|

Gold Price Analysis: XAU/USD to remain bullish in 2021 as central banks keep supporting recovery

Gold (XAU/USD) surged to all-time highs above $2,000 in August. The yellow metal went into a consolidation phase below $2,000 toward the end of summer and staged a deep correction in November. However, the improving market sentiment in the last quarter of the year also weighed heavily on the USD and allowed XAU/USD to rebound toward $1,900. Gold looks to build on 2020 gains with central banks staying dovish, FXStreet’s Eren Sengezer reports.

Key quotes

“Despite the liquidity flooding the financial markets, inflation outlook in major economies remains subdued and major central banks voiced their commitment to keeping their policies extremely loose until they see a convincing increase in price pressures. This suggests that investors will not give up on gold in the near future.” 

“A return to normality with mass COVID-19 vaccinations could make risk-sensitive assets more attractive, especially in the second half of 2021, and dampen the demand for the yellow metal.” 

“The Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index, the Fed’s preferred gauge of inflation, dropped to 1.4% on a yearly basis in October. The Fed might take a dovish action unless there is a dramatic jump in inflation data and XAU/USD could gather bullish momentum.”

“On the monthly chart, the price seems to have recovered above the ascending trend line coming from May 2019, confirming the bullish outlook. If XAU/USD continues to follow that line, a rise above $2,000 could be expected around mid-2021.”

Author

FXStreet Team

Composed of a group of economic journalists and FX experts, the FXStreet content team produces and oversees all content published on FXStreet. It provides a purely journalistic approach to the Forex market.

More from FXStreet Team
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD hovers around 0.7000, over one-week low ahead of RBA decision

AUD/USD consolidates the previous day's losses to an over one-week low, holding steady around 0.7000 during the Asian session on Tuesday ahead of the RBA rate decision. Meanwhile, the US Dollar remains depressed as hopes for a diplomatic resolution to end the US-Iran war counter Fed hike bets amid market anxiety ahead of the US midterm elections, further supporting the currency pair.





USD/JPY fails near 159.00 amid weak USD, intervention risks

USD/JPY edges lower during Tuesday’s Asian session, reversing part of the previous day's gains to 158.00 as the US Dollar remains depressed amid hopes for Iran diplomacy and ahead of US midterm elections. Meanwhile, intervention risks support the Japanese Yen, though the uncertainty over the timing of the next BoJ rate hike caps gains. This keeps the pair confined within a familiar range and warrants caution before placing directional bets.


Gold consolidates near $3,950 as Fed hike bets counter weak USD ahead of US elections

Gold holds steady around $3,950 through Tuesday’s Asian session, consolidating the previous day's recovery gains from the lowest level since October 2025, touched last week. Hopes for Iran optimism keep the safe-haven US Dollar depressed, which, along with anxiety ahead of US midterm elections, supports the bullion. However, Fed rate-hike bets and a modest bounce in US bond yields cap gains for the non-yielding yellow metal.

RBA expected to raise interest rate to 4.85%

The Reserve Bank of Australia will announce its monetary policy decision on Tuesday and is widely anticipated to raise the Official Cash Rate by 25 basis points to 4.85% from 4.6%. If the RBA delivers as expected, it will be the fifth interest rate hike of 2026, and the OCR will hit an 18-year high.

Strong iPhone sales fortify Apple's Q4 result

A robust fourth-quarter for Apple's iPhone sales helped the tech titan beat Wall Street's consensus on Monday. Apple reported $57.58 billion in iPhone sales in Q4, beating the average analyst estimate by more than a billion. However, AAPL stock shed close to 4% afterhours despite the top and bottom line beat.

The 2% inflation target came from a throwaway remark. It now moves trillions
The Federal Reserve's 2% inflation goal grew out of an off-the-cuff remark by a New Zealand politician in 1988. Bond investors still price long-term US debt as if 2% holds, so a change in how the Fed measures inflation would move markets.