Gold eases slightly from fresh record highs above $4,500

LONDON (December 24) Gold (XAU/USD) treads water on Wednesday, with prices consolidating after surging to a fresh all-time high near $4,526 earlier today. Volatility picked up during the Asian session amid thin holiday liquidity ahead of Christmas, encouraging mild profit-taking at elevated levels. At the time of writing, XAU/USD trades around $4,487, up over 3.0% this week.

Bullion’s historic rally this year has been nothing short of remarkable, with prices up more than 70% year to date, putting Gold on track for its strongest annual performance since 1979. The rally has been driven by strong safe-haven demand amid persistent geopolitical risks and economic uncertainties, as well as robust institutional and investment flows.

Another major driver behind Gold’s historic run has been broad weakness in the US Dollar (USD), driven by US President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade rhetoric and easing monetary policy by the Federal Reserve (Fed).

The Fed delivered a cumulative 75 basis points (bps) of rate cuts in 2025. Markets are also pricing in two additional rate cuts next year. This environment has continued to support demand for the precious metal as lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets such as Gold.

Looking ahead, Gold may consolidate in the near term, as a lack of fresh market catalysts and further profit-taking ahead of the year-end could exert some downward pressure on prices. That said, the broader uptrend remains firmly intact, suggesting the rally is likely to continue into 2026.

Market movers: Fed outlook and geopolitics keep Gold supported

• Markets digested the final batch of key economic data ahead of the holiday period on Tuesday. The US Bureau of Economic Analysis released the preliminary estimate of third-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which had been delayed by the recent government shutdown. The report showed the US economy expanded at an annualized pace of 4.3% in Q3, beating both the prior estimate of 3.8% and the market expectation of 3.3%.
• The upbeat GDP figures contrasted with softer US data elsewhere. Durable Goods Orders fell 2.2% in October, while Industrial Production slipped 0.1% month-on-month in October before rebounding 0.2% in November. Meanwhile, Conference Board Consumer Confidence dropped to 89.1 in December, from an upwardly revised 92.9 in November, keeping the US Dollar on the back foot.
• The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback's value against a basket of six major currencies, trades around 97.87, hovering near its lowest level since October 3.
• On the monetary policy front, markets broadly expect the Fed to keep rates unchanged at its January meeting. Chair Jerome Powell said in December that the Fed is “well positioned to wait and see how the economy evolves.” The CME FedWatch Tool shows just a 13% probability of a rate cut in January. Still, investors expect the central bank to return to easing later in the year, amid signs of cooling inflation and a weakening labour market.
• Geopolitical tensions remain elevated, with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, persistent instability in the Middle East, and rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela continuing to weigh on market sentiment.

FXStreet