Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD climbs to near $4,350 on Fed rate cut bets, geopolitical risks

Gold price climbs to around $4,345 in Friday’s early Asian session.
Expectations of Fed rate cuts this year and geopolitical risks could boost the Gold price.
Increased margin requirements on gold and silver futures by the CME Group might cap the upside for precious metals.

Lallalit Srijandorn FXStreet

Gold price (XAU/USD) rises to near $4,345 during the early Asian session on Friday. Gold finished 2025 with a significant rally, achieving an annual gain of around 65%, its biggest annual gain since 1979. The rally of the precious metal is bolstered by the prospect of further US interest rate cuts in 2026 and safe-haven flows.

The US Federal Reserve (Fed) decided to cut the interest rate by 25 basis points (bps) at its December policy meeting, bringing the federal funds rate to a target range of 3.50%–3.75%. Those in favor cited increased downside risks to employment and easing inflation pressures. Fed Governor Stephen Miran voted against the action in favor of a jumbo rate cut, while Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee and Kansas City’s Jeff Schmid dissented in favor of leaving rates unchanged.

The minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on December 9-10 indicated that most Fed officials viewed further interest-rate reductions as appropriate, provided inflation declines over time, although they remained divided over when and by how much to cut. Lower interest rates could reduce the opportunity cost of holding Gold, supporting the non-yielding precious metal.

Additionally, the persistent Israel-Iran conflict and the ongoing US-Venezuela tensions could boost the Gold price. It’s worth noting that traders seek assets that can preserve value during periods of uncertainty, which supports a traditional safe-haven asset such as Gold.

On the other hand, traders could book their profits or rebalance their portfolio, which might cap the upside for the yellow metal. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group, one of the world’s largest trading floors for commodities, raised margin requirements for gold, silver, and other metals. These notices require traders to put up more cash on their bets in order to insure against the possibility that the trader will default when they take delivery of the contract.

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.

AUD/USD drops to two-week low, further below 0.7000 after RBA's less hawkish rate hike

AUD/USD drifts lower for the second straight day on Tuesday, hitting a fresh two-week low during the Asian session after the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) widely expected 25 bps rate hike. The decision was far from unanimous, with three members preferring to hold rates at 4.60%. This tempers expectations of further tightening, which, along with modest US Dollar strength, weighs on 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 struggles below $3,950 amid Fed hike bets, ahead of US midterm elections

Gold weakens further below $3,950 during the Asian session, reversing part of the previous day's recovery from a one-year low set last week. Data released on Monday showed that US manufacturing sector business activity expanded for the 10th straight month in October. The Institute for Supply Management's Manufacturing PMI came in higher than consensus estimates and rose to 55.5 in October from 54.5 in the previous month. This reaffirms hawkish US Federal Reserve expectations, which along with rebounding US bond yields, prompt fresh selling around the non-yielding yellow metal.

Cardano extends losses as sellers stay in control

Cardano (ADA) extends correction, trading below $0.189 on Tuesday after losing key support zone the previous day. Mixed derivatives data and cautious on-chain metrics continue to weigh on bullish sentiment, while weakening technical indicators suggest further downside risks for ADA.

What a split Congress means for the US Dollar

The United States is going to the polls on Tuesday, and much is at stake. The mid-term elections mean the renovation of roughly one-third of the Senate and all 435 of the House seats. Additionally, special elections in Florida and Ohio will be held to fill the seats vacated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.

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.