After a four-day consecutive correction from the high point of $2,088 on December 28th, gold prices saw a slight increase on Thursday, reaching above $2,050. This indicates that the correction signal for a larger uptrend still receives some support, as technical studies in the daily chart remain in the main bullish trend. Gold continues to benefit from the widespread expectation that the Fed will begin cutting interest rates in 2024, as well as signals suggesting a potential economic slowdown in the US this year.
However, due to the minutes of the meeting showing significant uncertainty about the prospect of a Fed rate cut, the expectations for an early rate cut in March have gradually diminished. This has created resistance to further upward movement in gold prices and made the downside risks more fragile.
Bulls need to break the key resistance between $2,052 and $2,058 to initiate new bullish momentum and achieve a stronger recovery. Breaking this range, bulls will face strong resistance at $2,063-$2,066 to strengthen the bullish structure and attempt to break above $2,100 again.
However, as the New York session progresses, a series of data releases have not supported this structure, increasing the risk of further downside for gold prices. In this context, the fragility of gold prices needs to adjust downward until testing the upward trend support at $2,009. In terms of trading strategy, it is recommended to go short at highs.