as the Democratic candidate to compete against Trump in the upcoming November US presidential election.

Read more

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures