Gold price pauses Wednesday after solid gains Tuesday
Gold prices are just a bit weaker and silver higher in midday U.S. trading Wednesday. Gold is seeing some routine profit-taking from the shorter-term futures traders, following this week’s gains. A rebound in the U.S. dollar index and an uptick in U.S. Treasury yields at mid-week are negative daily outside market influences for the yellow metal. Silver is seeing good follow-through strength after posting solid gains Tuesday. December gold was last down $1.80 at $1,964.80. December silver was last up $0.398 at $23.53.
Trader and investor attitudes are more upbeat at mid-week following Tuesday’s U.S. consumer price index report for October that came in at up 3.2%, year-on-year. CPI was forecast at up 3.3%, year-on-year, versus a gain of 3.7% in the September report. U.S. producer price index data for October, released this morning, corroborated Tuesday’s tamer CPI data. October PPI was down 0.5% from September versus expectations for a rise of 0.1% in the period. The CPI and PPI data fall into the camp of the U.S. monetary policy doves, who want to see the Federal Reserve halt its interest-rate-tightening cycle. Now, more Fed market watchers believe the U.S. central bank will continue to pause on raising interest rates in the coming months.
The U.K. also got some better inflation news today. Consumer prices were 4.6% higher in October, year-on-year, following a rise of 6.7% in September. The October rise in CPI was the slowest in the U.K. in two years. Some analysts are now saying the better U.K. inflation data will end the Bank of England’s interest-rate-increase cycle.
U.S. stock indexes are higher and at multi-week highs in midday trading, following the strong gains posted Tuesday.
On tap today, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. The White House wants a resumption of U.S./China military communications. Iran is also on the agenda, including the question of Iran’s nuclear program. A potential thawing of heretofore icy U.S.-China relations also has traders and investors with more upbeat attitudes this week.
U.S. lawmakers are once again scrambling to pass a measure to fund the federal government. This time the deadline is midnight Friday. This is “old hat” for the marketplace and markets are so far not reacting much to a potential U.S. government shutdown. U.S. congressional leaders are presently working on a plan to avert the shutdown.
The key outside markets today see the U.S. dollar index firmer on a corrective bounce after careening to a nine-week low on Tuesday. Nymex crude oil prices are lower and trading around $77.00 a barrel. The yield on the benchmark U.S. Treasury 10-year note is presently fetching 4.531%.
Technically, December gold futures bulls and bears are on a level overall near-term technical playing field. Bulls’ next upside price objective is to produce a close above solid resistance at $2,000.00. Bears' next near-term downside price objective is pushing futures prices below solid technical support at $1,900.00. First resistance is seen at today’s high of $1,979.20 and then at $1,985.00. First support is seen at today’s low of $1,958.80 and then at $1,950.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 5.0.
December silver futures bulls and bears are back on a level overall near-term technical playing field but the bulls now have momentum. A price downtrend on the daily bar chart has been negated. Silver bulls' next upside price objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at $24.05. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at this week’s low of $21.925. First resistance is seen at today’s high of $23.71 and then at the October high of $23.88. Next support is seen at today’s low of $23.095 and then at $23.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 5.0.
December N.Y. copper closed up 355 points at 371.90 cents today. Prices closed nearer the session high today and closed at a 2.5-month-high close. The copper bears still have the slight overall near-term technical advantage. Copper bulls' next upside price objective is pushing and closing prices above solid technical resistance at 385.00 cents. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid technical support at the October low of 351.95 cents. First resistance is seen at the November high of 372.55 cents and then at 378.60 cents. First support is seen at today’s low of 366.80 cents and then at 365.00 cents. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 4.5.
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By
Jim Wyckoff
For Kitco News
David