|

Gold: Trust, not demand, drives the mega-theme – TDS

Gold prices aggressively rejected the move towards the uptrend that defined this year's epic rally, TDS' Senior Commodity Strategist Daniel Ghali notes.

Fast money shorts set stage for a surprise surge

"Price action corroborates our view that fast money have engaged in short positions, in line with our latest read of macro fund positioning. This flow may have been concealed in CFTC positioning data due to concurrent (1) risk parity re-levering over the last weeks and (2) ebbs and flows in CTA positioning, which obfuscate the read of aggregate open interest."

"For the time being, the buying impulse which powered gold's rally has eased along with the détente on trade, but many catalysts lie ahead, several of which appear imminent: (1) growing echoes of "Treasury QE"; (2) trade files; (3) resumed interest rate cuts, (4) a stagflationary environment, or (5) challenges to central bank credibility. Western money managers will be caught off guard."

"Price action in the Shanghai premium already suggest dip buyers have reemerged in the East. We continue to argue that gold's rally isn't about demand, it's about trust. We believe we are in the midst of the third major change in the monetary order with striking analogies to the 1970s. This positioning set-up is simply a symptom of this mega-theme."

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

More from FXStreet Insights Team
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD picks up amid easing geopolitical tensions, bright data from China

The Australian Dollar posts moderate gains against the US Dollar on Tuesday, regaining some of the ground lost last week, although it remains at its lowest level in nearly two months. News that Israel and Iran halted hostilities has triggered a mild relief rally. At the same time, upbeat Chinese trade data has provided additional support for the Aussie, as China is Australia’s major trading partner.

Japanese Yen steadies near recent lows as ceasefire, Japan intervention threats offset

USD/JPY trades around 160.15 on Tuesday, remaining close to its highest level since April 30 despite a broadly neutral intraday performance. The pair retains an underlying bullish bias, supported by expectations that US monetary policy will remain restrictive, although upside potential is being capped by the risk of intervention from Japanese authorities.

Gold draws support from weaker USD; bulls seem hesitant amid Fed hike bets

Gold extends its sideways consolidative price move through the Asian session, and remains close to the lowest level since March 23, around the $4,268-$4,267 region touched the previous day. The US Dollar retreated from an over two-month high after Iran and Israel said on Monday they had ​halted attacks on each other following an appeal from US President Donald Trump.

XRP and XLM outlook: Fragile recovery as traders favor downside

Ripple and Stellar remain under pressure on Tuesday after a mild recovery following a massive correction in the previous week. Weakening derivatives positioning, alongside mixed on-chain data for both XRP and XLM, suggests that any recovery rallies are likely viewed as corrective within a broader bearish context. Derivatives data shows a bearish tilt.

Hotter US inflation numbers could further bolster Fed hike bets

Middle East tensions keep inflation risks elevated. Fed hike fully priced in by year end amid strong NFP report. US CPI data on Wednesday (12:30 GMT) to enter the spotlight. Further acceleration in inflation could drive the Dollar higher.

The US economy defies the rules: 100 days into the Oil shock and the recession signal is still missing

More than three months after the start of the Iran war and the resulting disruption to global energy markets, the US economy continues to display remarkable resilience. The conflict has triggered a sharp rise in Oil prices, reignited inflationary pressures and fueled widespread concerns about a potential economic slowdown.