Gold holds steady below $4,700 as traders eye US jobs report, potential US-Iran peace deal

Gold price flat lines around $4,685 in Friday’s early Asian session.
Growing optimism regarding a potential US-Iran peace deal supports the gold price.
Trump is waiting for Iran to respond to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war.

Lallalit Srijandorn FXStreet

Gold price (XAU/USD) holds steady near $4,685 during the early Asian session on Friday.

Traders prefer to wait on the sidelines ahead of the key US employment data for April, which is due later in the day.

Economists expect a gain of 62,000 jobs for April, while the Unemployment Rate is projected to remain steady at 4.3%. This report might dictate the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) next move regarding interest rates. Any signs of improvement in the US labor market could lift the US Dollar (USD) and weigh on the USD-denominated commodity price in the near term.

On the other hand, optimism over a US-Iran peace deal has led to a sharp drop in oil prices and eased concerns over inflation. The US President Donald Trump administration has been waiting for Iran to respond to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war.

Iran’s leaders haven't indicated whether they’ll accept the terms of the deal, though they’ve previously shown little sign of yielding on their nuclear program and accepting a moratorium on enriching uranium.

Gold FAQs

Why do people invest in Gold?

Gold has played a key role in human’s history as it has been widely used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Currently, apart from its shine and usage for jewelry, the precious metal is widely seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that it is considered a good investment during turbulent times. Gold is also widely seen as a hedge against inflation and against depreciating currencies as it doesn’t rely on any specific issuer or government.

Who buys the most Gold?

Central banks are the biggest Gold holders. In their aim to support their currencies in turbulent times, central banks tend to diversify their reserves and buy Gold to improve the perceived strength of the economy and the currency. High Gold reserves can be a source of trust for a country’s solvency. Central banks added 1,136 tonnes of Gold worth around $70 billion to their reserves in 2022, according to data from the World Gold Council. This is the highest yearly purchase since records began. Central banks from emerging economies such as China, India and Turkey are quickly increasing their Gold reserves.

How is Gold correlated with other assets?

Gold has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar and US Treasuries, which are both major reserve and safe-haven assets. When the Dollar depreciates, Gold tends to rise, enabling investors and central banks to diversify their assets in turbulent times. Gold is also inversely correlated with risk assets. A rally in the stock market tends to weaken Gold price, while sell-offs in riskier markets tend to favor the precious metal.

What does the price of Gold depend on?

The price can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can quickly make Gold price escalate due to its safe-haven status. As a yield-less asset, Gold tends to rise with lower interest rates, while higher cost of money usually weighs down on the yellow metal. Still, most moves depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAU/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Gold controlled, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to push Gold prices up.

Author

Lallalit Srijandorn

FXStreet

Lallalit Srijandorn is a Parisian at heart. She has lived in France since 2019 and now becomes a digital entrepreneur based in Paris and Bangkok.

GBP/USD loses ground to near 1.3450 as traders await possible US-Iran deal

The GBP/USD pair drifts lower to near 1.3460 during the early European trading hours on Thursday. Conflicting rhetoric from the US and Iranian officials about a potential deal fuels market concerns, dragging the British Pound lower against the US Dollar. The US Initial Jobless Claims report will be released later on Thursday.

EUR/USD looks set to extend advance beyond 1.1600

The Euro trades broadly firm at around 1.1555 against the US Dollar during the Asian trading session. The major currency pair reflects strength as the US Dollar is broadly under pressure due to deteriorating United States employment conditions. At press time, the US Dollar Index (DXY) holds onto two-day losses at around 99.65.

How Wall Street rigs the game [Video]

In this week’s Live from the Vault, Andrew Maguire is joined by Peter Antico and Sean Stone to discuss the Paradigm of Money - an in-depth expose of financial market corruption, from naked shorting to the two-tier system that protects Wall Street.

Ripple and Stellar tumble as technical outlook deteriorates

Ripple and Stellar extend their declines, trading below $1.06 and $0.165, respectively, as selling pressure intensifies. In addition, weakening technical structures and bearish derivatives metrics suggest the correction for both altcoins could deepen if key support levels fail to hold. Derivatives data shows bearish bias among traders.

Indonesian Rupiah in focus as BI leadership race begins

USD/IDR inches higher after registering nearly 0.5% losses in the previous day, trading around 17,960 during the Asian hours on Thursday. Traders are keeping a close eye on the nomination process following the sudden resignation of Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo late last month.

9-3: Is the Federal Reserve’s vote tally Warsh's new forward guidance?

The rate did not move. Neither did the statement, and that’s the more interesting fact. Set the July 29 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) statement beside the one issued on June 17, and the two documents are identical apart from a single verb and a paragraph at the bottom naming three dissenters.