Gold rallies 2% to fresh highs in risk-off start to the week


  • Gold rallies to fresh highs on risk-off flows and liquidity returning.
  • Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said harsh revenge awaited the (US) “criminals”.

Gold os popping to fresh highs in a gap from $1551 to a high of $1587.93. The price of gold is elevated following a bid for safe-haven assets which are benefitting from tensions in the Middle East escalating due to last week's killing of a leading Iranian commander in a US airstrike in Iraq.

The US drone strike which killed Major General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force, the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said harsh revenge awaited the (US) “criminals”. while US President Donald Trump said over the weekend America is ready to strike 52 Iranian sites “very hard” if US assets are attacked. Subsequently, the price of the yellow metal is holding in the $1,550s following a risk-off close on Friday in US benchmarks which moved back from their all-time peaks in response to Friday’s headlines as the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite declined 0.81%, 0.71% and 0.79%, respectively.

US/Iran updates and tensions heating up

Iraq’s parliament called for US and other foreign troops to leave the country although the US and French are urging for them to unite to fight ISIS together in the region. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that he had spoken by phone with Iraq's prime minister, and stressed the importance of allowing the international coalition to fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. Also today, Iran said, in the latest escalation, that it would not respect any limits set down in the 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers on the number of uranium enrichment centrifuges it could use, which meant there would be no limits on its enrichment capacity, according to state television.

Gold levels

The calendar year 2019 saw gold advancing 18 per cent — the highest return since CY2010, when it had generated a return of nearly 30 per cent. At this juncture, a break of 1590 opens risk to 1603 and 1632. 

Share: Feed news

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

Recommended content


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD holds above 1.0700 ahead of key US data

EUR/USD holds above 1.0700 ahead of key US data

EUR/USD trades in a tight range above 1.0700 in the early European session on Friday. The US Dollar struggles to gather strength ahead of key PCE Price Index data, the Fed's preferred gauge of inflation, and helps the pair hold its ground. 

EUR/USD News

USD/JPY stays above 156.00 after BoJ Governor Ueda's comments

USD/JPY stays above 156.00 after BoJ Governor Ueda's comments

USD/JPY holds above 156.00 after surging above this level with the initial reaction to the Bank of Japan's decision to leave the policy settings unchanged. BoJ Governor said weak Yen was not impacting prices but added that they will watch FX developments closely.

USD/JPY News

Gold price oscillates in a range as the focus remains glued to the US PCE Price Index

Gold price oscillates in a range as the focus remains glued to the US PCE Price Index

Gold price struggles to attract any meaningful buyers amid the emergence of fresh USD buying. Bets that the Fed will keep rates higher for longer amid sticky inflation help revive the USD demand.

Gold News

Sei Price Prediction: SEI is in the zone of interest after a 10% leap

Sei Price Prediction: SEI is in the zone of interest after a 10% leap

Sei price has been in recovery mode for almost ten days now, following a fall of almost 65% beginning in mid-March. While the SEI bulls continue to show strength, the uptrend could prove premature as massive bearish sentiment hovers above the altcoin’s price.

Read more

US core PCE inflation set to signal firm price pressures as markets delay Federal Reserve rate cut bets

US core PCE inflation set to signal firm price pressures as markets delay Federal Reserve rate cut bets

The core PCE Price Index, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is seen as the more influential measure of inflation in terms of Fed positioning. The index is forecast to rise 0.3% on a monthly basis in March, matching February’s increase. 

Read more

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures