Gold price bulls seem non committed as focus remains glued to US CPI report

Gold price (XAU/USD) attracts some buyers on Thursday and for now, seems to have snapped a six-day losing streak to a nearly three-week low, around the $2,605-2,604 area tested the previous day. The uptick, however, lacks bullish conviction and is more likely to run out of steam amid rising bets for a regular 25 basis points (bps) interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve (Fed) in November. This assists the US Dollar (USD) in preserving its recent strong gains to an eight-week top and should act as a headwind for the non-yielding yellow metal. 

Traders might also prefer to move to the sidelines and wait for the release of the crucial US consumer inflation figures later during the North American session. The key US Consumer Price Index (CPI) report might influence expectations about the size of the Fed's rate cut next month, which, in turn, will drive the USD demand and provide some meaningful impetus to the Gold price. Apart from this, developments surrounding the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East will be looked upon to grab short-term opportunities around the safe-haven precious metal. 

Daily Digest Market Movers: Gold price might struggle to build on modest  strength ahead of US inflation figures

• Minutes from the September FOMC meeting revealed that a majority supported the 50 basis point rate cut as the committee was confident of inflation moving toward the 2% goal.
• Some participants, however, indicated that they would have preferred only a 25 bps rate reduction, citing still elevated inflation, solid economic growth, and a low unemployment rate. 
• Moreover, there was a consensus that the outsized rate cut would not lock the Federal Reserve into any specific pace for future cuts, lifting the US Dollar to a nearly two-month high.
• Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan pointed to meaningful uncertainties surrounding the economic outlook, though argued that she favored smaller rate reductions going forward.
• Boston Fed President Susan Collins stressed that policy is not on a pre-set path and will remain data-dependent and that it is important to preserve healthy labor market conditions.
• San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said that one or two more rate cuts this year are likely, though noted that a 50 bps cut in September does not say anything about the size of next cuts. 
• Traders are now pricing in a greater chance that the Fed will lower borrowing costs by only 25 bps in November and over a 20% probability that it will keep rates on hold in November. 
• The yield on the rate-sensitive two-year US government bond shot to its highest yield since August 19 and the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed to levels not seen since July 31.
• Investors remained wary of escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant promising that a strike against the latter would be "lethal, precise and surprising".
• This, along with some repositioning trade ahead of the crucial US Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, lends some support to the safe-haven Gold price during the Asian session on Thursday.

Technical Outlook: Gold price could accelerate corrective decline from the all-time peak once $2,600 is broken

From a technical perspective, this week's breakdown below the $2,630 area, representing the lower boundary of a short-term trading range, was seen as a key trigger for bearish traders. That said, oscillators on the daily chart – though have been losing traction – are holding in positive territory. Moreover, the Gold price, so far, has managed to hold above the $2,600 mark. This makes it prudent to wait for a sustained break and acceptance below the said handle before positioning for deeper losses. The XAU/USD might then extend the downfall towards the next relevant support near the $2,560 zone en route to the $2,535-2,530 region before eventually dropping to the $2,500 psychological mark.

On the flip side, the trading range support breakpoint, around the $2,630-2,635 region, now seems to act as an immediate hurdle. Any further move up could be seen as a selling opportunity and remain capped near the $2,657-2,658 horizontal barrier. A sustained strength beyond the latter could lift the Gold price to the $2,670-$2,672 supply zone, above which bulls might aim to challenge the all-time high, around the $2,685-2,686 zone touched in September. This is closely followed by the $2,700 mark, which if cleared will set the stage for an extension of a well-established multi-month-old uptrend.