Gold Prices Steady as Markets Eye Unemployment Claims

Gold has edged lower on Thursday, with the spot price at $1308.34 per ounce late in the European session. On the release front, today’s highlight is Unemployment Claims, and we could see some movement from gold if there are any surprises from the key employment indicator.

The fighting in Iraq continues, as militants linked to al-Qaeda have overrun the north of the country. The insurgents are threatening the capital of Baghdad, and the situation has become a major crisis for both the Iraqi and US governments. Over the weekend, US President Barack Obama said the crisis could spread to other countries in the region. Meanwhile, the situation is tense in Ukraine, as the government has vowed to press ahead and sign an economic association agreement with the EU on Friday. The crises in Iraq and Ukraine have pushed the price of gold above the $1300 level, as the metal is considered a hedge during periods of geopolitical instability.

On Wednesday, US Final GDP in Q1 took a tumble. The markets were braced for a decline of 1.8%, but the indicator shocked with a much sharper drop of 2.9%. There was more bad news to follow, as Core Durable Goods Orders declined by 0.1%, its first decline in five months. The estimate stood at 0.3%. Durable Goods Orders looked even worse, coming in at -1.0%, shy of the estimate of -0.1%. Despite the awful GDP, the currency markets remain calm and the dollar is stable.

XAU/USD for Thursday, June 26, 2014

XAU/USD June 26 at 11:00 GMT

XAU/USD 1311.67 H: 1319.80 L: 1308.34

 

XAU/USD Technical

S3 S2 S1 R1 R2 R3
1260 1275 1300 1315 1331 1354

 

  • Gold was steady in the Asian session and edged lower in European trading.
  • The round number of 1300 is providing support. This is followed by support at 1275.
  • 1315 has switched to a resistance role. This is followed by resistance at 1331.
  • Current range: 1300 to 1315.

Further levels in both directions:

  • Below: 1300, 1275, 1260 and 1231
  • Above: 1315, 1331, 1354 and 1375

 

OANDA’s Open Positions Ratio

XAU/USD ratio has pointed to gains in Thursday trade. This is not reflected in the pair’s movement, as gold as edged lower. The ratio is made up of a majority of long positions, reflecting trader bias towards gold prices reversing directions and moving higher.

 

XAU/USD Fundamentals

  • 12:30 US Unemployment Claims. Estimate 314K.
  • 12:30 US Core PCE Price Index. Estimate 0.2%.
  • 12:30 US Personal Spending. Estimate 0.4%.
  • 12:30 US Personal Income. Estimate 0.5%.
  • 14:30 US Natural Gas Storage. Estimate 101B.
  • 14:30 US Crude Oil Inventories. Estimate -1.2M.

*Key releases are highlighted in bold

*All release times are GMT

This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Kenny Fisher

Kenny Fisher

Market Analyst at OANDA
A highly experienced financial market analyst with a focus on fundamental analysis, Kenneth Fisher’s daily commentary covers a broad range of markets including forex, equities and commodities. His work has been published in several major online financial publications including Investing.com, Seeking Alpha and FXStreet. Based in Israel, Kenny has been a MarketPulse contributor since 2012.