Gold stalls recovery as traders eye FOMC meeting minutes
- Gold loses momentum after last week's relief rally from below the $4,000 mark.
- Hawkish Fed expectations and elevated US Treasury yields cap the upside in the non-yielding metal.
- Investors turn their focus to the FOMC meeting minutes due on Wednesday.
Gold (XAU/USD) stalls its recovery and trades on the back foot for a second consecutive day on Tuesday as a steady US Dollar (USD) and doubts over the Federal Reserve's (Fed) interest rate path keep the upside in check.
At the time of writing, XAU/USD is trading flat around $4,150 after hitting an intraday low of $4,116.
Recent US labor market data point to a gradual slowdown after improving earlier this year, reducing expectations of a near-term Fed rate hike and helping Gold recover from the more than seven-month low of $3,941 touched last week.
The four-week average of the ADP Employment Change eased to 21K from 24.25K. This follows last week's disappointing June Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report, which showed the US economy added just 57K jobs, well below market expectations of 110K.
However, the data did little to change the broader hawkish Fed narrative. New York Fed President John Williams said on Tuesday that the risks to the labor market are "pretty balanced," inflation is "still quite high," and monetary policy is "well positioned" to achieve the Fed's goals.
According to the CME FedWatch Tool, traders are pricing in a 75% probability that the US central bank will leave borrowing costs unchanged at this month's meeting. Meanwhile, the odds of a September rate hike stand at 58%, down from 68% a week ago.
Hawkish Fed expectations, elevated US Treasury yields and lingering uncertainty over a final US-Iran peace agreement continue to support the broader US Dollar (USD) outlook, limiting Gold's upside. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback's value against a basket of six major currencies, is trading around 100.95.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly attacked a commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations on a final agreement would not begin while threats persist, after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would either reach a deal with Tehran or "finish the job."
Traders now turn their attention to the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes, due on Wednesday, for fresh clues on the monetary policy path in the coming months, which could influence Gold prices.
Meanwhile, the latest CFTC Commitments of Traders (COT) report showed speculative traders increased their bullish bets on Gold in the week ended June 30, with non-commercial net long positions rising to 194K contracts from 181.3K a week earlier.
Technical analysis: XAU/USD rebound loses steam below $4,200
On the daily chart, XAU/USD maintains a bearish bias as it holds below both the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at $4,489 and the 100-day SMA at $4,619.
Momentum is subdued, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovering near 44, while the Average Directional Index (ADX) around 38 hints at a still-established but not explosive downtrend.
On the topside, initial resistance is seen at $4,200, ahead of the 200-day SMA at $4,489, with the longer-term bearish threshold reinforced by the 100-day SMA at $4,619.
On the downside, the first meaningful support aligns with the horizontal level at $3,950, where a break would likely extend the current corrective phase toward lower psychological floors.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
Gold FAQs
Gold has played a key role in human’s history as it has been widely used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Currently, apart from its shine and usage for jewelry, the precious metal is widely seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that it is considered a good investment during turbulent times. Gold is also widely seen as a hedge against inflation and against depreciating currencies as it doesn’t rely on any specific issuer or government.
Central banks are the biggest Gold holders. In their aim to support their currencies in turbulent times, central banks tend to diversify their reserves and buy Gold to improve the perceived strength of the economy and the currency. High Gold reserves can be a source of trust for a country’s solvency. Central banks added 1,136 tonnes of Gold worth around $70 billion to their reserves in 2022, according to data from the World Gold Council. This is the highest yearly purchase since records began. Central banks from emerging economies such as China, India and Turkey are quickly increasing their Gold reserves.
Gold has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar and US Treasuries, which are both major reserve and safe-haven assets. When the Dollar depreciates, Gold tends to rise, enabling investors and central banks to diversify their assets in turbulent times. Gold is also inversely correlated with risk assets. A rally in the stock market tends to weaken Gold price, while sell-offs in riskier markets tend to favor the precious metal.
The price can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can quickly make Gold price escalate due to its safe-haven status. As a yield-less asset, Gold tends to rise with lower interest rates, while higher cost of money usually weighs down on the yellow metal. Still, most moves depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAU/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Gold controlled, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to push Gold prices up.
Author
Vishal Chaturvedi
FXStreet
I am a macro-focused research analyst with over four years of experience covering forex and commodities market. I enjoy breaking down complex economic trends and turning them into clear, actionable insights that help traders stay ahead of the curve.
