Gold futures slump on profit-taking and reduced safe-haven demand. Futures are down 1.8% at $3,287.20 a troy ounce. The precious metal is on track to finish the week nearly 3% lower on the sudden de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict, StoneX's Fawad Razaqzada says in a note. Investors have rotated funds out of safe-haven assets and instead into the racier tech sector, Razaqzada writes. Still, a pullback in gold prices might not be a bad thing. Gold's slide will allow technical overbought conditions on higher time frames to cool off, allowing the metal to shine again once macroeconomic...
The dollar index fell to 97.1 on Friday, its lowest level since February 2022, extending this week's drop to almost 2%, driven by mounting expectations of Fed rate cuts. Chair Powell struck a notably dovish tone during recent congressional testimony, suggesting that in the absence of inflationary pressures from tariffs, the Fed would have continued its rate-cutting cycle. Reports also suggested that President Trump may announce his pick for the next Fed Chair as early as September or October, potentially creating a "shadow" leadership structure that could guide monetary policy in a more...
Gold (XAU/USD) is on the defensive heading into the weekend, pressured by a combination of mixed US data and improving global risk sentiment. The precious metal is trading below $3,300, down nearly 2% on the day, as safe-haven flows continue to unwind. Friday's core PCE inflation print showed a modest uptick in May, reinforcing the Fed's cautious stance and creating a murkier outlook for the timing of rate cuts. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index ticked higher in June, while inflation expectations softened, pointing to stable consumer outlooks.The release of the...