Gold rose in early Asian trade after the Fed left rates unchanged overnight.
The gold market is trying to find its footing after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged but signaled a hawkish tilt, showing support for at least one potential rate hike by the end of the year.
The gold market continues to regain lost ground, and although the precious metal isn't out of danger just yet, current prices still represent an attractive entry point for investors looking to build a position, according to Wells Fargo.
The Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday that the first Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) vote under new chair Kevin Warsh was unanimous in favor of a rate hold, as expected by the market consensus, while the latest economic projections showed nearly half of policymakers believe a rate hike will be warranted in 2026.
Even when real yields decline and the dollar weakens, gold prices could struggle to catch a bid as strong equity markets will continue to draw investors to risk assets, according to commodity analysts at Société Générale.The French banking giant cautioned that gold investors may be in for an extended period of muted ETF flows combined with a pause in central bank purchases.
Hopes for a stabilizing U.S. housing market were bolstered after the number of potential home buyers rose beyond expectations last month, according to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).The U.S. pending home sales index rose 3.8% in May, the NAR announced on Wednesday. The data was better than forecasts, as economists expected only a 0.8% rise.
Central banks are set to increase their gold reserves over the next year, according to a new World Gold Council survey. More reserve banks are increasing their domestic bullion holdings, or diversifying their overseas storage, amid an increasingly fractured geopolitical environment.
In January 2018, the U.S. derivatives regulator did something it had never done in one swoop. It announced settlements with Deutsche Bank, UBS and HSBC over the same trick, in the same market, on the same day.
Axel Merk is focused exclusively on physical gold and precious metals mining, emphasizing active management over passive ETF exposure. Gold's price is highly sensitive to macro shocks, particularly geopolitical events like the Iran conflict, and currently shows increased correlation with risk assets.
While gold prices on Comex haven't touched a record high since late January, a key reason for their climb back then to all-time intraday highs above $5,600 an ounce — namely, buying by global central banks — has proven to be resilient.
The gold market continues to hold on to solid gains after testing critical support near $4,000 an ounce, but one market strategist believes the precious metal remains trapped in a broad consolidation phase as investors wait for greater clarity on interest rates and inflation.
Wall Street analysts are taking a shine to gold.