Gold Price Forecast: XAUUSD to shrug off ECB meeting 

Gold is on standby ahead of European Central Bank (ECB) meeting. Economists at Commerzbank expect the ECB decision to be ignored by the yellow metal.

Gold is popular with central banks as a safe haven and store of value

“We believe that the ECB will decide today to bring its bond purchases to an end at the start of the third quarter. In addition, it is likely to signal fairly clearly that interest rates will be raised at its next meeting in July and that the deposit rate will no longer be negative by the end of September. This would imply that the next rate hike will come in September.”

“We believe it is questionable whether any statement will be made about the longer-term interest rate outlook, as there is still a lack of consensus on this issue within the ECB Governing Council. The hawkish remarks expected from Lagarde are probably already priced in, for the most part, so under normal circumstances, we would not expect any major reaction from the gold price this afternoon.” 

“According to a survey of nearly 60 central banks conducted by the World Gold Council (WGC), about a quarter of central banks are planning to top up their gold reserves in the next twelve months. What is more, the majority of survey respondents expect the proportion of gold in the currency reserves to increase in the next few years.” 

“The WGC says that gold is popular with central banks as a safe haven and store of value. Furthermore, gold is expected to perform better in times of crisis. That said, central banks have been buying considerably less gold of late.”

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 AUD/USD remains on the defensive near 0.7200 mark, downside seems cushioned

AUD/USD came under some renewed selling pressure on Wednesday amid modest USD strength.

A goodish pickup in the US bond yields and a softer risk tone benefitted the safe-haven greenback.

A break below the 0.7150 area is needed to confirm a bearish outlook ahead of the US CPI on Friday.

The AUD/USD pair met with a fresh supply on Wednesday and erased the previous day's modest gains back closer to the 100-day SMA resistance. The pair remained on the defensive heading into the North American session and was last seen trading around the 0.7200 mark, down nearly 0.35% for the day.

A combination of factors provided a modest intraday lift to the US dollar, which, in turn, exerted some downward pressure on the AUD/USD pair. Investors remain concerned that the global supply chain disruption caused by the Russia-Ukraine war could push consumer prices even higher and force the Fed to tighten its monetary policy at a faster pace. This, in turn, triggered a fresh leg up in the US Treasury bond yields, which, along with a softer risk tone, offered some support to the safe-haven greenback.

The market sentiment remains fragile amid doubts that central banks can hike interest rates to curb inflation without impacting economic growth. This, to a larger extent, overshadowed a more hawkish Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) decision on Tuesday. It is worth recalling that the RBA raised interest rates by the most in 22 years and indicated that further tightening is in the pipeline as it battles to restrain surging inflation. The markets were quick to price in the real risk of another 50 bps rise in July.

That said, the AUD/USD pair's inability to gain any meaningful traction and repeated failures near the 100/200-day SMA confluence suggests that the recent bounce from the YTD low has run out of steam. Traders, however, seemed reluctant to place aggressive bearish bets and preferred to wait for the US consumer inflation figures, scheduled for release on Friday. Hence, it will be prudent to wait for sustained weakness below the 0.7150 horizontal support before positioning for any further depreciating move.

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EUR/USD looks offered and drops to 3-day lows near 1.0660

EUR/USD loses further ground and revisits the 1.0660 region.

The greenback extends the bid bias despite lower yields.

Germany Construction PMI eased to 45.4 in May.

Sellers appear well in control of the sentiment around the European currency and drag EUR/USD back to the 1.0660 zone on Tuesday.

EUR/USD in multi-day lows

EUR/USD sheds ground for the third session in a row on Tuesday and pushes further south of the 1.0700 mark in the first half of the week, always in response to the selling pressure in the risk-associated universe.

Also reflecting the offered bias in the risk complex, US and German yields recede from recent tops, although they manage well to keep the trade in the upper end of the range.

In the domestic calendar, German Factory Orders contracted at a monthly 2.7% in April and the Construction PMI eased a tad to 45.4 in May. Across the Atlantic, Balance of Trade results and the Consumer Credit Change figures are due later in the NA session.

What to look for around EUR

EUR/USD continues to lose momentum and extends further the rejection from peaks beyond the 1.0700 mark in past sessions.

The pair’s recent multi-week recovery has been on the back of supportive ECB-speak, which continued to point at an initial rate hike as soon as in July, while the consensus view that the bond-purchase programme should end at some point in early Q3 has also lent legs to the European currency.

However, EUR/USD is still far away from exiting the woods and it is expected to remain at the mercy of dollar dynamics, geopolitical concerns and the Fed-ECB divergence, while higher German yields, persistent elevated inflation in the euro area and a decent pace of the economic recovery in the region are also supportive of an improvement in the mood around the euro.

Key events in the euro area this week: Germany Construction PMI (Tuesday) – Advanced EMU Q1 GDP Growth Rate (Wednesday) – ECB Interest Rate Decision (Thursday).

Eminent issues on the back boiler: Speculation of the start of the hiking cycle by the ECB as soon as this summer. Asymmetric economic recovery post-pandemic in the euro bloc. Impact of the war in Ukraine on the region’s growth prospects.

EUR/USD levels to watch

So far, spot is retreating 0.09% at 1.0686 and a breach of 1.0627 (monthly low June 1) would target 1.0532 (low May 20) en route to 1.0459 (low May 18). On the upside, the next resistance aligns at 1.0786 (monthly high May 30) seconded by 1.0936 (weekly high April 21) and finally 1.0945 (100-day SMA).

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Gold Price manages to hold above key support, awaits next catalyst

Gold Price is fluctuating in a tight range near $1,850 on Monday.

10-year US T-bond yield stays flat following last week's rally.

Strong near-term support seems to have formed at $1,840.

Gold Price moves sideways near $1,850 at the start of the week following the sharp drop witnessed on Friday. Trading conditions remain thin due to the Whit Monday holiday in Europe. The US economic docket will not be offering any high-impact data releases and XAUUSD is likely to continue to fluctuate between key technical levels.

Rising US yields limit gold's upside

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on Friday that Nonfarm Payrolls in the US rose by 390,000 in May, surpassing the market expectation for an increase of 325,000. Further details of the report showed that the Labor Force Participation Rate improved modestly to 62.3% and the annual wage inflation edged lower to 5.2% as expected. The US Treasury bond yields shot higher on the upbeat US jobs report and forced gold to erase its weekly gains. The benchmark 10-year yield rose more than 7% last week and snapped a three-week losing streak. At the time of press, the 10-year yield was moving up and down in a narrow channel near 2.95%.

Gold Price could react to ECB, US inflation data

Later in the week, the European Central Bank (ECB) is widely expected to keep policy rates unchanged. The bank is set to hike its policy rate by 25 basis points in July with the Asset Purchase Programme (APP) coming to an end in July. According to Bloomberg, some policymakers want ECB President Christine Lagarde to deliver a convincing message that borrowing costs of vulnerable countries will be contained and fragmentation will not be allowed. A strong reaction in XAUEUR to ECB's policy announcements could impact XAUUSD's movements in the second half of the week.

The most important data release of the week will be the May inflation report from the US on Friday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Core CPI are forecast to decline to 8.2% and 5.9%, respectively, on a yearly basis. With the NFP data confirming that labor market conditions remain tight in the US, stronger-than-expected CPI figures are likely to trigger another leg higher in US yields and make it difficult for gold to find demand. On the other hand, a retreat in consumer inflation could cause investors to start pricing in a pause in Fed rate hikes in September and help XAUUSD push higher.

Ahead of the above-mentioned key events, XAUUSD could have a hard time making a decisive move in either direction. The market mood seems to have turned upbeat at the beginning of the week. In case risk flows continue to dominate the markets, the dollar could lose interest and help gold hold its ground. In that scenario, however, US yields could gain traction and not allow gold to turn north.

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US Dollar Index looks cautious around 101.70 ahead of NFP

DXY trades without a clear direction near 101.70.

Activity in US yields remain muted and near Thursday’s close.

US Nonfarm Payrolls, Unemployment Rate next of note in the docket.

The greenback alternates gains with losses around the 101.70 region when measured by the US Dollar Index (DXY) on Friday.

US Dollar Index remains vigilant ahead of Payrolls

Market participants remain vigilant ahead of the publication of the key May’s Nonfarm Payrolls later on Friday, motivating the index to hover around the 101.70 zone amidst the generalized lack of direction in the global markets.

Activity in the US cash markets show the same performance so far, with yields along the curve looking consolidative in the upper end of the weekly range.

As indicated, Nonfarm Payrolls for the month of May are due later in the NA session seconded by the Unemployment Rate and the ISM Non-Manufacturing. Additionally, the final Services PMI is also due followed by the speech by FOMC’s Governor L.Brainard (permanent voter, centrist).

What to look for around USD

The dollar came under pressure in the past session and returned to the area below the 102.00 mark against a cautious backdrop ahead of the release of May’s labour market figures.

Renewed weakness in the dollar came in response to the rising perception that inflation might have peaked in April, which in turn supports the idea that the Fed may not need to be as aggressive as market participants expect when it comes to raising the Fed Funds rates.

In the meantime, the Fed’s divergence vs. most of its G10 peers coupled with bouts of geopolitical effervescence, higher US yields and a potential “hard landing” of the US economy are all factors still supportive of a stronger dollar in the next months.

Key events in the US this week: Nonfarm Payrolls, Unemployment Rate, Final Services PMI, ISM Non-Manufacturing (Friday).

Eminent issues on the back boiler: Powell’s “softish” landing… what does that mean? Escalating geopolitical effervescence vs. Russia and China. Fed’s more aggressive rate path this year and 2023. US-China trade conflict. Future of Biden’s Build Back Better plan.

US Dollar Index relevant levels

Now, the index is retreating 0.01% at 101.72 and faces the next contention at 101.36 (55-day SMA) followed by 101.29 (monthly low May 30) and then 99.81 (weekly low April 21). On the upside, a break above 102.73 (weekly/monthly high June 1) would open the door to 105.00 (2022 high May 13) and finally 105.63 (high December 11 2002).

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GBP/USD Price Analysis: Inverted Flag confirms more downside, 1.2400 eyed

The greenback bulls challenge the demand zone, which is placed in a 1.2548-1.2570.

An Inverted Flag formation advocates a follow-up sell-off after a topsy-turvy move.

A death cross, represented by the 50- and 200-period EMAs add to the downside filters.

The pound bulls have displayed a subdued performance in the entire Asian session amid the unavailability of any potential trigger. A phase of topsy-turvy moves in the cable is witnessed after a sheer downside move from a high of 1.2600. The asset experienced intense selling pressure after slipping below the critical support of 1.2558.

On an hourly scale, the GBP/USD pair has formed an Inverted Flag chart pattern that indicates further downside after a rangebound move. Usually, an Inverted Flag dictates the initiation of fresh shorts by those investors, which prefer to execute positions after the establishment of a downside bias. The cable is hovering near the demand zone placed in a 1.2548-1.2570.

A death cross has been displayed by the 50- and 200-period Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) at 1.2555, which signals more pain ahead.

Meanwhile, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) (14) is oscillating in a bearish range of 20.00-40.00, which adds to the downside filters.

Should the asset drops below Wednesday’s low at 1.2459, the greenback bulls will get strengthened and will drag the asset towards May 20 low at 1.2438. A breach of the latter will open room for more downside to near the round-level support at 1.2400.

On the contrary, an upside move above Tuesday’s high at 1.2630 will trigger an initiative buying action, which will drive cable towards May’s high at 1.2667, followed by the round-level resistance at 1.2700.

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Gold Price Analysis: XAU/USD slides back under 200DMA as buck/yields rise ahead of key US data releases

Gold is trading around $1830, having dropped back below its 200DMA as the buck/US yields rise pre-key US data releases.

Gold bulls want to see evidence of weakening US growth/inflationary pressures and a paring of Fed tightening bets.

As the rise in longer-term US bond yields enters its third day, with the 10-year yield now up around 17 bps versus last week’s lows around 2.70%, and as the US Dollar Index’s recovery from this week’s multi-month lows extends, spot gold (XAU/USD) prices have not surprisingly come under pressure. XAU/USD was last trading around the $1830 per troy ounce mark, below its 200-Day Moving Average at $1840 and taking losses on the week to around 1.1%.

Key upcoming US economic data is in focus, the most important release being Friday’s May labour market report, though traders will also closely scrutinised Wednesday’s ISM Manufacturing PMI survey that is slated for release at 1400GMT. Gold bulls want to see evidence that inflationary pressures are backing off, meaning people will be watching the Prices Paid subindex of Wednesday’s ISM PMI survey and the wage growth component of Friday’s jobs report.

Any such evidence will lessen the pressure on the Fed to tighten monetary policy settings quite so aggressively beyond the planned 50 bps rate hikes at the June and July meetings. Gold bulls will also want to simultaneously see evidence of a slowing US economy, as this further spurs the demand for safe-haven assets (like gold) and reduces pressure on the Fed to hike. In the best-case scenario of weak/less inflationary data in the coming days, if that also spurs a drop once again in the US dollar/US yields, XAU/USD might well recover back to the north of its 200DMA and the $1850 mark.

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