XAUUSD - Gold Awaits Weekend Data Releases?!Gold is trading above the EMA200 and EMA50 on the 4-hour timeframe and is in its ascending channel. If gold rises towards the channel ceiling and supply zones, we can look for short positions targeting the channel midline.
The gold market has kicked off 2025 with one of its best starts since 2023 and is on track to achieve its strongest monthly performance since September. Prices are currently testing the high range near $2,750 per ounce.
A fund manager noted that this robust start to January could signal another strong year for the precious metal, even after gold recorded a 27% price increase last year.
In his 2025 outlook report, Eric Strand, founder of the precious metals-focused AuAg Funds, projected that gold prices will surpass $3,000 per ounce this year. He stated: “We expect gold to break the $3,000 barrier during the year and possibly reach even higher levels by year-end, with a realistic target of $3,300.” Strand’s bullish target represents a 20% increase from current levels.
Strand suggested that the new Trump administration might usher in a period of more accommodative monetary policies and larger government stimulus programs. In his report, he explained: “Both Donald Trump and Elon Musk have built their empires on extensive borrowing while driving forward at full speed.
This approach will likely persist for the next four years as governments strive to avoid an economic downturn at any cost to create a positive boom. However, the price of this strategy will be monetary inflation. Such an inflationary boom creates a financial environment where commodity prices, including gold, rise significantly.”
As U.S. national debt has reached unprecedented levels, now exceeding $36 trillion, Strand highlighted that the United States is not alone in facing this challenge. He emphasized that governments worldwide continue to increase spending through deficit financing. He noted: “The amount of money circulating in the system is increasing without generating substantial real growth, which naturally means each unit of currency becomes less valuable.”
Meanwhile, gold prices remain near all-time highs against major currencies such as the euro, British pound, Chinese yuan, Canadian dollar, and Australian dollar.
Gold continues to stand out as a safe-haven global asset as the trend of de-globalization accelerates. Countries are moving away from dependence on the U.S. dollar and diversifying their currency reserves. (De-globalization refers to the process of reducing or reversing global integration, including less free trade, restricted capital flows, reduced interdependence, and a rise in nationalist and local policies.)
Strand stated: “We have seen the beginning of de-globalization, and it appears to be gaining momentum, particularly as the U.S. seeks to impose conditions that serve its own interests. Policies such as ‘America First’ and high tariffs may benefit the U.S. economy, but they also undermine trust in the country as a leader in free-market economies.” He added: “This new phenomenon is likely to create inflationary pressures and may lead to waves of currency devaluation in other nations as they attempt to offset the effects of tariffs.”
