GOLD Prices Decline on First Citizens Bank's Acquisition of SVB

The pace of the pullback in gold prices has intensified following the announcement that First Citizens Bank has acquired Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). The rise in US Treasury yields and reduced demand from India are adding further downward pressure on the price of gold. Despite the current uptrend, a double TOP formation is posing a threat with the neckline at a key level of $1,934. As of writing, XAU/USD is trading in the $1,950s, down by over 1.0% for the day. The ease in bank stress has lessened gold's safe-haven appeal, while rising US Treasury bond yields and a robust US dollar, along with reports of declining demand from India, have further exacerbated the decline in prices.

The announcement of the acquisition of defunct lender Silicon Valley Bank by First Citizens Bancshares Inc, the holding company of North-Carolina-based First Citizens Bank, has brought temporary relief to the markets on March 27, reducing the demand for gold as a safe-haven asset. According to a press release from the FDIC, First Citizens has acquired all of SVB's $119B deposits and loans and has purchased $72B of its assets at a $16.5B discount.

Although the deal has limited the damage caused by SVB's failure, it has not eliminated it entirely, with the bank's collapse estimated to have cost the FDIC $20B.