Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD retains gains above $2,500, higher highs at sight

Valeria Bednarik FXStreet

XAU/USD Current price: $2,515.31

Upteat United States macroeconomic encouraged near-term US Dollar buying.
The US will release the Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation gauge at the end of the week.
XAU/USD could correct lower in the near term, although fresh record highs are still on the table.

Spot Gold retains its bullish bias at the beginning of the week, extending Friday’s gains towards the record high posted last week at $2,531.60. The US Dollar trades mixed across the FX board but was overall weak after Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman Jerome Powell said that the time has come for monetary policy to adjust, speaking at the Jackson Hole Symposium. Once again, Powell conditioned an interest rate cut to incoming data, but market participants are confident the Fed will deliver a rate cut in the upcoming September meeting.

Other than that, the United States (US) released Durable Goods Orders on Monday, which unexpectedly rose by 9.9% in July, much better than the previous 6.9% or the 4% anticipated. Also, the Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index improved in August to -9.7 from the previous -17.5.

In the meantime, action across financial boards remains limited ahead of critical US data. The country will release next Friday the July Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index, the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge. At the time being, the annual increase is foreseen at 2.5%, matching the June reading, while monthly inflation is expected at 0.2%, slighly higher than the previous 0.1%.

XAU/USD short-term technical outlook

The daily chart for XAU/USD shows the bright metal hovers around Friday’s high and aims to extend gains. Technical indicators have partially lost their upward strength but hold well above their midlines, far from suggesting bullish exhaustion. At the same time, Gold stands above all its moving averages, with the 20 Simple Moving Average (SMA) heading firmly north at around $2,458.75.

For the near term, technical readings in the 4-hour chart suggest a corrective decline may develop in the next few sessions. Technical indicators have retreated from their recent lows and head firmly lower, although within positive levels. At the same time, the 20 SMA remains directionless, just below the intraday low, while the 100 and 200 SMAs maintain their bullish slopes below the shorter one, limiting the case for a steeper decline.

Support levels: 2,508.80 2,496.40 2,485.10

Resistance levels: 2,523.50 2,531.60 2,542.00

Author

Valeria Bednarik

FXStreet

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.

AUD/USD remains depressed 0.7000, awaits FOMC Minutes

AUD/USD struggles to capitalize on its recent recovery move and trades with a negative bias below 0.7000 in Wednesday's Asian session. Amid geopolitical uncertainty, the US Dollar attracts some dip-buyers after a fresh leg up in US bond yields, keeping the pair under pressure despite hawkish RBA expectations. All eyes now remain on the FOMC Minutes.

USD/JPY holds firm near 158.50 ahead of Fed Minutes

USD/JPY hangs close to a one-and-a-half-week high near 158.50 in the Asian session on Wednesday, with bulls now awaiting a move beyond the 200-day SMA hurdle before positioning for further gains ahead of the FOMC Minutes. Meanwhile, a fresh leg up in US bond yields revives US Dollar demand amid geopolitical uncertainties, boosting the pair amid dovish BoJ commentary.

Gold struggles below $4,150 as USD bulls look to FOMC Minutes for rate hike cues

Gold retains its intraday bearish bias through the early European session, eyeing a two-month low around the $4,100 neighborhood touched the previous day. The US Dollar catches fresh bids after Tuesday's corrective slide and is seen as a key factor weighing on the commodity as traders look to the FOMC meeting minutes for a fresh impetus.

Dogecoin extended correction and weakening momentum raise downside risks

Dogecoin extends its losses, trading around $0.090 down more than 5% so far this week. Bearish pressure is strengthening, with short positions reaching a one-month high and traders in overheated conditions. Meanwhile, weakening momentum indicators are also hinting at further losses in DOGE. Derivatives data shows cautious signals among traders.

Indian Rupee hits fresh four-month low, RBI hikes Repo Rate to 5.5%

The Indian Rupee weakens significantly against the US Dollar after a muted response, following the Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy meeting on Wednesday. The USD/INR pair jumps to near 96.72, the highest level seen in four months. In the policy meeting, the RBI decide to hike its Repo Rate by 25 basis points to 5.5%, the first hike since February 2023.

Eurozone inflation just hit 3.8%, its highest in three years. This chart shows why the ECB can’t simply hike its way out

The ECB would normally have a relatively straightforward answer to inflation running almost twice its target: raise interest rates. But these are not normal circumstances. This time, the bond market is already doing part of the tightening for it, leaving the ECB facing an increasingly difficult dilemma.