Gold price bulls retain control near record high, looks to US data for fresh impetus

• Gold price hits a fresh record high and draws support from a combination of factors.
• Expected rate cuts by major central banks and geopolitical risks boost the XAU/USD.
• The recent USD rally, to its highest level since August, caps gains for the commodity.

Gold price (XAU/USD) prolongs its one-week-old uptrend for the third straight day and touches a fresh all-time peak, around the $2,685-2,686 region during the early European session on Thursday. The expected interest rate cuts by major central banks, along with geopolitical risks stemming from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, turn out to be key factors driving flows towards the non-yielding yellow metal.

Meanwhile, the market conviction that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will proceed with modest interest rate cuts keeps the yield on the benchmark 10-year US government bond above the 4% mark. This, in turn, lifts the US Dollar (USD) to its highest level since early August and holds back bulls from placing fresh bets around the Gold price. Traders now look forward to the US macro releases for short-term opportunities. 

Daily Digest Market Movers: Gold price stands firm near record high, seems unaffected by bullish USD 

• The recent decline in Crude Oil prices is expected to ease inflationary pressures and allow major central banks to cut interest rates further, which continues to drive flows towards the non-yielding Gold price. 
• The European Central Bank is on course to deliver its third interest rate cut of the year this Thursday, while a sharp drop in the UK inflation reaffirmed bets for a rate cut by the Bank of England in November. 
• Moreover, the CME Group's FedWatch Tool indicates over a 90% chance that the Federal Reserve will lower borrowing costs by 25 basis points next month, dragging the US bond yields to over a one-week low. 
• Meanwhile, the US Dollar prolonged its well-established uptrend witnessed since the beginning of this month and climbed to its highest level since early August, though it did little to discourage the XAU/USD bulls. 
• The recent comments from officials at the London Bullion Market Association's annual conference suggest that central banks remain keen buyers of bullion to diversify their reserves for financial or strategic reasons.
• The United Nations (UN) said that Israeli forces have fired at its peacekeeping position, forcibly entered a base, stopped a critical logistical movement, and injured more than a dozen of its troops in southern Lebanon.
• According to a source familiar with the matter, Israel’s plan to respond to Iran’s October 1 attack is ready, raising the risk of a further escalation of geopolitical tensions and a full-blown war in the Middle East. 
• China's housing minister, during a press briefing this Thursday, said that the government will add 1 million village urbanization projects and will adopt monetisation measures for the said urbanisation projects.
• Later during the early North American session, traders will take cues from the US economic docket – featuring the release of Retail Sales, Weekly Initial Jobless Claims and the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index.
• Furthermore, the ECB monetary policy decision might infuse volatility in the markets and provide some meaningful impetus to the safe-haven precious metal, allowing traders to grab short-term opportunities. 

Technical Outlook: Gold price is likely to prolong its upward trajectory once $2,700 mark is conquered

From a technical perspective, the ongoing positive move could lift the Gold price to the $2,700 mark. Some follow-through buying will be seen as a fresh trigger for bullish traders and pave the way for an extension of a multi-month-old uptrend. The constructive outlook is reinforced by the fact that oscillators on the daily chart are holding in positive territory and are still away from being in the overbought zone. 

On the flip side, the $2,662-2,660 horizontal zone now seems to act as an immediate support ahead of the $2,647-2,646 area. A convincing break below the latter might prompt some technical selling and drag the Gold price to the $2,630 intermediate support en route to the $2,600 neighborhood.