Gold consolidates after trading to a double top near $1825 yesterday
Market participants are acutely aware of next week’s FOMC meeting which begins on Tuesday, December 13, and concludes the following day. Following the conclusion of the last FOMC meeting of the year, the Federal Reserve will release a statement which will be followed by Chairman Powell’s press conference. It is highly anticipated that the Federal Reserve will raise its benchmark Fed funds rate as it has at every consecutive FOMC meeting since March.
Traders and investors have largely priced in the high likelihood that the Fed will raise rates by 50 basis points, or a ½ %. This will take the current target rate of 375 – 400 basis points to 425 – 450 basis points by the end of the year. According to the CME’s FedWatch tool, there is a 77% probability of a 50-basis point rate hike and a 23% probability of a 75-basis point rate hike. It is the possibility, although remote, of a fifth consecutive rate hike of 75 basis points that has given market participants angst about the upcoming meeting.
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Gold had fractional gains with the most active February 2023 Comex contract gaining $2.30 or 0.13%. As of 4:55 PM, EST gold futures are fixed at $1783.80. Gold futures opened today at $1780.80 and traded to a high of $1793.20, and a low of $1779.10. The dollar gained 0.26% in trading today with the dollar index currently fixed at 105.515. This means that traders were able to bid gold prices higher while overcoming mild dollar strength.
This can also be seen in the pricing of physical gold today. According to the Kitco Gold Index spot gold is currently fixed at $1771.40. Traders bid physical gold higher by $6.40 and dollar strength took away $4.10 of that gain which resulted in today’s net gain of $2.30.
Today’s fractional gain in gold indicates that market participants have paused the selling pressure seen in yesterday’s technical selling that moved gold prices sharply lower.
Important technical levels in gold futures
Our technical studies indicate that the first level of resistance occurs at $1802 based on gold’s current 200-day moving average. The next level of resistance above that is $1825 based upon the top that occurred in August. Major resistance can be seen at $1883; this is based upon the top that occurred in mid-June.
Minor support first occurs at $1775 which corresponds to the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement. Major support occurs between $1720 the 50% retracement and $1745 the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level.
By Gary Wagner
Contributing to kitco.com
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