Gold price (XAU/USD) declines to around $4,400 during the early Asian session on Thursday, pressured by escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States (US) and Iran. However, the potential downside for the precious metal might be limited as a tame reading of US inflation eased pressure on the US Federal Reserve (Fed) to raise interest rates as soon as next month.
A senior Iranian official said that Washington and Tehran remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, adding that there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a time frame to implement it.
Renewed tensions in the Middle East and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz weigh on the yellow metal as it raises oil-driven inflation fears. “With the Strait of Hormuz still shut, upside inflation risks will remain top of mind for the foreseeable future,” said Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management.
The latest US July Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation moderated across a range of goods and services, cooling September Fed rate hike expectations. This, in turn, could help limit gold’s losses. Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday showed that the CPI increased 3.4% YoY in July, versus 3.5% prior. Excluding food and energy, the so-called core CPI increased 2.5% YoY in July, compared to 2.6% in June. Both readings came in line with expectations.
Interest-rate swaps are now pricing in nearly a 40.1% odds of a Fed hike in September, though the odds on an October move fell to about 60% from 75% a day earlier, with the next increase fully priced for December, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
Gold upside persists as US CPI fails to revive Fed hike bets
According to TD Securities, “precious metals maintain upside” as the latest US CPI release “did little to reignite the Fed hike pricing.” The bank notes that “recent price action highlights the gold market is increasingly not expecting hikes,” underscoring a supportive backdrop for bullion even as investors reassess the policy outlook in light of softer inflation dynamics.
Technical Analysis: Gold keeps a bullish vibe in the near term
In the daily chart, XAU/USD holds a bullish near-term bias as it extends above the 100-day simple moving average (SMA) and remains comfortably over the Bollinger Bands’ 20-day middle line, suggesting a well-supported uptrend structure. Price is now pressing the upper Bollinger band, while the Relative Strength Index (14) at 67.51 flirts with overbought territory, hinting that the latest advance is strong but increasingly stretched.
On the topside, immediate resistance is defined by the Bollinger upper band at $4,410, where a sustained break would open the way to further gains. On the downside, initial support is seen near the current area, with the 100-day SMA at $4,390 acting as the first meaningful floor, ahead of the Bollinger middle band at $4,140; a deeper pullback toward the lower band at $3,865 would only come into focus if the bullish structure starts to unwind.
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