Last week, Gold opened tested the $1515 resistance area but it failed to break higher and made a sharp reversal, losing more than $50 over the last week, the worst weekly performance in years.
It was a tough week for precious metals. Gold was down almost $50, silver down $1. This pull down came in over optimistic trade dispute talks.
On Thursday , Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng announced that both parties have agreed to roll back tariffs on each other’s goods as part of an upcoming trade deal. Both sides had accepted that if a phase one trade deal came to pass, the U.S. and China would reduce tariffs simultaneously and proportionately.
During the week, there were reports of a phase one U.S.-China trade agreement reaching final stages, prompting gold to become less attractive in the short term,
Gold prices dipped last week in response to news of an imminent trade deal. On Saturday, US President Donald Trump said that talks were moving along “very nicely,” but that a deal would only be reached if it were right for America.
On Friday, however, President Donald Trump told reporters that he hasn’t yet agreed to remove tariffs on Chinese goods.
The US President Donald Trump on Friday said that reports on the rollback of tariffs on Chinese goods was incorrect and poured cold water on the recent trade optimism. It is worth recalling that officials from both sides said late last week that China and the United it is completed.
Following this uncertain statement, Gold prices edged higher on the first day of a new trading week and recovered a part of the previous session’s slide to three-month lows, though lacked any strong bullish conviction.
The not so optimistic remarks, coupled with political unrest in Hong Kong weighed on the global risk sentiment and extended some support to traditional safe-haven assets – including Gold. However, the fact that Trump did not completely rule out a deal with China and left the door open to some tariff rollbacks kept a lid on any strong follow-through positive move.
Volatility and uncertainty are alive and well in the gold space as prices push into positive territory following disappointing comments on trade from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Although prices are still down more than 3% for the week, the gold market is clawing back some ground as prices move modestly higher in conjunction with equity markets falling to session lows after Trump pushed back on proposals to reduce some of the government’s tariffs on Chinese goods.
Now all eyes will be focussed on the Important data during that will be out this week and the following one and will influence gold prices-
- US economic
- Latest consumer inflationfigures
- Monthly retail sales data.
- FedChair Jerome Powell’s two-day testimony on Wednesday and Thursday
- US/China trade headlines
- Chinese data that due next week wherein some economists expect to confirm signs of a moderate recovery that could help risk appetite.
- A recovery for gold is possible in the coming weeks, he said, pointing out that impeachment hearings against President Trump begin in Congress next week in the U.S
In the near term gold looks promising as following key happenings will help in creating a positive outlook for the yellow metal-
- Global economic uncertainty
- Fears over a trade war
- As a safe haven investment by the investor community.
- Slowing economic growth
- Underlying uncertainties
- Banks are dovish on rates, global economic signals are mixed,” he added.
- Ongoing trade disputes between the world’s two largest economies, the US and China
- The intrinsic connection between the precious metal and US dollar prices.
Inflation, recession, de-dollarization and many such geopolitical uncertainties are bound to hamper global growth and during that period markets will again move towards gold for diversifying risk and creating a more return generating portfolio.
As sentiments remain bullish for gold, a jump in gold prices is soon expected and this will create a room for gold as an alternate form of investment. But gold will have to defend $1425-1450 before contemplating a move upward.