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Gold steadies above $4,300; not out of the woods yet amid Fed hike bets and bullish USD

FXStreet · 2026-09-02T04:00:19Z
Gold steadies above $4,300; not out of the woods yet amid Fed hike bets and bullish USD
  • Gold attracts some follow-through selling as oil-driven inflation risks reaffirm Fed hike bets.
  • Escalating US-Iran tensions should support the safe-haven USD and cap any recovery attempt.
  • The market focus remains glued firmly on the release of the crucial US NFP report on Friday.

Gold (XAU/USD) struggles to build on its recovery from a nearly four-week low, touched earlier this Wednesday, retaining a mildly negative tone through the first half of the European session. The US Dollar (USD) trimmed intraday gains and offered some support to the commodity, though the upside remains capped amid hawkish US Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations. The escalating Middle East conflict lifted crude oil prices to a fresh high since July 24, stoking inflation fears and reaffirming bets for a Fed rate hike in September. This, along with geopolitical risks, should act as a tailwind for the safe-haven Greenback and continue to undermine demand for the bullion.

Tensions between the US and Iran reignited following a US strike on Iranian rocket launchers near Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. This was the first US strike since late July, prompting an Iranian counterattack on US-linked targets in the region. Adding to this, the Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday that US forces struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets. In response, Iran escalated the confrontation and launched heavy ballistic missile and drone attacks on American interests in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan on Wednesday. This keeps the geopolitical risk premium in play, supporting crude oil prices and the safe-haven Greenback.

Meanwhile, investors remain worried that elevated energy prices will rekindle inflationary pressures and force major central banks, including the US Fed, to adopt a more hawkish stance. Adding to this, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's comments at the Jackson Hole Symposium on Friday continue to fuel expectations of a rate hike in September. Furthermore, concerns about fiscal debt led to a deepening global bond market sell-off, pushing the yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury to its highest level since January 2025. This is seen as another factor that continues to drive flows away from the non-yielding Gold and backs the case for a further near-term depreciating move.

US 10-year yields seen grinding toward 5%

Societe Generale’s rates strategists warn that the latest sell-off leaves the US curve vulnerable to further upside in long-end yields, noting that “at this pace, US 10s are on track for 5%.” They frame the move as part of an ongoing bear steepening, with investors increasingly testing how much additional term premium the market will demand as policy expectations remain skewed toward further Fed tightening.

Traders, however, might opt to wait for the release of the closely watched US monthly employment details, popularly known as the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report on Friday. The crucial labor market data will be looked at for more cues about the Fed's future policy outlook, which, in turn, will influence the USD price dynamics and provide a fresh impetus to the precious metal. In the meantime, the aforementioned fundamental backdrop seems tilted in favor of bearish traders and suggests that the path of least resistance for the Gold price remains to the downside. Hence, any attempted recovery might still be seen as a selling opportunity and runs the risk of fizzling out quickly.

XAU/USD daily chart

Chart Analysis XAU/USD

Technical Analysis

An intraday break below the 50% retracement level of the recent recovery from the year-to-date low, touched in July, could be seen as a key trigger for XAU/USD bears. Moreover, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is deeply negative and below the zero line, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovers near 44, hinting at fading bullish momentum. However, some follow-through selling below the 200-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at around $4,276 is needed to back the case for further losses.

The said support is followed by the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement at around $4,236, which, if broken, would expose the 78.6% retracement near $4,111 and the prior swing low region around $3,952. On the topside, initial resistance emerges at the 50.0% retracement near $4,324, ahead of a tighter hurdle at the 38.2% retracement around $4,412, with a stronger barrier further up at the 23.6% level near $4,521.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)

Gold FAQs

Gold has played a key role in human’s history as it has been widely used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Currently, apart from its shine and usage for jewelry, the precious metal is widely seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that it is considered a good investment during turbulent times. Gold is also widely seen as a hedge against inflation and against depreciating currencies as it doesn’t rely on any specific issuer or government.

Central banks are the biggest Gold holders. In their aim to support their currencies in turbulent times, central banks tend to diversify their reserves and buy Gold to improve the perceived strength of the economy and the currency. High Gold reserves can be a source of trust for a country’s solvency. Central banks added 1,136 tonnes of Gold worth around $70 billion to their reserves in 2022, according to data from the World Gold Council. This is the highest yearly purchase since records began. Central banks from emerging economies such as China, India and Turkey are quickly increasing their Gold reserves.

Gold has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar and US Treasuries, which are both major reserve and safe-haven assets. When the Dollar depreciates, Gold tends to rise, enabling investors and central banks to diversify their assets in turbulent times. Gold is also inversely correlated with risk assets. A rally in the stock market tends to weaken Gold price, while sell-offs in riskier markets tend to favor the precious metal.

The price can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can quickly make Gold price escalate due to its safe-haven status. As a yield-less asset, Gold tends to rise with lower interest rates, while higher cost of money usually weighs down on the yellow metal. Still, most moves depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAU/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Gold controlled, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to push Gold prices up.