- Gold in the green ahead of US Jobs Report for January.
- Elevated expectations towards a weaker US Nonfarm Payrolls release this Friday.
- Gold has a new all-time high in reach if Nonfarm Payrolls comes in even lower than anticipated.
Gold’s price (XAU/USD) is bracing for this Friday’s data release and has already moved higher ahead of the event. The pickup in the rally comes ahead of the US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report later in the day. A weaker number would benefit Gold, with rate cut odds from the Federal Reserve (Fed) increasing.
Meanwhile, headlines emerged on Friday that China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), has expanded its Gold reserves for a third month in a row. Even at fresh all-time high prices, the central bank bought roughly 0.16 million troy ounces in January, Bloomberg reports. Meanwhile, threats from US President Donald Trump to slap more tariffs on the Eurozone and other countries are keeping Gold supported as a safe haven for investors should the tariff war escalate further.
Daily digest market movers: China buying Bullion
- Gold reserves held by the People’s Bank of China rose by 0.16 million troy ounces last month, according to data released Friday. The central bank resumed adding Gold reserves in November after a six-month halt that ended an 18-month buying spree, Bloomberg reports.
- The US-China trade war, fears that President Donald Trump will follow through on threats to impose tariffs on other nations, and his unconventional geopolitical possible interventions are supporting Gold’s role as a safe haven in uncertain times. The bull run looks set to continue, with prices likely to hit $3,000 an ounce within three months, Citigroup Inc. said in a note, Bloomberg reports.
- Zimbabwe’s Gold output rose to 3,134.34 kg in January, up from 2,375.32 kg a year earlier, Fidelity Gold Refinery said on Friday in an emailed statement, Reuters reported. It was mostly the smaller-scale miners who were good for the increase in output, while the larger mines declined in production.
- At 13:30 GMT, the US Nonfarm Payrolls employment report for January is due. Expectations are for 170,000 new workers in the month compared to 256,000 in December. However, broad expectations are for a much softer number, according to several bank analysts and forecasters.
Technical Analysis: If all eyes are in one direction, carefull for what’s behind you
With the Nonfarm Payrolls release on Friday, it is clear that if Gold hits a new all-time high, it will be due to a very weak number in employment data. However, as usual, caution needs to be taken with this build-up in expectations. Even a number in line with consensus could be enough to disappoint markets on their downside expectations, triggering a knee-jerk reaction with Gold facing some profit-taking ahead of the end of the week.
The Pivot Point level on Friday is the first nearby support at $2,854, followed by the S1 support at $2,835. From there, S2 support should come in at $2,815. In case of a correction, the bigger $2,790 level (the previous high of October 31, 2024) should be able to catch any falling knives.
On the upside, the R1 resistance comes in at $2,874, just slightly below the current all-time high at $2,882. In case the rally can pick up where it left off, the upside level to beat in terms of daily pivotal levels is the R2 resistance near $2,893 ahead of $2,900 as a big figure.
XAU/USD: Daily Chart
Employment FAQs
Labor market conditions are a key element to assess the health of an economy and thus a key driver for currency valuation. High employment, or low unemployment, has positive implications for consumer spending and thus economic growth, boosting the value of the local currency. Moreover, a very tight labor market – a situation in which there is a shortage of workers to fill open positions – can also have implications on inflation levels and thus monetary policy as low labor supply and high demand leads to higher wages.
The pace at which salaries are growing in an economy is key for policymakers. High wage growth means that households have more money to spend, usually leading to price increases in consumer goods. In contrast to more volatile sources of inflation such as energy prices, wage growth is seen as a key component of underlying and persisting inflation as salary increases are unlikely to be undone. Central banks around the world pay close attention to wage growth data when deciding on monetary policy.
The weight that each central bank assigns to labor market conditions depends on its objectives. Some central banks explicitly have mandates related to the labor market beyond controlling inflation levels. The US Federal Reserve (Fed), for example, has the dual mandate of promoting maximum employment and stable prices. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) sole mandate is to keep inflation under control. Still, and despite whatever mandates they have, labor market conditions are an important factor for policymakers given its significance as a gauge of the health of the economy and their direct relationship to inflation.
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