|

Gold reverses and drops to test $1220

  • A stronger US dollar pushed gold prices to the downside. 
  • The yellow metal dropped from weekly highs to test the $1,220 area. 

Gold prices moved with a bullish bias until the beginning of the American session. Price peaked at $1,228, the highest since November 7 and then turned to the downside. It pulled back and during the last hours accelerated the decline. 

It erased daily gains and recently printed a fresh daily low at $1,219.80. As of writing, trades at $1,221 holding a bearish tone but holding so far above $1,220 and also on top of yesterday’s low at $1,217.90. 

The retreat in gold took place amid a rally of the US dollar across the board and also on the back of a risk-off mood. Equity prices in Wall Street are falling sharply while crude oil prices are losing more than 4%. 

XAU/USD Technical outlook 

Gold remains confined to a tight range and with the upside still looking limited despite the latest recovery, as in the daily chart, a flat 20 DMA continues limiting advances, point out Valeria Bednarik, Chief Analyst at FXStreet. “The Momentum indicator in the daily chart aims north around its 100 level, while the RSI lost its upward strength after reaching neutral territory, now turning lower.”

She explains that in the shorter term, the 4 hours chart, shows the price barely holding above a bullish 20 SMA which converges with a mild bearish 100 SMA, as the Momentum heads nowhere right above its 100 level and the RSI retreats, now heading south around 55, all of which indicates limited buying interest.

To the downside, support levels could be seen at $1,213, $1,203 and $1,191. On the flip side, resistance might lie at $1,22 followed by $1,234 and $1,243.
 

Author

Matías Salord

Matías started in financial markets in 2008, after graduating in Economics. He was trained in chart analysis and then became an educator. He also studied Journalism. He started writing analyses for specialized websites before joining FXStreet.

More from Matías Salord
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD edges above 1.1750 due to ECB-Fed policy divergence

EUR/USD has recovered its recent losses registered in the previous session, trading around 1.1760 during the Asian hours on Friday. Traders will likely observe Germany’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index data later in the day.

GBP/USD gathers strength above 1.3450 on Fed rate cut bets, BoE's gradual policy path

The GBP/USD pair gathers strength to around 1.3480 during the early Asian session on Friday. Expectations of the US Federal Reserve rate cuts this year weigh on the US Dollar against the Pound Sterling. Philadelphia Fed President Anna Paulson is set to speak later on the weekend. 

Gold climbs to near $4,350 on Fed rate cut bets, geopolitical risks

Gold price 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.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple enter the New Year with breakout hopes

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple entered the new year trading at key technical levels on Friday, as traders seek fresh directional cues in January. With BTC locked in a tight range, ETH is approaching its 50-day Exponential Moving Average, while XRP is nearing resistance. A clear breakout across these top three cryptocurrencies could help define market momentum in the opening weeks of the year.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).