{"id":37156,"date":"2025-12-18T10:57:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T02:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/?p=37156"},"modified":"2025-12-18T10:57:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T02:57:13","slug":"gold-holds-firm-near-record-highs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/analysis\/gold-holds-firm-near-record-highs\/","title":{"rendered":"Gold Holds Firm Near Record Highs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"559\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/gold9-1024x559.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16982\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Points:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>XAUUSD hovers near $4,330<\/strong>, just shy of October\u2019s $4,381 record<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fed\u2019s Waller backs more cuts, labour market shows signs of cooling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Traders await delayed <strong>CPI data<\/strong> for confirmation of inflation easing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Global risks rise: Venezuela sanctions tighten, Ukraine war simmers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Gold slipped <strong>0.16% to $4,331.74<\/strong>, extending its shallow pullback from the recent high of <strong>$4,381.32<\/strong>, but technicals show the metal still well-supported above its moving averages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Gold steadied near a record high, as investors tracked mounting tensions in Venezuela and waited for US inflation data <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4IDwIf09gW\">https:\/\/t.co\/4IDwIf09gW<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Bloomberg (@business) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/business\/status\/2001438512726319391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 17, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MACD momentum remains positive<\/strong>, though slightly flattened, as the market awaits stronger confirmation of the Fed\u2019s easing path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fed Governor <strong>Christopher Waller<\/strong> added fuel to gold\u2019s bullish case midweek, voicing support for <strong>additional rate cuts<\/strong>, while stressing a <strong>measured pace<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Treasuries pared declines after Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller, who\u2019s under consideration to become chair of the central bank, reiterated his dovish views on US interest rates <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MFA1X5nPqI\">https:\/\/t.co\/MFA1X5nPqI<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Bloomberg (@business) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/business\/status\/2001298610244260234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 17, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>His tone echoes recent dovish pivot signals from Chair Powell and other officials, reinforcing market bets that the Fed may deliver <strong>two or more cuts in 2026<\/strong>, starting as early as March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Weak Labour Data Reinforces Dovish Bias<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Soft US jobs data underpinned the Fed\u2019s cautious tone. The <strong>unemployment rate rose to a four-year high<\/strong>, and <strong>November\u2019s job creation failed to offset October\u2019s weakness<\/strong>, painting a picture of a labour market losing momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The nonfarm payrolls report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed employers added 64,000 jobs last month, rebounding more than expected. But the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.6%, its highest level in more than four years <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/X7vBrLkJAj\">https:\/\/t.co\/X7vBrLkJAj<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ASnBSrAamb\">pic.twitter.com\/ASnBSrAamb<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Reuters (@Reuters) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Reuters\/status\/2001083671374151776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 17, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The figures align with a broader narrative of <strong>disinflation without a hard landing<\/strong>, which typically benefits non-yielding assets like gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Focus now shifts to the <strong>delayed CPI report<\/strong>, expected later today. A downside surprise in core inflation could add further fuel to rate cut expectations \u2014 and potentially trigger another breakout in gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Global Risks Remain Elevated<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond the Fed, gold\u2019s resilience remains supported by global instability. The <strong>Biden administration has reimposed energy sanctions on Venezuela<\/strong>, halting all oil shipments after a military escalation and tanker seizure last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">US blockade likely to reduce foreign currency in Venezuela, stoke inflation <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KAPr2z8Ljx\">https:\/\/t.co\/KAPr2z8Ljx<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KAPr2z8Ljx\">https:\/\/t.co\/KAPr2z8Ljx<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Reuters (@Reuters) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Reuters\/status\/2001428484971770330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 17, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In Ukraine, <strong>President Putin doubled down on territorial demands<\/strong>, despite renewed U.S. diplomatic efforts. The <strong>ongoing war<\/strong> and its impact on NATO relations and energy markets continue to cast a long shadow over risk assets, boosting gold\u2019s role as a global hedge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Technical Analysis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gold remains in a strong uptrend, currently trading near <strong>$4,331.74<\/strong>, just below its recent high of <strong>$4,381.32<\/strong>. Despite a slight pullback of <strong>-0.16%<\/strong>, the price continues to ride above the short- and medium-term moving averages (5, 10, 30), reflecting ongoing bullish momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/image-27-1024x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37157\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The chart structure shows steady higher lows, with the 30-day MA acting as dynamic support since the breakout in early October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Buyers remain in control, especially as price consolidates in a tight range near resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The MACD histogram has flattened slightly, while the signal lines remain in bullish territory, suggesting a potential pause rather than a reversal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If price breaks above <strong>$4,381<\/strong>, the next leg higher could target <strong>$4,500<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the downside, support lies near <strong>$4,100<\/strong>, where the 30-day MA and recent consolidation base align.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Momentum remains in favour of the bulls as long as macroeconomic uncertainty and rate cut bets continue to support safe-haven flows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gold remains in a holding pattern just below all-time highs<\/strong>, buoyed by Fed dovishness, fragile U.S. economic data, and simmering global risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the upcoming <strong>CPI report confirms disinflation<\/strong>, traders may look for a <strong>fresh breakout above $4,381<\/strong> as the next leg higher into year-end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Learn more about trading <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/precious-metals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Precious Metals<\/a> on VT Markets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/Insights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gold prices dipped slightly but remained near historic highs amid renewed dovish signals from the Fed and escalating global tensions. &#8211; vtmarkets.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":16982,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6,13],"class_list":["post-37156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analysis","tag-gold","tag-precious-metals"],"acf":{"acf_article_selection_author":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37156\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}