Gold price ticks higher as sliding US bond yields keep USD bulls on the defensive

• Gold price attracts some buyers amid sliding US bond yields and subdued USD price action. 
• Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East further lend support to the safe-haven XAU/USD.
• Delayed Fed rate cut bets could underpin the USD and cap gains for the non-yielding metal.

Gold price (XAU/USD) edges higher during the first half of the European session and moves away from a two-month low, near the $1,984 area touched the previous day. The ongoing retracement slide in the US Treasury bond yields keeps the US Dollar (USD) bulls on the defensive below the highest level since November 14 touched earlier this week, which, in turn, is seen lending support to the commodity. Apart from this, geopolitical tensions stemming from conflicts in the Middle East act as a tailwind for the safe-haven precious metal.

Any meaningful appreciating move, however, still seems elusive in the wake of growing acceptance that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will keep interest rates higher for longer in the wake of a still resilient US economy and sticky inflation. This should hold back traders from placing aggressive bullish bets around the non-yielding Gold price. Traders now look forward to the US economic docket – featuring the release of monthly Retail Sales figures, the Empire State Manufacturing Index, the usual Weekly Initial Jobless Claims, the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index and Industrial Production data. The data might influence the USD and provide some impetus to the XAU/USD. 

Daily Digest Market Movers: Gold price benefits from retreating US bond yields, lacks bullish conviction

• The stronger US consumer inflation figures prompted investors to lower bets for early rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and underpin the US Dollar, capping the upside for the non-yielding Gold price.
• Fed funds futures have priced out a rate cut in March and see a nearly 80% chance of easing at the June meeting, and about three 25 basis points rate cuts by the end of this year as against five two weeks ago.
• The US Treasury bond yields retreat further on the back of overnight comments by Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee, saying that the central bank should be wary of waiting too long before it cuts rates.
• Goolsbee indicated that the Fed's trajectory back towards achieving its 2% inflation target would still be on track even if price increases in the US run a bit hotter-than-expected over the next few months.
• This keeps a lid on the Greenback, which, along with the risk of a further escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, lends some support to the safe-haven XAU/USD and helps limit the downside.
• The Israeli military said on Wednesday its fighter jets began a series of strikes in Lebanon in retaliation to a rocket fired into Northern Israel, raising the risk of a war between the two countries.
• Meanwhile, negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza have resumed as the former faces international pressure to stop its bombardment of the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
• The US Retail Sales figures for January are due for release later during the North American session, with consensus estimates pointing to a 0.1% fall as compared to a flat reading last month.
• Thursday's US economic docket also features the Empire State Manufacturing Index, the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index, the usual Weekly Initial Jobless Claims and Industrial Production data.

Technical Analysis: Gold price moves away from two-month trough, upside potential seems limited

From a technical perspective, bearish traders need to wait for acceptance below the 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) before positioning for any further losses. Given that oscillators on the daily chart are holding deep in the negative territory, the Gold price might then accelerate the fall towards the very important 200-day SMA support, currently pegged near the $1,965 area. A convincing break below the latter should pave the way for a further depreciating move towards an intermediate support near the $1,952-1,950 zone en route to the November 2023 low, around the $1,932-1,931 region.

On the flip side, any attempted recovery beyond the $2,000 mark now seems to confront stiff resistance near the $2,011-2,012 area. That said, some follow-through buying, leading to a subsequent strength beyond the $2,015 level, might trigger a short-covering rally and lift the Gold price to the 50-day SMA, currently around the $2,030 region. The latter should act as a key pivotal point, which if cleared decisively will set the stage for additional gains beyond the $2,044-2,045 intermediate hurdle, towards the $2,065 supply zone.