GOLD Analysis – Bearish Indicators in Place

Gold remained silent even after the FED’s multiple announcements on rate hikes. Gold price will be on the watch this week during the testimony of FED Chair Jerome Powell.

XAUUSD closed the first week of 2022 with a 1.76% loss compared to its closing price of December 2021 at $1830. Inflation hedge – Gold seems to have a weaker edge over the strengthening US Dollar. Investment volumes of Gold decreased in Q3 2021, whilst in Q3 2020 total Gold bound to Investment was 495t a year after that number decreased to 235t. Gold tied to the investment had a dominating demand in Q3 2020 and has been decreasing since then.

Despite an increased purchases of Gold by global Central Banks in 2021, many CBs parted with their precious metal purchases to withhold the deflation of their local currencies as the US Dollar was gaining momentum by the end of 2021. Thus, Turkey had to sell 35.1 tonnes in 2021 to hold Lira from being depreciated, in 2020 Turkish CB purchased 163.1 tonnes of Gold. Largest Gold purchases in 2021 according to the data from the World Gold Council were made by Brazil 62.3 tonnes, Hungary 63 tonnes, India 73.8 tonnes, Japan 80.8 tonnes, Thailand 90.2 tonnes.

Largest CB increase/decrease in Q3 2021 looks as follows.

Based on this data, it is obvious that these Central Banks are hedging against the hike of the US Dollar Index. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia will be more vulnerable during recent days against the US Dollar due to developments in Kazakhstan and these states will probably use their Gold purchases to withhold their currencies from depreciation, following the Turkish CB.

Left to right first row – USD/INR, USD/KZT, USD/UZS

Left to right second row – USD/BRL, USD/RUB, USD/TRY

While rate hike news in late 2020 and mid 2021 were referred to as a bullish signal for gold and bearish for the US Dollar Index, since mid 2021 markets more rely on FED’s redemption of goals, promises and forecasts. Despite some forecasts being flickering, achieving one of the main goals is considered bullish for the US Dollar. Positive economic data during this weeks release and Mr. Powell’s positive outlook on the economic recovery of the United States will ignite the bullish momentum of the DXY.

Daily XAUUSD chart projects a triangle pattern, and signals the retest of the lower edge of the triangle, based on the pattern’s rule.

MACD and RSI also signal a bearish trend continuation of XAUUSD up until the end of this winter.

Moving averages on a daily XAUUSD chart also do not favor the Gold bulls. MA200 and MA50 both are above the closing price of XAUUSD. Remarkably, the 200-day moving average is above the 50-day MA. This formation in technical analysis is referred to as a “Death Cross’ and always is a bearish signal.

There still is a dynamic support which was able to withhold Gold from sliding below $1700, however the lack of impulse and a pressure from the USD could force XAUUSD to break this support and go down to $1724 and $1680 below that.