XAUUSD - Gold reached its previous day's target!Gold is above the EMA200 and EMA50 in the 4-hour timeframe and has exited its short-term bullish channel. The correction of the price of gold towards the demand zones will provide the opportunity to buy it with the appropriate risk reward.
In the early days of 2025, gold prices surged by over $40, regaining some of the losses from December and once again capturing investors’ attention. Although December’s decline in gold prices was not significant, it was disappointing for many investors—especially considering the positive news at the start of December 2024 that the Chinese central bank had resumed its gold purchases after a months-long pause.
Several key factors are currently shaping the outlook for the gold market. First, the release of China’s economic data on January 7 is expected to play a crucial role in influencing the market. Second, the weak start to 2025 for Chinese equities and domestic investors’ disappointment with the lack of tangible economic stimuli, particularly in the consumer sector, have acted as supportive factors for gold.
Additionally, the Federal Reserve’s interest rates and the strength of the US dollar remain important elements to watch. While US bond yields dipped slightly today, the dollar remains strong. For gold to replicate its impressive 2024 performance, a reversal in the dollar’s upward trajectory will be essential.
Gold had a very strong performance in 2024, but it now appears to be entering a phase of range-bound movement for a period. Historically, gold has exhibited back-and-forth fluctuations, and with US interest rates continuing to rise, this trend could work against it. Analysts estimate that the $2,500 level could serve as a price floor in the first quarter of 2025. Any price dips are likely to attract buying pressure, though a significant upward breakout is not expected. A key factor that could support gold would be a decline in the 10-year US Treasury yield.
For instance, if the 10-year yield drops below 4%, it could trigger a significant rise in gold prices. However, there is little interest in selling gold under current conditions.It is predicted that gold’s behavior in 2025 will resemble its performance in 2021, where buyers were present but no substantial upward movement occurred.
Should gold break above the $2,800 level, this could trigger major changes and push prices toward the $3,000 mark. It would not be surprising if this happens at some point during 2025. However, the first few months of the year are expected to favor range-bound price movements.
