Gold Weekly Forecast: Neutral

• Gold price shaped by Middle East Conflict to end the Week
• The prospect of de-escalation and the potential for positive earnings may allow a brief reprieve from overbought conditions
• US data returns as Q1 GDP and PCE inflation headline next week’s calendar
• Empower yourself to make informed trading decisions this quarter – download our Gold Q2 forecast

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Gold Price Shaped by Middle East Conflict to end the Week

Gold is a well-known safe haven and has acted like one during the latest phase of the conflict in the Middle East involving Israel and Iran. In the early hours of Friday morning, the precious metal spiked higher as reports of explosions in Iran spread. Israel has communicated that it would respond after hundreds of Iranian drones targeted the nation but proved mostly ineffective in the end.

The international community watched on, hoping for a de-escalation which may be on the cards as Iran appears not to have any immediate plan to retaliate, according to a senior Iranian official – Sky News.

In fact, reports out of Iran have brushed off that this was an attack and prefer to call it an infiltration rather than an attack as no major damage was reported.

Nevertheless, gold prices spiked higher and as more detail emerged, eased throughout the morning. Later on in the day, gold appeared to revert back into its upward trajectory, looking to close the week higher for a fifth consecutive time. Gold trades above the 1.618% Fibonacci extension of the major 2020-2022 move ($2360) and a weekly close above this level reinforces the solid uptrend and a retest of the all-time high and potentially another push higher, towards $2500.

Gold (XAU/USD) Daily Chart

Source: TradingView, prepared by Richard Snow

However, US tech stocks and even AI-focused stocks are due to announce earnings for the first quarter of the year which may help risk assets halt the sell-off if the overall mood is positive. With the Fed likely to delay rate cuts, potentially to next year, US equities have endured the sharpest pullback since the impressive bull run began in October last year.

Therefore, with the prospect of de-escalation and the possibility of encouraging earnings reports, gold may finally recover from overbought conditions and consolidate. It must be noted that the bull trend is very much still in play over the more medium-term but next week could see the metal’s impetus dampened to a degree all else equal.

Gold (XAU/USD) Weekly Chart

Source: TradingView, prepared by Richard Snow

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Major Event Risk on the Horizon: US Data Returns to Prominence

There are a number of important data points next week including Australian CPI, EU flash PMI data and the Bank of Japan meeting but the most relevant data for gold, lies with the US GDP and PCE figures.

Customize and filter live economic data via our DailyFX economic calendar

— Written by Richard Snow for DailyFX.com

Contact and follow Richard on Twitter: @RichardSnowFX

FXEmpire.com – Natural gas bounces to test a moving average resistance zone with the day’s high of 1.78. Today’s advance (Thursday) broke out above the high of Wednesday, which was an inside day. Natural gas is on track to end the day above yesterday’s high of 1.72. However, it remains inside the wide trading range from Monday, and it is also within a developing bearish pennant consolidation pattern.

Signs of strength seen today may take the price of natural gas up to the top boundary line to test resistance. However, it is not clear whether Tuesday’s swing low will be the low of the swing until there is an advance above Monday’s high of 1.80.

Choppy Moves While in Consolidation

Until natural gas breaks out of the pennant consolidation pattern trading will likely be choppy and difficult to predict, as with any consolidation period. Volatility can be expected to decline as the pennant narrows the trading range as the apex of the triangle is approached.

Further, the three moving averages representing different time frames of 8-Day, 20-Day, and 50-Day have converged. This is another indication of low volatility. How natural gas behaves when testing the upper or lower boundary lines will provide clues as you whether a breakout to the upside or downside may occur.

Consolidation Could Continue for Weeks

The pattern is bearish since natural gas remains in a downtrend and there was a sharp decline prior to the formation of the pennant. Nevertheless, it is not determined until a breakout occurs. A breakout either up or down should occur before the apex is reached. This means that trading within the pennant could go on for as long as more seven weeks. Regardless, a breakout could occur at any time as the pennant is already well defined.

8-Week Moving Average Recaptured

It is interesting to note that there was a breakdown from last week’s bearish shooting star candlestick pattern (not shown) before this week’s low of 1.65 was reached, leading to a bounce. Also, the 8-Week MA, which had marked support for the last two weeks was broken to the downside. Today’s advance has recaptured the 8-Week MA, a sign of strength. Confirmation of strength will be provided on a daily close above the current price for the 8-Week MA at 1.75. Natural gas exceeded that level today.

For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

More From FXEMPIRE:

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

• The WTI crude oil market has initially fell during the trading session here on Thursday, but then turned around as we bounced from the 50 day EMA.
• At this point, I think we have just got a little oversold and we are starting to dig into a block of previous trading.
• So, I think a little bit of a bounce makes sense.

But at this point in time, it seems like the crude oil markets are moving on to the latest headlines coming out of the Middle East and that of course is not an easy thing to predict. With this being the case, I think we are more likely than not to continue to go higher over the longer term but may have a bit of work to do in this general vicinity. As things stand right now, I believe the $80 level underneath will continue to be a major support level and as a result as long as we can stay above there, I think you still have to look to the upside.

Brent

The Brent market has fallen as well and much like the WTI market has found the 50-day EMA to be supportive at this point in time a market bounce does make a certain amount of sense just as the pullback was probably necessary it’s been a little overdone to the upside but as things play out, I think we will continue to see some cyclicality come back into the market as driving season is now hitting.

• 

The $90 level above will be a target. If we can break above there, then we can continue to grind to the upside. Either way, I think you’re going to see a lot of volatility, so be cautious with your position sizing, but recognize that we probably have further to go to the upside.

One thing is for sure, I anticipate that we will see a lot of noisy behavior in this market, it is very likely that we will continue to have to be very cautious. After all, oil is normally noisy to say the least, and therefore I think the trader will be well served to keep their position size reasonable in this environment.

Ready to trade the WTI/USD exchange rate? Here’s a list of some of the best Oil trading platforms to check out.

2024-04-10 07:35:17 ET

Platinum price continued bouncing back this week as demand for precious and industrial metals rose. It jumped to a high of $988 on Wednesday, its highest point since December 29th. It has jumped by more than 13% from its lowest point in March.

Metals are soaring

Platinum price is doing well as metals continue jumping. The other

precious metals like gold

and

silver



have all jumped to significant highs. Similarly, other industrial metals like iron ore and copper have drifted upwards.

Platinum is rising as investors focus on the electric vehicle (EV) industry. While global EV sales are expected to rise, the trajectory will be slower in the coming months. As a result, there are serious doubts about whether the world will transition fully to EVs.

Indeed, most Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) companies like Toyota, General Motors, Ford, and Tata Motors are thriving. That is a sign that demand for palladium will continue growing, albeit at a slower pace in the coming years.

Recent data shows that the platinum industry will remain in a deficit this year. According to the World Platinum Investment Council, the industry

moved to a deficit

of 878 koz in 2023 as demand jumped by 25% and supply crashed by 7,131 koz.

The organisation expects that this trend will continue this year as the deficit will move to 408 koz this year. This trend is happening because of challenges in the mining and recycling industries while demand from automakers is continuing.

Recent data shows that industrial and manufacturing production is continuing rising. In the US, the manufacturing PMI jumped to its highest point since 2022. Chinese manufacturing output has also continued soaring.

Platinum price is also benefiting from the ongoing demand for precious metals, which have become safe havens at a time when inflation in the US is still stubbornly high. The headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) has moved above 3%.

Platinum price forecast

Platinum chart by TradingView

Turning to the daily chart, we see that the price of platinum has continued rising in the past few weeks and is now at its highest point since December.

The metal has moved above the Supertrend indicator as the 50-day and 25-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA). Further, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is nearing the overbought level.

The Stochastic Oscillator has moved to the overbought level. Therefore, the outlook for platinum is still bullish, with the next point to watch will be at $1,013, the highest swing on December 28th.

A break above the key resistance at $1,013 will point to further gains at $1,132, its highest point in April last year. That target is about 15% above the current level.

The post

Platinum price forecast: on the cusp of a 15% jump?

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Invezz

Gold currently trades at $2,381, marking a modest increase of 0.10%. It hovers slightly above today’s pivot point at $2,363.79, hinting at a restrained bullish sentiment. Immediate resistance is positioned at $2,403.98, with further ceilings at $2,431.98 and $2,459.86.

On the downside, support lies at $2,323.92, extending to $2,296.85 and $2,268.55, which could come into play should the trend reverse. The technical landscape shows the 50-Day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $2,359.342, slightly below the current price, suggesting potential near-term support.

Conversely, the 200-Day EMA at $2,251.548 underscores a longer-term upward trend. Today’s candlestick pattern, characterized by a long shadow and small body—an inverted hammer—signals potential weakness in the ongoing bullish trend.

Conclusion: The outlook for gold remains bullish above the pivot of $2,363.79, with any breach below this level potentially catalyzing a sharp decline in prices.

Choppy Moves While in Consolidation

Until natural gas breaks out of the pennant consolidation pattern trading will likely be choppy and difficult to predict, as with any consolidation period. Volatility can be expected to decline as the pennant narrows the trading range as the apex of the triangle is approached.

Further, the three moving averages representing different time frames of 8-Day, 20-Day, and 50-Day have converged. This is another indication of low volatility. How natural gas behaves when testing the upper or lower boundary lines will provide clues as you whether a breakout to the upside or downside may occur.

Consolidation Could Continue for Weeks

The pattern is bearish since natural gas remains in a downtrend and there was a sharp decline prior to the formation of the pennant. Nevertheless, it is not determined until a breakout occurs. A breakout either up or down should occur before the apex is reached. This means that trading within the pennant could go on for as long as more seven weeks. Regardless, a breakout could occur at any time as the pennant is already well defined.

8-Week Moving Average Recaptured

It is interesting to note that there was a breakdown from last week’s bearish shooting star candlestick pattern (not shown) before this week’s low of 1.65 was reached, leading to a bounce. Also, the 8-Week MA, which had marked support for the last two weeks was broken to the downside. Today’s advance has recaptured the 8-Week MA, a sign of strength. Confirmation of strength will be provided on a daily close above the current price for the 8-Week MA at 1.75. Natural gas exceeded that level today.

For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar.

FXEmpire.com – Natural gas further consolidates on Wednesday within a bear pennant pattern. It is on track to end the day as a relatively narrow inside day. Yesterday’s low of 1.65 approached a test of support at the lower trendline of a developing bear pennant consolidation pattern. This week’s decline has clarified that pattern as an attempt to hold support above the 50-Day MA and long-term trendline failed earlier this week.

Declining Volatility Likely to Continue

Volatility has been declining and it will likely continue to fall as natural gas further trades inside the small triangle pattern with a narrowing price range. The decline in volatility is also indicated by the three moving averages that have converged. The 8-Day, 20-Day, and 50-Day have come together.

What follows a period of low volatility is a clear increase in volatility. That will likely happen upon a breakout of the pennant. Natural gas remains in a clear downtrend and there was a relatively sharp decline prior to the pennant consolidation pattern. However, the downside may be limited.

29-Year Low is 1.44

In June 2020 a low of 1.44 was reached and price was quickly rejected to the upside. Natural gas traded below the prior support level of 1.52 for only one day before buyers took back control and the early stages of an advance began. That is the lowest price that natural gas has traded at in approximately 29 years. This means that 1.52 is a key low price to watch if a breakdown from the pennant occurs. Given the quick rebound off the 1.44 price level it seems unlikely that that price area will be tested again as support. Nevertheless, it is always a possibility.

Breakdown Signal

Until it is clear that Tuesday’s low of 1.65 is going to be a swing low, a breakdown is triggered on a drop below the earlier swing low at 1.59. It is confirmed on a daily close below that price level. Otherwise, support is likely to continue to be seen near the lower boundary line with trading contained within the pattern. Such a low volatility environment is likely to keep some traders on the sidelines until price breaks out.

Upside Trigger

Although the bear pennant is considered a trend continuation pattern, it is not valid until a breakout is triggered. Therefore, an eventual upside breakout remains a possibility. An upside breakout is triggered on a move above the recent swing high of 1.94. The next time that a bullish breakout could occur would be on the next rally towards the top of the pattern if it does occur.

For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

More From FXEMPIRE:

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

• XAU/USD resumes its upside bias amidst geopolitical jitters.
• Rising US yields should limit the metal’s upside potential.
• The central bank’s divergence remain in centre stage.

Prices of the yellow metal left behind two consecutive daily pullbacks and posted decent gains on Thursday, although another test or surpass of the $2,400 mark per troy ounce remained elusive.

On another front, the US markets kicked off the session in a mixed tone amidst dominating risk-off sentiment that saw the Greenback regain its composure following Wednesday’s marked retracement. A glimpse to other markets showed Asian stocks edging higher and European equities trading mostly on the defensive, while market participants continued to assess the financial meeting between the US, Japan, and South Korea, where these countries pledged to “engage in close consultation” regarding FX markets, after concerns from Tokyo and Seoul regarding the recent significant depreciation of their currencies.

Furthermore, the move higher in bullion came exclusively on the back of escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East after Israel is contemplating retribution against Iran after the latter launched a huge attack over the weekend.

In the meantime, US yields regained their smile and rose across the curve, maintaining their trade in the upper end of the recent range

XAU/USD short-term technical outlook

XAU/USD regains the upside traction and approaches the $2,400 mark, showing some near-term consolidation for the time being. Technical indicators retreat from extreme overbought levels, suggesting that some decline may lie ahead in the short term. Still, a steeper slide remains out of the picture, as XAU/USD refuses to give up while developing its moving averages above all. On this, the 55-day SMA hovers around $2,150 while the 100-day SMA tests the $2,100 zone.

The 4-hour chart shows XAU/USD moving further into a consolidative phase, which appears so far capped by the $2,400 level, while the 55-SMA holds the downside for the time being. The longer moving averages maintain their bullish slopes far below the current spot levels, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator points slightly southwards around 55.

 Support levels: 2,359.80 2,345.20 2,333.20

Resistance levels: 2,380.70 2,393.50 2,409.20 

• XAU/USD resumes its upside bias amidst geopolitical jitters.
• Rising US yields should limit the metal’s upside potential.
• The central bank’s divergence remain in centre stage.

Prices of the yellow metal left behind two consecutive daily pullbacks and posted decent gains on Thursday, although another test or surpass of the $2,400 mark per troy ounce remained elusive.

On another front, the US markets kicked off the session in a mixed tone amidst dominating risk-off sentiment that saw the Greenback regain its composure following Wednesday’s marked retracement. A glimpse to other markets showed Asian stocks edging higher and European equities trading mostly on the defensive, while market participants continued to assess the financial meeting between the US, Japan, and South Korea, where these countries pledged to “engage in close consultation” regarding FX markets, after concerns from Tokyo and Seoul regarding the recent significant depreciation of their currencies.

Furthermore, the move higher in bullion came exclusively on the back of escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East after Israel is contemplating retribution against Iran after the latter launched a huge attack over the weekend.

In the meantime, US yields regained their smile and rose across the curve, maintaining their trade in the upper end of the recent range

XAU/USD short-term technical outlook

XAU/USD regains the upside traction and approaches the $2,400 mark, showing some near-term consolidation for the time being. Technical indicators retreat from extreme overbought levels, suggesting that some decline may lie ahead in the short term. Still, a steeper slide remains out of the picture, as XAU/USD refuses to give up while developing its moving averages above all. On this, the 55-day SMA hovers around $2,150 while the 100-day SMA tests the $2,100 zone.

The 4-hour chart shows XAU/USD moving further into a consolidative phase, which appears so far capped by the $2,400 level, while the 55-SMA holds the downside for the time being. The longer moving averages maintain their bullish slopes far below the current spot levels, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator points slightly southwards around 55.

 Support levels: 2,359.80 2,345.20 2,333.20

Resistance levels: 2,380.70 2,393.50 2,409.20 

Declining Volatility Likely to Continue

Volatility has been declining and it will likely continue to fall as natural gas further trades inside the small triangle pattern with a narrowing price range. The decline in volatility is also indicated by the three moving averages that have converged. The 8-Day, 20-Day, and 50-Day have come together.

What follows a period of low volatility is a clear increase in volatility. That will likely happen upon a breakout of the pennant. Natural gas remains in a clear downtrend and there was a relatively sharp decline prior to the pennant consolidation pattern. However, the downside may be limited.

29-Year Low is 1.44

In June 2020 a low of 1.44 was reached and price was quickly rejected to the upside. Natural gas traded below the prior support level of 1.52 for only one day before buyers took back control and the early stages of an advance began. That is the lowest price that natural gas has traded at in approximately 29 years. This means that 1.52 is a key low price to watch if a breakdown from the pennant occurs. Given the quick rebound off the 1.44 price level it seems unlikely that that price area will be tested again as support. Nevertheless, it is always a possibility.

Breakdown Signal

Until it is clear that Tuesday’s low of 1.65 is going to be a swing low, a breakdown is triggered on a drop below the earlier swing low at 1.59. It is confirmed on a daily close below that price level. Otherwise, support is likely to continue to be seen near the lower boundary line with trading contained within the pattern. Such a low volatility environment is likely to keep some traders on the sidelines until price breaks out.

Upside Trigger

Although the bear pennant is considered a trend continuation pattern, it is not valid until a breakout is triggered. Therefore, an eventual upside breakout remains a possibility. An upside breakout is triggered on a move above the recent swing high of 1.94. The next time that a bullish breakout could occur would be on the next rally towards the top of the pattern if it does occur.

For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar.

Geopolitical Tensions and Market Reactions

With increasing tensions in the Middle East, particularly Iran’s direct assault on Israel, the market’s reaction has been relatively measured in terms of oil prices. The U.S. administration’s careful approach to imposing severe sanctions against Iran aims to prevent sharp price increases and potential disagreements with China, thus avoiding the usual rise in oil markets following such geopolitical events.

U.S. Inventory Data and Strategic Reserves

The American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a significant uptick in U.S. crude inventories, with an increase of about 4.09 million barrels last week, far surpassing expectations. This rise suggests a temporary relief in supply concerns. Conversely, reductions in gasoline and distillates stockpiles indicate strong fuel demand which supports refinery operations.

Additionally, today’s pending report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) will be critical in confirming these trends and could sway market directions. Regarding policy, the U.S. has halted repurchases for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve due to elevated oil prices, reflecting a strategic decision to manage national reserves efficiently.

Short-term Market Forecast

The latest API data shows a significant build in U.S. crude inventories, a bearish indicator suggesting an oversupply. Coupled with the anticipated EIA report, this development overshadows otherwise bullish factors such as strong U.S. fuel demand and geopolitical risks.

Global economic uncertainty is causing investors to exercise caution, dampening potential price spikes. Expect oil prices to remain subdued, with the market’s current bearish tilt likely keeping price movements within a confined range in the short term. This period calls for a conservative approach, given the prevailing economic and supply conditions.

Technical Analysis