Gold eases from record highs as profit-taking kicks in but safe-haven demand persists
Gold (XAU/USD) soars to yet another record high on Wednesday, extending its relentless climb as the United States (US) government shutdown fuels safe-haven demand. At the time of writing, XAU/USD is trading around $3,870 during the American session, easing after peaking at a fresh all-time high near $3,895, up nearly 0.30% on the day.
The US government officially entered a shutdown early Wednesday after Congress failed to pass a funding bill for the new fiscal year, forcing many federal operations to halt while essential services remain open. A last-minute stopgap measure that had cleared the Republican-controlled House was put to a vote in the Senate on Tuesday but fell short, receiving only 55 votes in favor versus the 60 needed to advance.
The stalemate has left hundreds of thousands of federal employees facing furloughs or working without pay and is expected to delay the release of key US economic data, including Weekly Jobless Claims on Thursday and the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report on Friday.
Meanwhile, the political deadlock has piled additional pressure on an already broadly weak US Dollar (USD), making Gold more affordable for overseas buyers. On top of that, prospects of further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve (Fed) and elevated geopolitical risks add another layer of support to the metal’s rally.
Source: FXstreet
