Gold is trying hard to build on the previous rebound from three-month lows of $4,269, holding above the $4,300 level in Asia on Tuesday.
Gold awaits US CPI inflation data for a fresh direction
Gold is seeing a dead cat bounce as the US Dollar (USD) pulls back from around two-month highs against its major currency peers amid signs of easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Iran and Israel halted strikes on each other on Monday after an appeal from US President Donald Trump. Still, tensions remain high as Tehran threatened to resume strikes if Israel continued to hit Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
That being said, Gold keeps facing headwinds from increased bets that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will hike interest rates by the end of this year, with markets pricing about 70% chance of such a move in December, as per the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool.
Hawkish Fed expectations should limit any downside in the Greenback, leaving the rebound in the Gold price tentative, while markets eagerly await fresh developments in the Gulf war.
However, if traders resort to profit-taking on their USD longs ahead of the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data due for release on Wednesday, Gold’s recovery could find further legs.
On the other hand, if the Iran-Israel attacks restart, it could fuel a fresh uptick in the Greenback at the expense of the bright metal.
Gold price technical analysis: Daily chart
In the daily chart, XAU/USD trades at $4,340.25, extending a bearish bias as spot remains below all its tracked moving averages. Price is capped first by the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) at $4,441.13, with the 21-day SMA at $4,509.09 and the 50-day SMA at $4,620.62 reinforcing a heavy layer of overhead supply, while the 100-day SMA at $4,789.24 anchors the broader downbeat structure. The Relative Strength Index (14) sits near 35, pointing to lingering negative momentum but not yet fully oversold, which hints that sellers still retain control, albeit with some risk of interim pauses.
On the topside, initial resistance is located at the 200-day SMA around $4,441, where a daily close above would be needed to ease immediate downside pressure. Further up, the 21-day SMA near $4,509 and the 50-day SMA around $4,621 form a secondary barrier ahead of the 100-day SMA at roughly $4,789, which guards the higher bearish threshold. No clear support levels are defined by the provided moving averages, leaving gold vulnerable to fresh downside extension until new price-based floors emerge on the chart.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
Economic Indicator
Consumer Price Index (YoY)
Inflationary or deflationary tendencies are measured by periodically summing the prices of a basket of representative goods and services and presenting the data as The Consumer Price Index (CPI). CPI data is compiled on a monthly basis and released by the US Department of Labor Statistics. The YoY reading compares the prices of goods in the reference month to the same month a year earlier.The CPI is a key indicator to measure inflation and changes in purchasing trends. Generally speaking, a high reading is seen as bullish for the US Dollar (USD), while a low reading is seen as bearish.
Inflation FAQs
Inflation measures the rise in the price of a representative basket of goods and services. Headline inflation is usually expressed as a percentage change on a month-on-month (MoM) and year-on-year (YoY) basis. Core inflation excludes more volatile elements such as food and fuel which can fluctuate because of geopolitical and seasonal factors. Core inflation is the figure economists focus on and is the level targeted by central banks, which are mandated to keep inflation at a manageable level, usually around 2%.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the change in prices of a basket of goods and services over a period of time. It is usually expressed as a percentage change on a month-on-month (MoM) and year-on-year (YoY) basis. Core CPI is the figure targeted by central banks as it excludes volatile food and fuel inputs. When Core CPI rises above 2% it usually results in higher interest rates and vice versa when it falls below 2%. Since higher interest rates are positive for a currency, higher inflation usually results in a stronger currency. The opposite is true when inflation falls.
Although it may seem counter-intuitive, high inflation in a country pushes up the value of its currency and vice versa for lower inflation. This is because the central bank will normally raise interest rates to combat the higher inflation, which attract more global capital inflows from investors looking for a lucrative place to park their money.
Formerly, Gold was the asset investors turned to in times of high inflation because it preserved its value, and whilst investors will often still buy Gold for its safe-haven properties in times of extreme market turmoil, this is not the case most of the time. This is because when inflation is high, central banks will put up interest rates to combat it.
Higher interest rates are negative for Gold because they increase the opportunity-cost of holding Gold vis-a-vis an interest-bearing asset or placing the money in a cash deposit account. On the flipside, lower inflation tends to be positive for Gold as it brings interest rates down, making the bright metal a more viable investment alternative.