|

Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD holding ground just below $3,400

XAU/USD Current price: $3,390.00

  • Global trade tensions and the Middle East crisis underpin the bright metal.
  • The looming Federal Reserve announcement is likely to rock the US Dollar.
  • XAU/USD extends its consolidative phase ahead of $3,400 with the risk tilt to the upside.

Spot Gold hovers around $3,390 a troy ounce on Wednesday, unable to attract speculative interest ahead of the United States (US) Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary policy announcement.

Still, the bright metal remains afloat amid global tensions. Concerns revolve around trade talks and the Middle East crisis, with no progress at any front. On the one hand, US President Donald Trump “complained” about tough negotiations with the European Union and Japan. On the other hand, tit-for-tat missile attacks between Iran and Israel entered their sixth consecutive day, with no signs of de-escalation.

The Fed is widely anticipated to keep interest rates on hold, with the focus on the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) and Chairman Jerome Powell's press conference. Policymakers will deliver fresh growth, inflation and employment expectations, alongside their estimate on future interest rate cuts. Currently, the latest SEP indicates that Fed officials are still aiming for two cuts in 2025. Any change in such perspective could have a wild impact on the US Dollar (USD).

XAU/USD short-term technical outlook

The daily chart for the XAU/USD pair shows it failed to attract investors for a second day in a row. Also, technical indicators remain well above their midlines, although without directional strength. Finally, XAU/USD develops above all its moving averages, with the 20 Simple Moving Average (SMA) heading marginally higher at around $3,347.10 while holding far above bullish 100 and 200 SMAs.

The near-term picture is neutral. In the 4-hour chart, technical indicators turned marginally higher yet mixed at around their midlines, unable to confirm a leg north. At the same time, XAU/USD develops below a mildly bearish 20 SMA, while the longer moving averages aim modestly higher, well below the current level.

Support levels:  3,382.85 3,366.10 3,352.40  

Resistance levels: 3,406.90 3,414.60 3,437.85

Premium

You have reached your limit of 3 free articles for this month.

Start your subscription and get access to all our original articles.

Subscribe to PremiumSign In

Author

Valeria Bednarik

Valeria Bednarik was born and lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her passion for math and numbers pushed her into studying economics in her younger years.

More from Valeria Bednarik
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD flatlines below 1.1800 amid trading lull, awaits Fed Minutes

EUR/USD trades around a flatline below 1.1800 in European trading on Tuesday. The pair lacks any trading impetus as the US Dollar moves little amid market caution ahead of the Fed's December Meeting Minutes release, which could offer insights into the Federal Reserve’s 2026 outlook.

GBP/USD retakes 1.3500 despite the year-end grind

GBP/USD finds fresh demand and retakes 1.3500 on Tuesday as markets grind through the last trading week of the year. Despite the latest uptick, the pair is unlikely to see further progress due to the year-end holiday volumes.

Gold holds the bounce on Fed rate cut bets, safe-haven flows

Gold holds the rebound near $4,350 in the European trading hours on Tuesday. The precious metal recovers some lost ground after falling 4.5% in the previous session, which was Gold's largest single-day loss since October. Increased margin requirements on gold and silver futures by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group, one of the world’s largest trading floors for commodities, prompted widespread profit-taking and portfolio rebalancing.

Tron steadies as Justin Sun invests $18 million in Tron Inc.

Tron (TRX) trades above $0.2800 at press time on Monday, hovering below the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $0.2859.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).