Gold Price Down, Hits 4-Wk Low; Fed Chair Yellen On Deck Friday
San Francisco (Aug 25) Gold prices ended the U.S. day session lower again and hit another four-week low Thursday. Technical selling was featured, including more sell stops being triggered when near-term support levels were breached. There was also some nervous long liquidation, ahead of an important Fed meeting that began today. December Comex gold was last down $4.50 an ounce at $1,325.30. December Comex silver was last down $0.043 at $18.64 an ounce.
The world marketplace is focused on the Federal Reserve’s annual symposium that started Thursday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Fed Chair Janet Yellen speaks at the event on Friday morning. While it’s hoped she will shed new light on the timing of any future interest rate increase from the U.S. central bank, many think her speech will not yield much fresh insight. However, past Jackson Hole Fed confabs have produced markets-moving results and many traders are edgy ahead of her comments.
The key “outside markets” on Thursday saw Nymex crude oil futures prices slightly higher in afternoon U.S. trading. It appears Nymex oil prices are stuck in a trading range between $40.00 and $50.00 a barrel. Meantime, the U.S. dollar index is also slightly weaker and hovering not far above last week’s seven-week low.
Much of the marketplace is presently in the summer doldrums, which means quieter and lackluster trading conditions. Such is likely to continue until after the U.S. Labor Day holiday in early September.
Technically, December gold futures bulls still have the slight overall near-term technical advantage but are fading badly this week. A six-week-old downtrend line is in place on the daily bar chart. Bulls’ next upside near-term price breakout objective is to produce a close above solid technical resistance at $1,350.00. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is closing prices below solid technical support at the July low of $1,318.50. First resistance is seen at today’s high of $1,330.20 and then at $1,335.00. First support is seen at $1,318.50 and then at $1,310.00. Wyckoff’s Market Rating: 5.5
Live 24 hours silver chart [ Kitco Inc. ]
December silver bulls and bears are on a level overall near-term technical playing field but the bears have momentum on their side. Prices are in a three-week-old downtrend on the daily bar chart. Silver bulls’ next upside price breakout objective is closing futures prices above solid technical resistance at $20.00 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $18.00.
Source: KitcoNews
