Federal Reserve’s Cautious Stance and CPI Data Impact on Gold
Despite the Federal Reserve’s cautious stance during Tuesday’s testimony before Congress, the US dollar struggled to gain momentum. Traders are now focusing on the upcoming testimony by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, along with speeches from Fed officials Michelle Bowman and Austan Goolsbee on Wednesday.
Investors will also closely watch the release of the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, with forecasts indicating that Core CPI will remain steady at 3.45% year-over-year for June and 0.2% month-over-month.
Non-yielding assets like gold could face challenges as Powell reiterated the Fed’s cautious approach, stating that first-quarter data did not bolster confidence in the inflation outlook necessary for rate cuts.
Powell emphasized that a rate cut would be premature without clear evidence that inflation is moving sustainably towards the Fed’s 2% target.
Geopolitical Tensions in Gaza Boost Safe-Haven Demand for Silver and Gold
Concerns about escalating conflict in the Middle East are driving up safe-haven demand for silver and gold. Israeli forces continued their offensive in northern and central Gaza, including airstrikes on a tent encampment, as reported by Reuters. Hamas stated that the recent Israeli attacks resulted in over 60 Palestinian casualties on Tuesday.
These actions pose challenges to ongoing ceasefire negotiations, scheduled to resume in Doha on Wednesday, prolonging the Gaza conflict and supporting gold prices amid heightened uncertainty.