Gold Price Analysis: XAU/USD sees back and forth trading on Wednesday, holding above $2,040

Spot Gold is caught in the middle as buyers and sellers play tug-of-war on Wednesday.
Intraday price action holding on the high end after Tuesday's afternoon rally.
XAU/USD is looking to catch a foothold on the $2,050 level.

Joshua Gibson FXStreet

Gold prices are continuing to drift into the upside, holding on the high side of $2,040 on Wednesday. Gold hit its highest bids in six months.

The XAU/USD briefly ticked over $2,050 in the early Wednesday session before slipping back into $2,035, and Spot Gold is now testing back towards $2,050 heading into the back segment of the day's trading session. The day's bullish target will be setting fresh daily highs above $2,052.

An upside beat for US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth figures is mixing with surprisingly hawkish Fedspeak from Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Richmond President Tom Barkin, who noted that rate hikes might not be entirely off the table if inflation resumes climbing.

US Real GDP grows, Fedspeak sends mixed messages

US quarterly GDP growth clocked in at 5.2% for the third quarter, beating the market forecast of 5.0% and climbing over the previous quarter's 4.9% showing.

Next up on the economic calendar will be Thursday's US Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) Price Index for the month of October.

Wall Street is expecting PCE inflation, the Fed's favored method of measuring price growth, to print a slight downtick with investors hoping that inflation continues to cool at a steady pace in the US.

MoM PCE inflation is expected to come in at 0.2% vs 0.3%, while the annualized period into October is expected to print at 3.56% versus September's 3.7%.

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Tom Barkin stated on Wednesday that he is unwilling to take further rate hikes off the table once and for all, noting that he believes inflation will remain stubborn for longer than markets are currently pricing in.

Richmond Fed President Barkin remains skeptical that US inflation will be returning to 2% anytime soon without active involvement from the Fed.

XAU/USD Technical Outlook

Spot Gold continues to bid into the high end, staring straight down the mouth of 2023's highs around $2,080, and the pair is drifting higher as markets continue to push up the XAU/USD after decisively reclaiming the $2,000 handle on Monday.

Gold continues to rally after catching a rebound from the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) near $1,940, and upside price action is seeing a squeeze in the moving averages, with the 50-day SMA set for a bullish crossover of the 200-day SMA as long as topside momentum holds.

XAU/USD Daily Chart

XAU/USD Technical Levels

XAU/USD

Overview
Today last price	2047.88
Today Daily Change	6.65
Today Daily Change %	0.33
Today daily open	2041.23

Trends
Daily SMA20	1979.98
Daily SMA50	1938.85
Daily SMA100	1935.42
Daily SMA200	1942.58

Levels
Previous Daily High	2043.09
Previous Daily Low	2011.57
Previous Weekly High	2007.63
Previous Weekly Low	1965.51
Previous Monthly High	2009.49
Previous Monthly Low	1810.51
Daily Fibonacci 38.2%	2031.05
Daily Fibonacci 61.8%	2023.61
Daily Pivot Point S1	2020.84
Daily Pivot Point S2	2000.44
Daily Pivot Point S3	1989.32
Daily Pivot Point R1	2052.36
Daily Pivot Point R2	2063.48
Daily Pivot Point R3	2083.88

Author

Joshua Gibson

FXStreet

Joshua joins the FXStreet team as an Economics and Finance double major from Vancouver Island University with twelve years' experience as an independent trader focusing on technical analysis.

GBP/USD extends the drop to 1.3360

GBP/USD builds on Monday’s decline and briefly clinches five-day lows near 1.3360 on Tuesday. Cable’s extra pullback follows the better tone in the Greenback as uncertainty in the Middle East prompts investors to adopt a cautious stance. Meanwhile, an apathetic UK labour market report also collaborates with the selling pressure on the British Pound.

EUR/USD stays offered just above 1.1400

EUR/USD keeps the downtrend well in place for yet another day, challenging the 1.1400 contention zone on Tuesday. The continuation of the selling impulse in spot comes amid decent gains in the US Dollar, which continues to find support in the persistent effervescence surrounding the US-Iran crisis.

Gold hits one-week high, near $4,100 as bulls shrug off Fed hike bets and firmer USD

Gold advances to an over one-week high during the Asian session on Wednesday, with bulls now awaiting a move beyond $4,100 before positioning for additional gains. However, concerns about energy-driven inflation risks continue to fuel Fed rate-hike bets and act as a tailwind for the US Dollar amid escalating US-Iran tensions, which, in turn, could cap the bullion.

XRP rebounds on rising on-chain activity

Ripple (XRP) ticks up and trades around $1.13 at the time of writing on Tuesday. This rebound aligns with a broader recovery in the cryptocurrency market, attributed to reports that mediators between the United States (US) and Iran are seeking a 10-day cessation of strikes to find a way back to the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The Iranian war has again risen

The Iranian war has again risen to the top of the economics factor list. There is no end in sight. Intelligence experts say the current level of offense/retaliation will not change minds in Tehran, while in Washington, Trump fears all-out war, which would mean boots on the ground.

US Dollar mid-year outlook: Exceptional currency, exceptional risks?

The US Dollar enters the second half of 2026 in a markedly different position from a year ago. The King currency has recovered, reflecting persistent US inflation, changing expectations for Fed policy, geopolitical tensions and renewed demand for defensive assets.