Gold markets experienced their most significant weekly decline since June, with prices falling over 2% as investors navigated conflicting economic data and policy developments.
The week opened with substantial selling pressure as traders digested new clarification regarding tariffs on gold bullion, triggering a sharp drawdown that sent both spot gold and gold futures significantly lower.
Market sentiment showed signs of recovery on Tuesday following the release of Consumer Price Index data that revealed inflation rising at a slower pace than economists had anticipated. This tepid inflation reading provided fresh ammunition for market participants betting on Federal Reserve rate cuts, with September emerging as the consensus timeframe for potential policy easing.
However, this brief respite proved short-lived. Thursday's Producer Price Index release delivered a hawkish surprise, showing inflation pressures at the wholesale level running hotter than expected. This development immediately shifted market dynamics, reigniting concerns about persistent inflationary forces and potentially delaying aggressive monetary policy accommodation. Gold futures responded predictably to this news, resuming their downward trajectory and testing a deeper level of technical support.
The selling pressure intensified to the point where gold futures approached their 100-day simple moving average, a closely watched technical indicator that has historically provided meaningful support during market corrections. Notably, this level managed to hold, preventing what could have been an even more dramatic selloff and providing some stability to an otherwise volatile week.
Throughout the remainder of the trading period, gold prices remained range-bound between these two key moving averages—the 50-day and 100-day levels—creating a consolidation pattern that reflects the current uncertainty in both monetary policy expectations and broader economic conditions. This technical positioning suggests markets are in a wait-and-see mode, with traders likely looking for additional clarity from upcoming economic data or Federal Reserve communications which will come next week in the form of the FOMC minutes.
The week concluded with gold settling at $3,386, representing a 2.21% decline that marked the most substantial weekly loss since June.
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