Gold flat lines above $4,050 as Fed hike bets and Iran uncertainty support safe-haven USD
- Gold struggles to gain any meaningful traction as the US-Iran uncertainty supports the USD.
- Fed hike bets remain on the table amid inflation risks stemming from rebounding oil prices.
- Hawkish Fed expectations should cap the commodity as traders await the US NFP report.
Gold (XAU/USD) seesaws between tepid gains and minor losses during the Asian session on Tuesday as traders seem hesitant and opt to wait for further developments surrounding the Middle East crisis. The US Dollar (USD) struggles to build on the previous day's solid bounce from the lowest level since Mid-June and acts as a tailwind for the bullion. However, the uncertainty over US-Iran peace talks helps limit the downside for the buck. Furthermore, recovering crude oil prices keep inflation risks and US Federal Reserve (Fed) rate hike bets on the table, capping the non-yielding yellow metal.
On Monday, Iran denied that any negotiations were taking place with the US, sparking an angry backlash from President Donald Trump, who had cited the resumption of bilateral talks as justification for calling off attacks over the weekend. Moreover, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reportedly attacked a US military base in Kuwait with at least three drones. This, in turn, tempers hopes for a diplomatic resolution to end a five-month-old US-Iran war, prompting traders to price in the geopolitical risk premium and supporting the safe-haven Greenback.
Meanwhile, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, Mohsen Rezaee, dismissed Trump's claims that the Strait of Hormuz is on course to reopen. Rezaee further warned that Iran will not permit any unauthorised shipping route through the critical waterway other than the one designated by the Islamic Republic and that Tehran would target US warships for that purpose. This comes on top of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels' naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and fuel concerns regarding global energy supplies, helping oil prices to recover a part of the previous day's losses.
Investors remain worried that elevated energy prices would rekindle inflationary pressures and force the Fed to adopt a more hawkish stance. According to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool, traders are currently assigning over a 60% probability that the US central bank will raise borrowing costs in September and see over an 85% chance of a hike by the end of this year. The bets were reaffirmed by the US ISM PMI released on Monday, which showed that US manufacturing sector activity increased to the highest level in more than four years in July. This further favors USD bulls.
Traders, however, might refrain from placing aggressive directional bets and opt to wait for the release of the closely-watched US monthly employment details, popularly known as the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report on Friday. The crucial data will be looked for more cues about the Fed's policy path, which, in turn, will play a key role in influencing the near-term USD price dynamics and providing some meaningful impetus to the Gold price. Nevertheless, the aforementioned fundamental backdrop suggests that the path of least resistance for the bullion is to the downside.
XAU/USD daily chart
Technical Analysis: Gold bears not ready to give up yet; $4,000 holds the key within a familiar range
From a technical perspective, the XAU/USD pair holds well below the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) and keeps a bearish near-term bias within a familiar range held over the past month or so. Moreover, the range-bound price action might still be categorized as a bearish consolidation phase against the backdrop of the recent decline, reaffirming the negative outlook for the Gold price.
Meanwhile, momentum indicators are not yet supportive of a clear recovery. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) stays in positive territory with a modestly positive histogram, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 46.48 hovers just below the neutral 50 line, hinting at lacklustre buying interest. This, in turn, suggests that bounces are likely to be capped by overhead supply.
The top boundary of the trading range, pegged ahead of the $4,200 mark, might continue to act as an immediate hurdle. A move beyond could lift Gold to the 200-day SMA near $4,490.33. Bulls would need to reclaim a technically significant barrier to alleviate the prevailing downside bias and reopen the path toward higher highs.
On the downside, immediate support is inferred from recent swing lows around the $3,976–$4,000 region, where buyers previously emerged. A daily close below would be seen as a fresh trigger for bearish traders and turn the XAU/USD pair vulnerable to declining further in the absence of clearly defined floors under the said handle.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
Fed FAQs
Monetary policy in the US is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, it raises interest rates, increasing borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors to park their money. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing, which weighs on the Greenback.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) holds eight policy meetings a year, where the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) assesses economic conditions and makes monetary policy decisions. The FOMC is attended by twelve Fed officials – the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining eleven regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve may resort to a policy named Quantitative Easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used during crises or when inflation is extremely low. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy high grade bonds from financial institutions. QE usually weakens the US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process of QE, whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing, to purchase new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US Dollar.
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