Gold bounces off eight-week low; not out of the woods amid rising Fed hike bets
- Gold gains some positive traction on Tuesday, though the upside potential seems limited.
- Fed rate hike bets and oil-driven inflation fears keep US bond yields near multi-year highs.
- Geopolitical uncertainties further underpin the USD, which should cap the precious metal.
Gold (XAU/USD) attracts some buyers during the Asian session on Tuesday, reversing a part of the previous day's heavy losses to the $4,100 neighborhood, or its lowest level since August 4. The bearish fundamental backdrop, however, warrants some caution before positioning for any meaningful appreciating move for the precious metal. The US Federal Reserve's (Fed) hawkish outlook, elevated US bond yields, and geopolitical uncertainties keep the US Dollar (USD) pinned near a two-month high, which, in turn, acts as a headwind for the commodity.
The US central bank delivered the widely expected 25 basis point (bps) rate hike—its first in over three years—earlier this month and signaled a firm commitment to suppressing sticky inflation. Adding to this, a slew of influential FOMC members stated that another interest rate increase may be appropriate before the end of 2026. According to CME Group's FedWatch Tool, traders are pricing in a 70% chance that the Fed would raise borrowing costs again in October amid inflation risks stemming from higher energy prices due to the Middle East conflict.
Cook flags persistent inflation risks from AI and geopolitics, keeps Fed bias hawkish
Fed’s Cook delivers a slightly more hawkish-than-usual tone, with the FXS Speechtracker score at 7/10, marginally above the established baseline of 6.9/10. Cook highlights continued inflation pressure in coming months from artificial intelligence and Middle East conflict, stressing that any future rate adjustments will depend on incoming inflation and labor data, even as the labor market is described as well positioned to absorb higher rates. While Cook acknowledges that AI-driven productivity should bring modest disinflation over the next few years, the warning that these gains will not arrive in time to offset broadening inflation this year reinforces a near-term hawkish bias and keeps DOLLAR-supportive risks in focus.
The FXS Fed Sentiment Index slipped by 0.63 points to 146.89, indicating a modest pullback in perceived hawkishness despite the speech’s above-baseline score on the FXS Speechtracker. With the FXS Fed Sentiment Index still well above the neutral 100 mark, the Fed remains firmly in hawkish territory, suggesting that any future rate hikes or a prolonged higher-for-longer stance continue to underpin DOLLAR strength even as market expectations cool slightly at the margin.
In the latest development, US President Donald Trump rejected a peace proposal from Iran to resolve their military conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz immediately on meeting their terms. Furthermore, Trump denied a report by the news outlet Axios that he offered Iran sanctions relief and the release of frozen funds in return for concrete Iranian steps regarding the nuclear program. This keeps the geopolitical risk premium in play and continues to support crude oil prices, fueling inflationary concerns and pushing US bond yields to multi-year highs.
In fact, the yield on the 30-year US government bond shot to its highest level since mid-May 2004, while the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield touched its highest since mid-June 2007 and the rate-sensitive 2-year yield rose to the highest since May 2024. This, in turn, favors USD bulls and makes it prudent to wait for strong follow-through buying before confirming that the Gold price has bottomed out. Traders might also opt to wait for this week's important US macro releases before placing aggressive directional bets on the XAU/USD pair.
The US Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index – the Fed's preferred inflation gauge – is due on Wednesday, along with the final Q2 GDP print. This will be followed by the US ISM Manufacturing PMI on Thursday, though the focus will remain glued to the closely watched US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report on Friday. Apart from this, speeches from influential FOMC members would be scrutinized for more cues about the Fed's future policy path, which, in turn, will drive USD demand and provide some meaningful impetus to the Gold price.
XAU/USD daily chart
Technical Analysis
The XAU/USD pair maintains a bearish near-term tone following the recent breakdown below the 200-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $4,310 and the mid-range Fibonacci retracement levels. The metal has slipped back under the 61.8% retracement at $4,227, keeping it confined within the lower half of the recent range. Meanwhile, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) shows a negative reading at 26.21, and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 36.40 hovers just above oversold territory, hinting at persistent downside pressure but with scope for intermittent corrective bounces.
Any further recovery, however, might face initial resistance at the 61.8% Fibo. retracement at $4,227, ahead of a dense barrier formed by the 200-day EMA at $4,310 and the 50% retracement at $4,316. Further hurdles emerge at $4,406 and $4,517 before the recent cycle high near $4,696. On the downside, immediate support appears at the 78.6% retracement at $4,099, with a deeper floor at the prior swing low around $3,937. A decisive break below the latter would reinforce the prevailing bearish bias, while sustained trading above $4,2278 would be needed to start easing the downside pressure.
(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.