- Gold witnessed some aggressive selling in reaction to upbeat NFP report.
- Surging US bond yields, stronger USD contributed to the bearish pressure.
- A break below 50-day SMA might have paved the way for a further slide.
Gold witnessed some aggressive selling during the early North American session and dived to fresh one-month lows, below $1685 level post-US jobs report.
The headline NFP report showed that the US economy unexpectedly added over 2.50 million jobs in May as compared to a loss of 8 million jobs anticipated. Adding to this, the unemployment rate edged lower to 13.3% during the reported month from 14.7% previous, beating consensus estimates of a rise to 19.8% by a big margin.
The data further fueled hopes for a sharp V-shaped recovery for the global economy and reinforced expectations that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic was over. This, in turn, provided an additional boost to the already upbeat market mood and was seen as one of the key factors weighing heavily on the safe-haven precious metal.
The risk-on mood led to a sudden spike in the US Treasury bond yields, which added to the downward pressure on the non-yielding yellow metal. Meanwhile, the US dollar built on its goodish intraday bounce from the lowest level since mid-March and further collaborated towards driving flows away from the dollar-denominated commodity.
The steep intraday fall dragged the commodity below the 50-day SMA support near the $1690 region and might have already confirmed a near-term bearish breakdown. Hence, some follow-through weakness towards retesting early May swing lows, around the $1670 area, now seems a distinct possibility.
Gold technical levels
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 retreats below 1.0700 as USD rebounds
EUR/USD lost its traction and retreated slightly below 1.0700 in the American session, erasing its daily gains in the process. Following a bearish opening, the US Dollar holds its ground and limits the pair's upside ahead of the Fed policy meeting later this week.
USD/JPY recovers toward 157.00 following suspected intervention
USD/JPY recovers ground and trades above 156.50 after sliding to 154.50 on what seemed like a Japanese FX intervention. Later this week, the Federal Reserve's policy decisions and US employment data could trigger the next big action.
Gold holds steady above $2,330 to start the week
Gold fluctuates in a relatively tight channel above $2,330 on Monday. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield corrects lower and helps XAU/USD limit its losses ahead of this week's key Fed policy meeting.
Week Ahead: Bitcoin could surprise investors this week Premium
Two main macroeconomic events this week could attempt to sway the crypto markets. Bitcoin (BTC), which showed strength last week, has slipped into a short-term consolidation.
Five Fundamentals for the week: Fed fears, Nonfarm Payrolls, Middle East promise an explosive week Premium
Higher inflation is set to push Fed Chair Powell and his colleagues to a hawkish decision. Nonfarm Payrolls are set to rock markets, but the ISM Services PMI released immediately afterward could steal the show.