Gold price dips on upbeat market mood, elevated US yields
Gold price extended its drop for the third consecutive trading day as sentiment improved on news that reciprocal tariffs would be focused on some United States (US) trading partners.
Wall Street trades on a positive mood, edging higher. The rise of US Treasury bond yields and broad US Dollar (USD) strength kept Bullion prices from prolonging its rally, with the yellow metal gaining over 13% in the year.
An article by Bloomberg showed that the US President Donald Trump administration would target specific countries on April 2, contrary to applying reciprocal tariffs against most countries. Instead, the measures are targeting the so-called Dirty 15 trade partners.
According to last year’s data, The Wall Street Journal reported in an article that the US has the most significant goods trade deficits with China, the EU, Mexico, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Canada, India, Thailand, Switzerland, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and South Africa.
Data-wise, S&P Global revealed that Flash PMIs for the US were mixed, with manufacturing activity contracting, while the services sector strengthened, improving from February’s figures. The divergence highlights ongoing softness in the industrial sector, mainly spurred by tariffs, amid fears of higher prices.
Recently, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said he supports only one rate cut this year and doesn’t see inflation returning to target until around 2027. Bostic added that inflation is expected to be very bumpy and stated that he doesn’t expect the Fed to be behind the curve.
The money market has priced in 62.5 basis points of Fed easing in 2025, according to Prime Market Terminal interest rate probabilities data.
Gold bears moved in, pushing prices toward $3,000
Gold prices remain pressured by rising US Treasury yields. The US 10-year T-note yield has surged eight basis points to 4.331%.
US real yields, as measured by the US 10-year Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities yield, which correlates inversely to Bullion prices, rise almost 2 bps to 1.980%.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the performance of the buck’s value against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.20% up to 104.35.
The March S&P Global Manufacturing PMI showed a sharp deterioration in US factory activity, falling from 52.7 to 49.8, signaling contraction and missing expectations for a 51.7 expansion.
In contrast, the S&P Global Services PMI surged from 51.0 to 54.3, exceeding forecasts of 50.8 and highlighting strong service sector momentum.
Source: Fxstreet
