(Kitco News) - The gold market continues to show signs of stability as it holds gains above $5,000 an ounce. Meanwhile, disappointing consumption data—as American consumers spent less in December—could spur some safe-haven demand, according to some analysts.
U.S. retail sales were virtually unchanged in the final month of 2025, the U.S. Commerce Department announced Tuesday. The consumption data was weaker than expected, as economists had forecast a 0.4% increase.
Over the past 12 months, retail sales increased by 2.4%, the report said.
Core sales, which exclude vehicle purchases, were also unchanged in December, following November’s revised increase of 0.4%. The core data was also disappointing, with consensus forecasts calling for a 0.3% rise.
Meanwhile, the control group—which excludes sales from auto dealers, building-materials retailers, gas stations, and office supply stores and feeds directly into U.S. GDP—dropped 0.1%, missing expectations for a 0.4% gain.
The gold market is not seeing any major reaction to the disappointing economic data. Spot gold last traded at $5,049.10 an ounce, down 0.18% on the day. However, some analysts note that weak consumption data could impact interest rate expectations as the U.S. labor market begins to cool.
