Gold futures rebounded strongly on Tuesday, with the most active August contract reclaiming the $2,400 per ounce mark as traders positioned themselves ahead of crucial economic data releases. This resurgence follows Monday's retreat, which saw gold settle at $2,394.70, just shy of the psychologically significant $2,400 mark.
As of 5:05 PM ET, August gold futures were trading at $2,409.10, representing a notable gain of $14.40 or 0.61%. This upward trajectory occurred despite mild headwinds from a strengthening US dollar, which advanced 0.14% to 104.424 on the dollar index.
Multiple factors continue to influence gold prices, with ongoing purchases by central banks worldwide playing a role. However, the primary catalyst appears to be renewed optimism surrounding the Federal Reserve's potential pivot towards interest rate normalization, with high expectations for an initial rate cut in September.
Market focus has now shifted entirely to upcoming economic reports. Thursday's release of U.S. GDP data for the second quarter and Friday's Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index are particularly anticipated. The PCE index, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, is expected to show further contraction in inflation. Consensus
estimates project an annualized rate of 2.5% for last month, down from May's 2.6%.
A recent Reuters poll suggests that a growing majority of economists foresee two rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year. While the July Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting is unlikely to bring rate changes, with the CME's FedWatch tool indicating a 97.4% probability of rates remaining steady, the outlook for September is
rapidly evolving.
The likelihood of a September rate cut has increased significantly. The probability of no cut has fallen to 3.9%, down from 7.7% just a day earlier. Expectations for a quarter-point cut have surged to 93.6%, up from 88.5%, while the chance of a half-point cut has decreased to 2.5% from 3.8%.
If these economic projections prove accurate and optimism continues to build around two potential rate cuts this year, gold prices could move towards last week's record levels. The precious metal achieved a new record close last Tuesday and an all-time high on Wednesday.
Interestingly, Sunday's unexpected announcement by President Biden to withdraw from the presidential race has had minimal impact on financial markets, including gold.
Traders seem to have swiftly incorporated this development into their calculations, maintaining their focus on economic indicators and monetary policy expectations.
As the week unfolds, market participants will closely monitor the upcoming economic reports for further insights into the Fed's future actions. The gold market's resilience in the face of dollar strength and its quick rebound above $2,400 underscore the metal's current appeal as both a safe-haven asset and an inflation hedge.
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