Gold: Recent Mid-East flare up adds to upside risks – ING

EUR/USD turns south and declines toward 1.1700 on Wednesday. The US Dollar gathers recovery momentum and forces the pair to stay on the back foor, as traders look to USD short-covering ahead of US inflation report on Thursday. However, the downside could be capped by hawkish ECB expectations. 

GBP/USD stays under strong selling pressure midweek and trades below 1.3350. The UK annual headline and core CPI rose by 3.2% each, missing estimates of 3.5% and 3.4%, respectively, reaffirming dovish BoE expectations and smashing the Pound Sterling across the board ahead of Thurday's BoE policy announcements. 

Following Tuesday's volatile action, Gold regains its traction on Wednesday and trades in positive territory above $4,300. While the buildup in the USD recovery momentum caps XAU/USD's upside, the cautious market stance helps the pair hold its ground.

Bitcoin (BTC) remains under pressure, trading below $87,000 on Wednesday, nearing a key support level. A decisive daily close below this zone could open the door to a deeper correction.

While the Fed eased its monetary policy on 10 December for the third consecutive FOMC meeting, without making any guarantees about future action, the BoE, the ECB and the BoJ are holding their respective meetings this week. 

Aave (AAVE) price continues its decline, trading below $186 at the time of writing on Wednesday after a rejection at the key resistance zone. Derivatives positioning and momentum indicators suggest that bearish forces still dominate in the near term.