Gold prices opened the week with strong gains, jumping over 2% on Monday as a weaker U.S. dollar and investor focus on the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy meeting drove fresh buying interest.
Last week’s successful retest of the key retracement zone between $3228.38 and $3164.23 confirmed the persistence of the “buy the dip” strategy, setting the stage for a push toward the next technical pivot at $3351.08.
The U.S. dollar index slipped 0.3%, making gold cheaper for holders of other currencies. This decline followed weaker-than-expected U.S. GDP data, which intensified bets on upcoming Fed rate cuts. Carlo Alberto De Casa, an external analyst at Swissquote, said that the slowing dollar is reinforcing gold’s appeal, especially as inflation and geopolitical tensions remain in play.
While the Federal Reserve is expected to keep rates unchanged at Wednesday’s meeting, traders will be closely watching the updated economic projections and speeches from Fed officials for clues on the timing and scale of potential rate cuts. Political pressure continues, with President Trump reiterating his call for the Fed to ease monetary policy, though confirming Jerome Powell will remain Fed Chair through 2026.
Gold continues to benefit from its role as a non-yielding hedge during periods of inflation risk and policy uncertainty. Trump’s remarks on active trade talks with multiple countries, including China, add another layer of support for gold’s safe-haven demand.
Goldman Sachs remains bullish, pointing to strong central bank gold purchases, a slowdown in Chinese solar production, and elevated U.S. recession risk as factors likely to keep gold outperforming silver in the near term.
Technically, gold faces a key decision at $3351.08. This level may act as resistance on the first test, potentially forming a lower high if momentum fades.
However, a sustained move above $3351.08 could trigger another leg higher, turning that level into support and setting the path toward a retest of the record high at $3500.20. With dovish expectations surrounding Fed policy and solid demand fundamentals, the near-term outlook for gold remains bullish.
More Information in our Economic Calendar.
James Hyerczyk is a U.S. based seasoned technical analyst and educator with over 40 years of experience in market analysis and trading, specializing in chart patterns and price movement. He is the author of two books on technical analysis and has a background in both futures and stock markets.