|

Gold Price Analysis: XAU/USD faces critical resistance at $1,718 after the NFP – Confluence Detector

Gold has been on the back foot after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell seemed reluctant to intervene and lower bond yields. Higher returns on US debt make the yieldless precious metal less attractive to investors. However, markets seem to have stabilized after US Nonfarm Payrolls rose by 379,000. 

In the meantime, here is how XAU/USD is positioned on the charts.

The Technical Confluences Detector is showing that gold faces some resistance at around $1,700. Apart from being a round number, that level is also the convergence of the Bollinger Band one-day Lower, the Simple Moving Average 100-15m, the previous 4h-high, and the BB 1h-Upper. 

Critical resistance awaits at $1,718, which is a cluster of lines including the Pivot Point one-day Resistance 1, the previous monthly low, and the SMA 100-1h. 

Support awaits at $1,691, which is the confluence of the previous daily low, the PP one-week S1, and the previous 4h-low. 

Further down, the downside target is $1,673, which is the meeting point of the PP one-month S1 and the PP one-day S2.  

XAU/USD resistance and support levels

Confluence Detector

The Confluence Detector finds exciting opportunities using Technical Confluences. The TC is a tool to locate and point out those price levels where there is a congestion of indicators, moving averages, Fibonacci levels, Pivot Points, etc. Knowing where these congestion points are located is very useful for the trader, and can be used as a basis for different strategies.

Learn more about Technical Confluence

Author

Yohay Elam

Yohay Elam

FXStreet

Yohay is in Forex since 2008 when he founded Forex Crunch, a blog crafted in his free time that turned into a fully-fledged currency website later sold to Finixio.

More from Yohay Elam
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 moves sideways below 1.1800 on Christmas Eve

EUR/USD struggles to find direction and trades in a narrow channel below 1.1800 after posting gains for two consecutive days. Bond and stock markets in the US will open at the usual time and close early on Christmas Eve, allowing the trading action to remain subdued. 

GBP/USD keeps range around 1.3500 amid quiet markets

GBP/USD keeps its range trade intact at around 1.3500 on Wednesday. The Pound Sterling holds the upper hand over the US Dollar amid pre-Christmas light trading as traders move to the sidelines heading into the holiday season. 

Gold retreats from record highs, trades below $4,500

Gold retreats after setting a new record-high above $4,520 earlier in the day and trades in a tight range below $4,500 as trading volumes thin out ahead of the Christmas break. The US Dollar selling bias remains unabated on the back of dovish Fed expectations, which continues to act as a tailwind for the bullion amid persistent geopolitical risks.

Bitcoin slips below $87,000 as ETF outflows intensify, whale participation declines

Bitcoin price continues to trade around $86,770 on Wednesday, after failing to break above the $90,000 resistance. US-listed spot ETFs record an outflow of $188.64 million on Tuesday, marking the fourth consecutive day of withdrawals.

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.

Avalanche struggles near $12 as Grayscale files updated form for ETF

Avalanche trades close to $12 by press time on Wednesday, extending the nearly 2% drop from the previous day. Grayscale filed an updated form to convert its Avalanche-focused Trust into an ETF with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.