empty
07.08.2024 11:16 AM
Gold's mission fulfilled

What happened? Instead of soaring to new record highs, gold plummeted below $2,400 per ounce amid a roller coaster across global financial markets. The global stock market crashed with Japanese stocks suffering the heaviest losses. This collapse made investors recall Black Monday in 1987. In theory, market participants should have rushed to buy up safe-haven assets. But that didn't happen!

For most of the year, the precious metal developed a rally despite strong headwinds. The robust US dollar and rising Treasury yields typically pose challenges for gold. However, the metal confidently traded higher and higher thanks to active purchases by central banks, high demand in Asia, and expectations of monetary easing by the Federal Reserve. The latter factor catalyzed the best capital inflow into ETFs since March 2022 in July, despite the first half of the year being the worst for gold-focused ETFs since 2013.

Capital flow dynamics in gold-focused ETFs

This image is no longer relevant

If the precious metal managed to strengthen against headwinds, it was bound to soar with tailwinds! And market panic seemingly created an excellent opportunity to buy XAU/USD. Alas, the bulls were forced to retreat.

In reality, the issue lies in the speculative nature of various trading instruments. Whenever there is a rapid sell-off, gold commonly bears the brunt. Investors holding it as a hedging instrument in their portfolios sell it to meet margin calls on other instruments, primarily stocks. Once the dust settles, traders buy the precious metal again.

Goldman Sachs agrees with this view. Indeed, the need to avoid margin calls forces investors to get rid of gold temporarily. Commerzbank notes that the XAU/USD decline was driven by sell-offs of other assets. JP Morgan recommends buying the metal on dips.

There is no real reason for panic. Even if a recession hits the US, gold will benefit as a safe-haven asset. It will capitalize on the weakness of the US dollar and the drop in Treasury yields. As evidence, we remind you of the capital inflow into ETFs of 125,000 ounces during Black Monday.

This image is no longer relevant

If the Federal Reserve ensures a soft landing, the US economy will still cool down. So, the federal funds rate will be slashes. This creates a favorable environment for XAU/USD. Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election in November will boost demand for gold as a safe-haven asset. On the contrary, his defeat will allow the Federal Reserve to ease monetary policy with a clear conscience, which is great news for the precious metal.

Technical analysis of gold

Technically, a Double Top reversal pattern was played out on the daily chart, leading to a correction. However, this does not indicate a trend reversal. So, it is advisable to wait until the price recovers above $2,408 and $2,416 per ounce for buying opportunities.

Marek Petkovich,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

Donald Trump sows confusion again with tariff remarks

United States President Donald Trump once again stirred confusion on Tuesday by announcing plans to introduce a series of exemptions to his sweeping tariff proposal. The announcement served

Jakub Novak 11:36 2025-03-26 UTC+2

XAU/USD. Analysis and Forecast

Gold continues to show a positive tone today, but conviction behind the upward movement remains weak. Market uncertainty, driven by the tariffs announced by Donald Trump—set to take effect

Irina Yanina 10:54 2025-03-26 UTC+2

USD/JPY. Analysis and Forecast

The Japanese yen remains under pressure today due to weak domestic economic data. In February, Japan's leading inflation indicator in the services sector rose by 3.0% year-over-year, slightly below

Irina Yanina 10:42 2025-03-26 UTC+2

Looks Like It's Time to Focus on the Euro and Yen (EUR/USD May Fall, USD/JPY May Rise)

Since mid-month, financial markets have been trying to recover while frantically analyzing all possible developments surrounding the trade war the U.S. launched against its largest trading partners. Investor sentiment continues

Pati Gani 08:52 2025-03-26 UTC+2

Markets Won't Rush Headfirst into the Fire

Donald Trump has dealt such a heavy blow to globalization that conditions and outlooks for the future have changed—now divided along territorial lines. While European banks believe the S&P 500's

Marek Petkovich 07:00 2025-03-26 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on March 26? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

Very few macroeconomic events are scheduled for Wednesday, and only one important report is expected. The UK will release what may seem like a significant inflation report. Inflation remains

Paolo Greco 06:03 2025-03-26 UTC+2

GBP/USD Pair Overview – March 26: The Pound Isn't Even Trying. Inertial Growth Continues

The GBP/USD currency pair resumed its upward movement on Tuesday. It did so on a day when there were no significant events in the UK, and the only noteworthy report

Paolo Greco 02:40 2025-03-26 UTC+2

EUR/USD Pair Overview – March 26: No News, No Movement

The EUR/USD currency pair traded with low volatility on Tuesday. There have been times when the euro would crawl just 40 pips a day, and while current volatility isn't extremely

Paolo Greco 02:40 2025-03-26 UTC+2

EUR/USD: The Southward Trend Stalls, but Long Positions Remain Risky

A mixed situation has developed around the EUR/USD pair. On the one hand, the bearish sentiment prevails: last week, the price reached a 5-month high at 1.0955, while on Tuesday

Irina Manzenko 23:59 2025-03-25 UTC+2

USD/JPY. Analysis and Forecast

The USD/JPY pair is retreating from the psychological level of 151.00, reached earlier on Tuesday, though this pullback is not accompanied by significant selling pressure. The Japanese yen is attracting

Irina Yanina 18:09 2025-03-25 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.