Gold Price Forecast: XAUUSD pressured as core PCE jumps, justifying further Fed action

• Gold price records a fresh three-day low spurred by a strong US Dollar.
• The Fed’s preferred gauge for inflation, the Core PCE, smashed estimates, justifying additional action.
•  US Treasury bond yields jumped, with the 10-year eyeing to recoup the 4% threshold.

Gold price slides and extends its losses below $1650 due to stubbornly high US inflation reported namely the Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), the Federal Reserve’s favorite gauge of inflation, which increased more than estimates, bolstering the US Dollar. Therefore, the XAUUSD is trading at $1641.62, diving 1.23%, eyeing the weekly lows of around $1638.

The Fed’s gauge of inflation justifies additional tightening

On Friday, the US Commerce Department revealed that September’s US inflation, as measured by the Core PCE, which strips volatile items like food and energy, jumped 0.5% MoM, higher than the previous reading, while annually based, escalated by 5.1%, above 4.9% forecasts by street’s analysts. In a separate report, the Employment Cost Index (ECI), an indicator used by the Fed in addressing inflation on wages, increased by 1.2% in the July-September period, as reported by the Department of Labor.

Given the backdrop, the so-called Fed pivot narrative could be tossed away as inflation remains stubbornly high and salaries are rising, despite the Federal Reserve’s effort to tame inflation.

Of late, additional US economic data was reported, with the University of Michigan (UoM) Consumer Sentiment unchanged at 59.9. Consumer’s inflation expectations for the 1-year horizon easied from 5.1% to 5%, and for a 5-years and beyond, were unchanged at 2.9%.

US Dollar bolstered on PCE data, Federal Reserve meeting eyed

After the data was released, the XAU remained on the defensive, as the reasons above will justify further Fed tightening. The US Dollar Index, a measure of the buck’s value against six currencies, is up 0.20%, at 110.78, while US Treasury yields, namely the 10-year benchmark rate, recover five bps up at 3.973%.

In the meantime, Wall Street holds to gains amidst a decent earnings season, keeping US equities in the green.

Now market participants turn to the next week’s Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC), in which most analysts expect the Fed to hike rates by 75 bps, as reported by the CME FedWatch Tool, with odds at an 84.5% chance. However, December’s meeting is split between 50 or 75 bps, with the majority of the investors

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Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD to remain vulnerable amid climbing yields and strong dollar – Commerzbank

Gold price is on the retreat again. Strategists at Commerzbank expect the yellow metal to stay offered as rising yields lift the dollar.

US interest rate at its highest level since August 2009

“The renewed price weakness was triggered by a noticeably stronger US dollar again and rising bond yields as further pronounced rate hikes by the Fed are anticipated. This puts the real US interest rate using market-based inflation expectations at 1.7%, its highest level since August 2009. This makes gold less attractive as a non-interest-bearing investment.”

“For as long as the headwind generated by the US dollar and climbing (real) yields persist, gold is likely to remain on the defensive.”

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Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD rebounds from YTD low, upside potential seems limited

Gold reverses an intraday slide to its lowest level since April 2020 amid a modest USD pullback.

Recession fears, a softer risk tone further extend some support to the safe-haven commodity.

Bets for more aggressive Fed rate hikes to limit the USD downfall and cap gains for the metal.

Gold stages a goodish bounce from its lowest level since April 2020 touched earlier this Monday and climbs to a fresh daily high during the early European session. Bulls, however, struggle to capitalize on the move beyond the $1,650 level and remain at the mercy of the US dollar price dynamics.

In fact, the USD Index, which measures the greenback's performance against a basket of currencies, surrenders its early gains to a fresh two-decade high amid a recovery in the European currencies. This, in turn, assists the dollar-denominated gold to attract some buyers near the $1,626 region. Apart from this, the prevalent cautious market mood, amid worries about a deeper global economic downturn, turns out to be another factor offering support to the safe-haven precious metal.

The attempted recovery, however, lacks follow-through buying, warranting caution before positioning for any meaningful upside. The Fed last week delivered another supersized rate hike and signalled that it will likely undertake more aggressive increases at its upcoming meetings to tame inflation. A more hawkish stance adopted by the US central bank remains supportive of elevated US Treasury bond yields and should limit any meaningful USD corrective slide, at least for the time being.

The yield on the rate-sensitive 2-year US government bond stands tall near a 15-year high and the benchmark 10-year Treasury note hits the highest in 11 years. This might further contribute to keeping a lid on the non-yielding gold. In the absence of any relevant economic data from the US, traders will take cues from speeches by influential FOMC members. This, along with the US bond yields, the USD price dynamics and the broader risk sentiment might provide some impetus to gold.

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Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD lifted by Putin, Fed to knock it down – TDS

Gold capitalized on safe-haven flows and climbed above $1,670 as investors seek refuge as Russian President Vladimir Putin announces military mobilization. But eyes are on the Federal Reserve. A hawkish hike is set to weigh on the yellow metal, strategists at TD Securities report.

FOMC to provide more hawkish signals

“Gold is catching a safe-haven bid as Russia has escalated the war in Ukraine with Putin declaring a partial mobilization in Russia and threatening use of nuclear weapons. Nonetheless, it is Fed day, where aggressive Fed expectations are being priced in.”

“The persistence of inflation continues to support an aggressive effort by the Fed, and we expect the FOMC to deliver its third consecutive 75 bps rate hike, bringing the policy stance decidedly above its estimate of the longer-run neutral level. We also look for the Committee to provide more hawkish signals through the update of its economic projections and for Chair Powell to build on his Jackson Hole message.” 

“While prices are certainly weak, precious metals' price action could still have further to fall as the restrictive rates regime is set to last for longer. Indeed, gold and silver prices have tended to display a systematic underperformance when markets expect the real level of the Fed funds rate to rise above the neutral rate, as estimated by Laubach-Williams.”

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Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD remains poised to test $1,688 key support

Gold price is licking its wounds near $1,700 after Tuesday’s sharp sell off.

The US dollar retreats amid a USD/JPY slide and a pause in the yields rally.

XAU/USD looks south amid a wall of powerful resistance levels.

Gold price is consolidating the previous sell off, as bears are taking a breather before resuming the next leg lower. A pause in the US Treasury yields rally combined with a broad US dollar retreat is offering a temporary reprieve to gold buyers. The bright metal remains vulnerable amid the revival of hopes for aggressive Fed tightening in the coming months. The US inflation data outpaced estimates and squashed the ‘peak inflation’ narrative, suggesting that the Fed will continue with bigger and more rapid rate hikes to control inflation. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets are now pricing a 36% chance of a full percentage point Fed rate hike next week. Attention now turns towards the US key events in the second half of the week for fresh trading opportunities in the bullion.

Gold Price: Key levels to watch

The Technical Confluence Detector shows that the gold price is eyeing a firm break below the SMA5 four-hour at $1,702 to resume the bearish momentum towards the previous day’s low of $1,697.

Bears will then gear up for a test of the previous week’s low of $1,691, below which the convergence of the pivot point one-day S1 and Bollinger Band one-day Lower at $1,688 will be put at risk.

On the flip side, strong resistance is seen around $1,707, the confluence of the Fibonacci 61.8% one-week and the Fibonacci 23.6% one-day. Acceptance above the latter is needed to offer a fresh boost to XAU bulls.

The next relevant upside target is aligned at $1,710, the meeting point of the Fibonacci 38.2% one-day and SMA10 one-day. Further up, the intersection of the SMA5 one-day and the Fibonacci 38.2% one-week at $1,715 will be the level to beat for bulls.

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Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD jumps closer to Friday’s swing high amid notable USD supply

• Gold catches fresh bids on Monday and turns positive for the second successive day.
• The prevalent USD selling bias turns out to be a key factor boosting the commodity.
• A positive risk tone, the prospects for more aggressive central banks continue to cap.

Gold attracts some dip-buying near the $1,712 area on Monday and turns positive for the second straight day. The XAU/USD refreshes its daily high, around the $1,726-$1,727 region during the European session and moves back closer to a one-and-half-week high touched on Friday.

The US dollar extends last week's sharp retracement slide and remains under intense selling pressure on the first day of a new week. In fact, the USD Index, which measures the greenback's performance against a basket of currencies, dives to a fresh monthly low and offers support to the dollar-denominated gold.

Given that the markets have already priced in a 75 bps Fed rate hike move in September, subdued action around the US Treasury bond yields turns out to be a key factor weighing on the greenback. Apart from this, growing worries about a deeper global economic downturn further contribute to driving flows towards safe-haven gold.

That said, a positive risk tone - as depicted by a generally upbeat mood around the equity markets - could act as a headwind for the precious metal. Furthermore, the prospects for a more aggressive policy tightening by major central banks warrant some caution before positioning for any further appreciating move for the non-yielding gold.

Investors might also prefer to move to the sidelines ahead of the latest US consumer inflation figures, due for release on Tuesday. The crucial US CPI report will influence the Fed's policy outlook and dictate the near-term USD trajectory. This, in turn, will help investors to determine the next leg of a directional move for gold.

In the meantime, the XAU/USD is more likely to enter a consolidation phase amid absent relevant market-moving economic data from the US. That said, the US bond yields, the USD price dynamics, along with the broader risk sentiment, might still provide some impetus to gold and allow traders to grab short-term opportunities.

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