After the strongest monthly increase recorded on Friday, when favorable macro data on the US labor market came out, the dollar continues to strengthen in the foreign exchange market from the opening of the trading day on Monday.
The number of jobs outside of US agriculture increased by 209,000 in July (the forecast was + 180,000 jobs), the unemployment rate decreased by 0.1% to 4.3%, the average hourly wage rose by 0.3% (+2,5% in annual terms). Such data was led on Friday by the US Department of Labor showed that the conditions in the US labor market remain a positive factor in the recovery of the US economy.
Favorable data on employment in the US have eased fears about the probability of an increase in interest rates by the Fed this year. Thus, according to the CME Group, the probability of an increase in rates by the end of the year is estimated at about 50% versus 43% before the release of the labor market report.
Prices for asylum assets, such as government bonds, yen, franc and gold, sensitive to higher rates in the US, after the release of data on the labor market declined. Yield of 10-year US government bonds, according to Tradeweb, rose to 2.269% compared with the level of 2.230% recorded on Thursday. August gold futures fell by 0.7% to 1258.30 dollars.
The spot price for gold at the beginning of today's European session is near the mark of 1258.00 dollars per troy ounce, which is slightly lower than the closing price on Friday. The prospect of raising rates puts pressure on prices for precious metals and stimulates dollar purchases. Gold does not bring interest income. In periods of the interest rate increase, the cost of its acquisition and storage is growing.
Also, the dollar quotes reacted positively to the comments of the director of the National Council for Economy under the White House Gary Cohn about the prospects for tax reform in a television interview. According to him, the tax plan of the White House provides for stimulating American companies to repatriate foreign incomes, which will support the national currency.
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Support and resistance levels
Indicators OsMA and Stochastics on the 4-hour, daily, monthly charts of the pair XAU / USD went to the side of sellers.
XAU / USD broke the short-term support level of 1261.00 (EMA200 on the 1-hour chart) and continues to develop a downward trend towards the support levels of 1255.00 (EMA200 on the weekly chart), 1250.00 (EMA200 on the 4-hour chart), 11248.00 (Fibonacci level 50% correction to the wave of decline since July 2016). The breakdown of the support level of 1244.00 (EMA200 on the daily chart) will provoke further decline of the pair XAU / USD and its return to the downward trend.
In case of resumption of growth and after the breakdown of resistance levels 1273.00, 1277.00 (Fibonacci level 61.8%), the pair XAU / USD will go to the level of 1295.00 (highs of June and the year and the upper line of the range located between the levels 1185.00 and 1295.00).
So far, the downward trend is prevailing.
Support levels: 1255.00, 1250.00, 1248.00, 1244.00, 1229.00, 1220.00, 1205.00, 1185.00
Resistance levels: 1261.00, 1273.00, 1277.00, 1295.00
Trading scenarios
Sell Stop 1255.00. Stop-Loss 1260.00. Take-Profit 1250.00, 1248.00, 1242.00, 1229.00, 1220.00, 1205.00
Buy Stop 1260.00. Stop-Loss 1255.00. Take-Profit 1273.00, 1277.00, 1295.00
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