- Gold is suffering heavy losses ahead of the weekend.
- 10-year US Treasury bond yield is up more than 2% on Friday.
- US Dollar Index stays near 94.00 after US Retail Sales data.
Gold started the last day of the week on the back foot and extended its slide to a fresh daily low of $1,770 in the early trading hours of the American session. As of writing, the XAU/USD pair was down 1.2% on the day at $1,774.
The sharp rebound witnessed in the US Treasury bond yields seem to be weighing heavily on XAU/USD on Friday. The benchmark 10-year US T-bond yield, which closed the previous three days in the negative territory, is currently rising 2.3% at 1.55%.
Meanwhile, the upbeat data from the US is helping the greenback find demand as well. The US Census Bureau reported that Retail Sales in September rose by 0.7% on a monthly basis, surpassing the market expectation for a contraction of 0.2% by a wide margin. Moreover, August's increase of 0.7% got revised higher to 0.9%.
At the moment, the US Dollar Index is steady around 94.00. Later in the session, the University of Michigan's preliminary October Consumer Sentiment Index will be looked upon for fresh impetus.
It's also worth noting that US stock index futures are up between 0.35% and 0.6% on the day, suggesting that risk flows are likely to dominate the financial markets ahead of the weekend.
Gold technical outlook
On the four-hour chart, gold is trading below the 200-period SMA. Additionally, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator stays around 40, suggesting that there is more room on the downside before XAU/USD becomes technically oversold.
The previous static resistance at $1,768 now aligns as the first support before $1,758 (100-period SMA) and $1,750 (static level). On the upside, the initial hurdle is located at $1,775 (200-period SMA). In case the pair manages to make a daily close above that level, buyers could look to test $1,800 (psychological level).
Additional levels to watch for
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 treads water just above 1.0400 post-US data
Another sign of the good health of the US economy came in response to firm flash US Manufacturing and Services PMIs, which in turn reinforced further the already strong performance of the US Dollar, relegating EUR/USD to the 1.0400 neighbourhood on Friday.
GBP/USD remains depressed near 1.2520 on stronger Dollar
Poor results from the UK docket kept the British pound on the back foot on Thursday, hovering around the low-1.2500s in a context of generalized weakness in the risk-linked galaxy vs. another outstanding day in the Greenback.
Gold keeps the bid bias unchanged near $2,700
Persistent safe haven demand continues to prop up the march north in Gold prices so far on Friday, hitting new two-week tops past the key $2,700 mark per troy ounce despite extra strength in the Greenback and mixed US yields.
Geopolitics back on the radar
Rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine caused renewed unease in the markets this week. Putin signed an amendment to Russian nuclear doctrine, which allows Russia to use nuclear weapons for retaliating against strikes carried out with conventional weapons.
Eurozone PMI sounds the alarm about growth once more
The composite PMI dropped from 50 to 48.1, once more stressing growth concerns for the eurozone. Hard data has actually come in better than expected recently – so ahead of the December meeting, the ECB has to figure out whether this is the PMI crying wolf or whether it should take this signal seriously. We think it’s the latter.
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.