Gold: Recovery rally weakens demand for put options


  • Gold has gained significant ground over the last couple of weeks. 
  • The options market has turned bullish on gold, validating the recent price rise.

Gold's recent recovery rally has forced option traders to rethink their bearish bias. 

The yellow metal bottomed out near $1,515 on March 20 and was last seen trading near $1,650 per ounce, representing a 0.38% gain on the day. Prices hit a high of $1,678 on Tuesday. 

With the price rise, one-month 25 delta risk reversals, a gauge of calls to puts on the safe-haven metal, has recovered from the multi-year low of -4.5 to above zero, indicating a bearish-to-bullish change in the sentiment in the options market. 

At press time, one-month risk reversals are seen at 0.45, having hit a high of 2.92 on March 26. A positive figure indicates that demand for call options or bullish bets is higher than that for put options or bearish bets. 

The bullish reversal seen in the options market validates the rally seen in the spot market. The global equity markets have also witnessed a double-digit recovery rally from the lows seen in March, largely due to the massive fiscal and monetary lifelines launched by major central banks and governments across the globe. However, analysts think the equities are not out of the woods yet, as the coronavirus outbreak is likely to keep the economic activity depressed for a longer-than-expected time. As a result, gold could continue to attact haven demand in the near-term. 

Risk reversals

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 retreats to 1.0750, eyes on Fedspeak

EUR/USD retreats to 1.0750, eyes on Fedspeak

EUR/USD stays under modest bearish pressure and trades at around 1.0750 on Wednesday. Hawkish comments from Fed officials help the US Dollar stay resilient and don't allow the pair to stage a rebound.

EUR/USD News

GBP/USD remains on the defensive around 1.2500 ahead of BoE

GBP/USD remains on the defensive around 1.2500 ahead of BoE

The constructive tone in the Greenback maintains the risk complex under pressure on Wednesday, motivating GBP/USD to add to Tuesday's losses and gyrate around the 1.2500 zone prior to the upcoming BoE's interest rate decision.

GBP/USD News

Gold flirts with $2,320 as USD demand losses steam

Gold flirts with $2,320 as USD demand losses steam

Gold struggles to make a decisive move in either direction and moves sideways in a narrow channel above $2,300. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield clings to modest gains near 4.5% and limits XAU/USD's upside.

Gold News

SEC vs. Ripple lawsuit sees redacted filing go public, XRP dips to $0.51

SEC vs. Ripple lawsuit sees redacted filing go public, XRP dips to $0.51

Ripple (XRP) dipped to $0.51 low on Wednesday, erasing its gains from earlier this week. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing is now public, in its redacted version. 

Read more

Softer growth, cooler inflation and rate cuts remain on the horizon

Softer growth, cooler inflation and rate cuts remain on the horizon

Economic growth in the US appears to be in solid shape. Although real GDP growth came in well below consensus expectations, the headline miss was mostly the result of larger-than-anticipated drags from trade and inventories.

Read more

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures