Gold's short term prospects might be dependent on upcoming US inflation data for December. XAU/USD currently trades at $2,025, stepping back from an intraday high of $2,042.
On Thursday, the US will release the Consumer Price Index for December. The market is expecting a 0.3% monthly increase in Core CPI, excluding volatile food and energy prices, in line with November. If the monthly core CPI exceeds 0.5%, it could push up US yields and weigh on XAU/USD. Alternatively, a softer-than-expected CPI reading may keep expectations for a Federal Reserve policy shift alive and perhaps help keep gold above $2,020.
Technically, the 4-hour chart suggests a downside risk for gold, trading below its 20 Simple Moving Average at around $2,036. Conversely, the initial resistance for XAU/USD stands at $2050, where the 50- and 100-day SMAs are converging. The daily high on January 5 at $2063.98 might be the next level to keep an eye on to the upside.