Gold soars above $3,390 as US Dollar, Treasury yields slide on trade jitters, Fed independence

NEW YORK (July 21) Gold price rallied over 1% on Monday as the US Dollar and US Treasury yields tumbled sharply amid uncertainty over trade deals, amid an overall risk-on mood on the markets. At the time of writing, the XAU/USD trades at $3,397 after bouncing off daily lows of $3,338.

Risk appetite improved as traders await the release of earnings in the United States (US). In the meantime, the August 1 tariff deadline imposed by the White House looms, keeping investors uneasy about trade deals between the US and its three major trading partners, including the European Union (EU), Canada and Mexico.

Trade news revealed that the EU envoys are set to meet as early as this week to formalize a retaliation plan in the event of a possible no-deal scenario with US President Trump, according to Bloomberg.

The Wall Street Journal reported that US Treasury Secretary Bessent recommended Trump not to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, as it would cast doubts on the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) independence. This would spark a reaction in the markets, pushing the US Dollar down and US Treasury yields up.

Other news revealed that the People’s Bank of China kept its key lending rates unchanged at its latest meeting, as expected.

This week, the US economic docket remains scarce with the release of housing data, Jobless Claims for the week ending July 19, and Durable Goods Orders data.

Daily digest market movers: Gold rallies as US yields plummet

• US Treasury yields continued to drop as the 10-year Treasury note plunged over six and a half basis points (bps) to 4.356% at the time of writing. Consequently, US real yields, which are calculated by subtracting inflation expectations from the nominal interest rate, are also down six basis points at 1.946%.
• The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the buck’s performance against a basket of six currencies, is down 0.64% at 97.83.
• The EU continues to work on securing a trading agreement, while also having a retaliatory backup draft aimed at targeting €72 billion worth of US exports, which would cover products such as cars, aircraft, bourbon whiskey, digital services, and other key sectors.
• Last week, US economic data remained mixed despite an improvement in Consumer Sentiment, as consumer inflation rose sharply in June, edging toward the 3% threshold. The Producer Price Index (PPI) showed signs of improvement, but a strong Retail Sales report indicates American consumers' resilience, although prices continued to climb.
• Interest rate probability indicates that the Federal Reserve will maintain its current rates, with odds standing at 97% for a hold and 3% for a 25-basis-point rate cut at the July 30 meeting. 

FXStreet