CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 84% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Gold hits six-week low as the dollar surges

By Neil Dennis

15:00, 28 September 2021

Gold bullion bars
Dollar strength undermines gold’s attractiveness – Photo: Shutterstock

Gold prices fell sharply on Tuesday, hitting a six-week low, as the dollar surged following a sell-off in US Treasury bonds.

Spot gold fell 1.3% to $1,729 (£1,277) an ounce in mid-afternoon trade in London – its lowest point since 11 August – as the dollar climbed against its main rivals. The US Dollar Index – a measure of the currency’s relative strength against a basket of its rivals – rose 0.4% to 93.75, a 10-month high.

Dollar vulnerability

The price of gold is vulnerable to dollar strength due to its denomination in the US currency – making it more expensive and, therefore, less attractive to buyers using alternative currencies.

Gold buyers in the UK will be particularly hard hit on Tuesday after seeing the pound lose early gains against the dollar to fall steeply by 1% to $1.356 – in morning trade, the pound had climbed as high as $1.372.

Steen Jakobsen, chief investment officer at Saxo Bank, said that gold was hit for a second day with “a firmer dollar and rising US Treasury yields being offset by surging energy prices reigniting the focus on inflation and its potential negative impact on company earnings”.

What is your sentiment on Gold?

1960.73
Bullish
or
Bearish
Vote to see Traders sentiment!

Oil - Crude

72.06 Price
+0.010% 1D Chg, %
Long position overnight fee -0.0149%
Short position overnight fee -0.0070%
Overnight fee time 21:00 (UTC)
Spread 0.03

Silver

23.59 Price
-0.160% 1D Chg, %
Long position overnight fee -0.0187%
Short position overnight fee 0.0105%
Overnight fee time 21:00 (UTC)
Spread 0.020

Natural Gas

2.31 Price
+4.580% 1D Chg, %
Long position overnight fee -0.1621%
Short position overnight fee 0.1402%
Overnight fee time 21:00 (UTC)
Spread 0.005

Oil - Brent

76.55 Price
+0.290% 1D Chg, %
Long position overnight fee -0.0011%
Short position overnight fee -0.0208%
Overnight fee time 21:00 (UTC)
Spread 0.04

Treasuries shunned

Indeed, investors shunned Treasuries in recent sessions as inflationary pressures increase the likelihood of an earlier tapering of bond purchases.

Monday’s auction of two-year Treasuries had a bid-to-cover ratio of just 2.28 – the lowest since December 2008. Because of this poor demand, the US Treasury had to offer a yield of 0.31% – the highest since March 2020.

“It may be a sign that the market is beginning to price Fed’s tightening monetary policies and the risk coming from the debt ceiling saga,” added Jakobsen.

Inflation comes under the spotlight on Friday as the Federal Reserve’s favoured measure – Personal Consumption Expenditures – is published. In July, the headline rate of annual inflation under this measure hit 4.2% and the consensus forecast for August’s data is for a similar reading.

Read more: Economic preview – Price pressures in the US and Eurozone

Related topics

Rate this article

Capital Com is an execution-only service provider. The material provided on this website is for information purposes only and should not be understood as an investment advice. Any opinion that may be provided on this page does not constitute a recommendation by Capital Com or its agents. We do not make any representations or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the information that is provided on this page. If you rely on the information on this page then you do so entirely on your own risk.

Still looking for a broker you can trust?

Join the 535.000+ traders worldwide that chose to trade with Capital.com

1. Create & verify your account 2. Make your first deposit 3. You’re all set. Start trading