Gold price remains close to record high amid concerns over Trump’s reciprocal tariffs
Gold price (XAU/USD) attracts some dip-buyers during the Asian session on Wednesday and stalls the previous day's modest retracement slide from a fresh record high. Investors continue to take refuge in traditional safe-haven assets amid the uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs and their impact on the global economy. Moreover, geopolitical tensions act as a tailwind for the bullion. Adding to this, US recession fears and the prospects for more interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve (Fed) drive flows toward the non-yielding yellow metal.
Meanwhile, the US Dollar (USD) has been struggling to gain any meaningful traction amid the growing acceptance that a tariff-driven US economic slowdown would force the Fed to resume its rate-cutting cycle soon. This is seen as another factor lending additional support to the Gold price, though a stable performance around the Asian equity markets and overbought conditions on the daily chart might hold back the XAU/USD bulls from placing fresh bets. Investors might also opt to move to the sidelines ahead of the keenly awaited Trump administration's tariffs announcement later today.
Gold price bulls retain control as trade-related anxiety continues to drive safe-haven flows
Investors remain worried about the potential economic fallout from US President Donald Trump's trade policies, which assists the safe-haven Gold price to regain positive traction following the overnight pullback from a fresh all-time peak.
The recent US macro data pointed to still sticky inflation and slowing economic growth, implying that the economy could be heading towards stagflation, which might force the Federal Reserve to resume its rate-cutting cycle in June.
The concerns were fueled by the disappointing US ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) on Tuesday, which fell from 50.3 to 49 in March and indicated that business activity contracted for the first time in three months.
The report also revealed that inflation at the factory gate jumped to the highest level in nearly three years and the Employment Index highlighted a decrease in the sector's payrolls at an accelerating pace during the reported month.
Adding to this, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) showed that the number of job openings on the last business day of February stood at 7.56 million, down from 7.76 million reported in the previous month.
According to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool, the markets are currently pricing in the possibility that the Fed would cut rates by 80 basis points this year, undermining the US Dollar and further benefiting the non-yielding yellow metal.
Asian equity markets tracked the overnight gains on Wall Street, which, along with overbought conditions, might hold back the XAU/USD bulls from placing fresh bets ahead of Trump's impending reciprocal tariffs announcement.
In the meantime, the release of the US ADP report on private-sector employment and Factory Orders data might influence the USD, which could provide some impetus to the precious metal later during the early North American session.
Source: Fxstreet
