Gold (XAU) price advances modestly on Monday, up 0.58%, as the US Dollar (USD) extended its losses ahead of a busy economic calendar in the United States (US). Speculations that US President Donald Trump could pick the new Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair by September or October hurt the Greenback, which trades near February 2022 lows.
The XAU/USD pair trades at $3,292 after bouncing off daily lows of $3,246, poised to end June with gains of over 0.18%. Easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, along with the likely announcement of trade deals, capped Bullion’s advancement. Meanwhile, Citi revealed that Gold might consolidate within $3,100 - $3,500 an ounce in Q3.
The US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said that he is confident the “One Big Beautiful Bill” will progress in the coming hours. The legislation, which narrowly passed the Senate over the weekend, proposes a sweeping overhaul of the tax code, including broad deductions funded by cuts to Medicaid and green energy programs.
This shortened week, ahead of the US Independence Day on July 4, will feature ISM Manufacturing PMI data, ADP employment figures, Initial Jobless Claims, and the Nonfarm Payrolls report for June.
Gold price is upward biased, but in the near term has shifted to neutral to slightly bearish. Once XAU/USD fell below the 50-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) of $3,322, it opened the door for a pullback, without it remaining far from testing the $3,200 mark.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has also turned bearish, indicating that bullish momentum has stalled.
However, if XAU/USD climbs past $3,300, buyers could challenge the 50-day SMA, followed by $3,350 and the $3,400 mark.
Gold has played a key role in human’s history as it has been widely used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Currently, apart from its shine and usage for jewelry, the precious metal is widely seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that it is considered a good investment during turbulent times. Gold is also widely seen as a hedge against inflation and against depreciating currencies as it doesn’t rely on any specific issuer or government.
Central banks are the biggest Gold holders. In their aim to support their currencies in turbulent times, central banks tend to diversify their reserves and buy Gold to improve the perceived strength of the economy and the currency. High Gold reserves can be a source of trust for a country’s solvency. Central banks added 1,136 tonnes of Gold worth around $70 billion to their reserves in 2022, according to data from the World Gold Council. This is the highest yearly purchase since records began. Central banks from emerging economies such as China, India and Turkey are quickly increasing their Gold reserves.
Gold has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar and US Treasuries, which are both major reserve and safe-haven assets. When the Dollar depreciates, Gold tends to rise, enabling investors and central banks to diversify their assets in turbulent times. Gold is also inversely correlated with risk assets. A rally in the stock market tends to weaken Gold price, while sell-offs in riskier markets tend to favor the precious metal.
The price can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can quickly make Gold price escalate due to its safe-haven status. As a yield-less asset, Gold tends to rise with lower interest rates, while higher cost of money usually weighs down on the yellow metal. Still, most moves depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAU/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Gold controlled, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to push Gold prices up.