Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD attracts some sellers below $2,450, potential downside seems limited
■ Gold price trades on a weaker note near $2,435 in Monday’s early Asian session, down 0.40% on the day.
■ US Nonfarm Payrolls rose by 114K in July vs. 179K prior, weaker than expected.
■ The Middle East tensions might cap the gold’s downside.
Gold price (XAU/USD) edges lower to $2,435 on Monday during the early Asian session. However, the downside might be capped due to rising expectations of rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) and the risk-off mood amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
The disappointing US July employment data raised fears of a recession and triggered the possibility of Fed rate cuts in September. "The marketplace just now is factoring in a better-than-70% chance for a 50-basis-point cut by the Fed at the September FOMC meeting," said Jim Wyckoff, senior market analyst at Kitco Metals.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed on Friday that US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) rose by 114K in July from the previous month of 179K (revised down from 206K), weaker than the expectation of 175K. Meanwhile, the US Unemployment Rate rose to the highest level since November 2021, coming in at 4.3% in July from 4.1% in June.
Investors will take more cues from the US ISM Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) on Monday, which is expected to improve to 51.0 in July from 48.8 in June, In the case of the stronger-than-expected data, this might lift the US Dollar (USD) and cap the upside for USD-denominated Gold.
On the other hand, the escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East might boost the safe-haven flows, benefiting the yellow metal. The BBC reported that several nations have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon as worries mount about a wider Middle Eastern war. Additionally, the US general in charge of American troops in the Middle East arrived on Saturday as preparations continued for a potential strike against Israel by Iran in retaliation for the killing of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, according to two US sources.
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