- Gold gains 0.56% despite thin liquidity on US Presidents’ Day.
- Geopolitical risks, US trade policies support bullion’s long-term outlook.
- Traders await FOMC Minutes, Fed speakers, and key US economic data.
Gold price climbed on Monday during the North American session, posting gains of 0.56% amid thin trading as markets in the United States (US) were closed in observance of Presidents’ Day. The XAU/USD traded at $2,898 after hitting a daily low of $2,878.
Last Friday, Gold registered its most significant loss since December 18, yet the outlook for the precious metal looks promising amid geopolitical uncertainties and US trade policies aimed at narrowing the deficit.
Data from the US was mixed last week with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Producer Price Index (PPI) coming slightly hot. Retail Sales disappointed investors, who rushed to price in further easing by the Federal Reserve (Fed).
Fed officials have become cautious as inflation remains above the 2% goal. Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker said that policy needs to be “steady” for now and emphasized that monetary policy is in a good place. Harker added that the labor market is solid and that policy should be focused on lowering inflation.
Recently, Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said she expects inflation to decline, though she acknowledged that upside risks remain.
This week, the US economic docket will feature further Fed speakers, housing data, the latest Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Meeting Minutes, Initial Jobless Claims, and S&P Global Flash PMIs final reading for February.
Daily digest market movers: Gold price benefits from safe-haven demand
- The US 10-year Treasury bond yield tanked four basis points (bps) on Friday and sits at 4.478%.
- US real yields, which correlate inversely to Bullion prices, dropped four basis points to 2.039%, a tailwind for XAU/USD.
- The World Gold Council revealed that central banks purchased over 1,000 tonnes of Gold for the third consecutive year in 2024. Following Trump’s electoral victory, purchases by central banks surged by more than 54% YoY to 333 tonnes, according to WGC data.
- Money market fed funds rate futures are pricing in 43 basis points of easing by the Fed in 2025.
XAU/USD technical outlook: Gold price rises toward $2,900
The uptrend in Gold remains in play, though buyers must clear the $2,900 figure, to remain hopeful of testing the year-to-date (YTD) high of $2,942. If those two levels are cleared, the next ceiling level would be $2,950, followed by the $3,000 mark.
Conversely, XAU/USD daily close below $2,900 could pave the way for challenging the February 14 swing low of $2,877, followed by the February 12 low of $2,864. On further weakness, Gold could fall to test the October 31 swing high at $2,790.
Risk sentiment FAQs
In the world of financial jargon the two widely used terms “risk-on” and “risk off” refer to the level of risk that investors are willing to stomach during the period referenced. In a “risk-on” market, investors are optimistic about the future and more willing to buy risky assets. In a “risk-off” market investors start to ‘play it safe’ because they are worried about the future, and therefore buy less risky assets that are more certain of bringing a return, even if it is relatively modest.
Typically, during periods of “risk-on”, stock markets will rise, most commodities – except Gold – will also gain in value, since they benefit from a positive growth outlook. The currencies of nations that are heavy commodity exporters strengthen because of increased demand, and Cryptocurrencies rise. In a “risk-off” market, Bonds go up – especially major government Bonds – Gold shines, and safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc and US Dollar all benefit.
The Australian Dollar (AUD), the Canadian Dollar (CAD), the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and minor FX like the Ruble (RUB) and the South African Rand (ZAR), all tend to rise in markets that are “risk-on”. This is because the economies of these currencies are heavily reliant on commodity exports for growth, and commodities tend to rise in price during risk-on periods. This is because investors foresee greater demand for raw materials in the future due to heightened economic activity.
The major currencies that tend to rise during periods of “risk-off” are the US Dollar (USD), the Japanese Yen (JPY) and the Swiss Franc (CHF). The US Dollar, because it is the world’s reserve currency, and because in times of crisis investors buy US government debt, which is seen as safe because the largest economy in the world is unlikely to default. The Yen, from increased demand for Japanese government bonds, because a high proportion are held by domestic investors who are unlikely to dump them – even in a crisis. The Swiss Franc, because strict Swiss banking laws offer investors enhanced capital protection.
