Gold Retests Ascending Trendline

Gold has pulled back to a key technical level, despite a mix of conditions that would usually support higher prices. This signals a potential shift in how investors are positioning for risk, inflation, and growth.

Gold Ignores the Playbook

You’d be forgiven for expecting gold to be higher. The past week saw softer US dollar action, rising bets on interest rate cuts, and inflation numbers that nudged uncomfortably higher. On paper, these are the sort of developments that traditionally give gold a boost. But the metal barely blinked.

The May core PCE figure, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, rose more than expected to 2.7%. Yet bond markets took it in their stride, with rate futures continuing to price in a strong chance of easing by September. At the same time, the US dollar lost ground, with the dollar index down over 1% on the week. That sort of move would usually feed straight through into dollar-denominated commodities like gold. This time, it didn’t.

Part of the answer lies in geopolitics. The ceasefire between Israel and Iran has cooled tensions that previously underpinned gold’s safe-haven appeal. Meanwhile, equity markets keep printing new highs, led by tech and growth stocks. Investors are shifting from protection to participation, favouring assets that benefit from improving trade flows and global demand. The latest US-China trade deal, focused on rare earth exports, only adds to that narrative. For now, risk-on is winning.

All Eyes on the Trendline

While the macro backdrop has turned more complex, the technical picture for gold remains clearly defined. After a strong rally into April, the market has entered a period of consolidation. A lower swing high formed in May, which was retested and rejected in June. That rejection triggered the most recent two-week slide, bringing the precious metal back to its rising trendline.

This trendline, in place since December 2024, has guided the broader uptrend and held firm on three previous tests. Once again, it finds itself under pressure. Whether it holds this time is an open question. Trendlines are only as good as the demand that supports them, and in a consolidation phase, that support can often be patchy.

The nature of consolidation is a kind of controlled drift, plenty of movement, but not much commitment. If the trendline does give way, that doesn’t necessarily spell the end of gold’s bull cycle. But it would likely open the door to a deeper correction, with the May swing lows in play. That area also aligns with the volume-weighted average price anchored to the December 2024 lows which is a key reference point for longer-term participants.

For now, gold is in wait-and-see mode. It is still above support, but no longer behaving like a market in control. If the broader risk-on mood continues, we may see further rotation away from safe havens. But if the growth narrative starts to wobble, don’t be surprised if gold finds its voice again.

Gold Daily Candle Chart

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