Gold continues to hold support around $4,000 an ounce, but according to one market strategist, it's only a matter of time before the precious metal heads lower as it faces challenging headwinds from a stronger U.S. dollar.
Spot gold and silver prices are firmer late Thursday as lower Treasury yields and a softer U.S. dollar helped metals rebound from Wednesday's selloff while traders reassessed U.S.-Iran risk in the Strait of Hormuz.
Gold extends its bearish structure after breaking key trendline support, with consolidation below resistance levels signaling continued downside risk toward deeper Fibonacci extension targets.
The bond market has been a significant headwind for the gold market as inflation fears have pushed yields higher in recent weeks, raising the opportunity cost of holding the non-yielding asset.
Spot gold prices are firmer and spot silver prices are also higher in early U.S. trading Thursday, with bargain hunting emerging after a four-session selloff while the dollar remains near a one-year high and Treasury yields hold near the 4.4% area.
The gold market is hovering around $4,000 per ounce after the latest economic data showed sales of durable goods last month met expectations.The Commerce Department announced Thursday that U.S. durable goods orders fell -4.5% in May, following April's unrevised increase of 7.9%. The data was in line with expectations, as the consensus view of economists called for an decrease of -4.5%.
Gold prices briefly rose back above $4,000 on Thursday morning following the release of better than expected labor market data after the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits came in below economists' forecasts.
Further resilience in the U.S. economy and muted inflation pressures are pulling gold prices lower, with the precious metal continuing to struggle around $4,000 an ounce.
Spot gold held below the $4,000 mark on Thursday, while spot silver traded below the $60 level. Gold is down almost 8% so far this year, while silver has shed more than 20%.
As the ceasefire remains intact beyond nine weeks amid Iran-Israel tensions, gold found support at $3,987 with bearish structure while silver fell to $57.20. Strong central bank demand and silver's industrial shortages keep the longer-term outlook constructive.
Gold edged higher in early Asian trade. The precious metal has been pressured by a resurgent dollar and last week's hawkish FOMC meeting, IG said.
The gold market is struggling to hold support at $4,000 an ounce, and although this has been a critical level of focus in recent weeks, analysts say that the current bear-market correction should not signal the end of the long-term bull market.