Gold price catches fresh bids during the early North American session on Tuesday and jumps to a fresh five-month top following the release of the consumer inflation figures from the United States (US). The XAU/USD is currently placed around the $1,810 area and making a fresh attempt to build on its momentum beyond a technically significant 200-day Simple Moving Average.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose a modest 0.1% in November. The reading is well below the 0.3% expected and marks a notable slowdown from the 0.4% increase recorded in the previous month. Furthermore, the yearly rate decelerate from 7.7% in October to 7.1% during the reported month, again falling short of consensus estimates. Furthermore, the core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, eased to 0.2% in November and fell to 6% on yearly basis from 6.3% in October.
The data reaffirms expectations that the Federal Reserve will slow the pace of its policy tightening and is evident from a fresh leg down in the US Treasury bond yields. This, in turn, drags the US Dollar to its lowest level since late June and turns out to be a key factor providing a strong lift to the Dollar-denominated Gold price. Bulls, however, seem reluctant to place aggressive bets and prefer to wait for more clarity on the Federal Reserve's rate hike path, which will determine the near-term trajectory for the non-yielding yellow metal.
Apart from this, the risk-on impulse - as depicted by a strong rally in the US equity futures - further contributes to capping the upside for the safe-haven Gold price. The global risk sentiment remains well supported by the latest optimism over the easing of strict COVID-19 restrictions in China. Heading into the key central bank event risk, this might hold back traders from placing aggressive bullish bets and keep a lid on the XAU/USD. Nevertheless, the fundamental backdrop supports prospects for a further near-term appreciating move.
From a technical perspective, sustained strength beyond the $1,810-$1,812 horizontal resistance will mark a fresh bullish breakout and add credence to the positive outlook. Gold price might then accelerate the momentum towards the $1,830 intermediate hurdle en route to the next major barrier near the $1,745-$1,750 region.
On the flip side, the $1,800 round figure now seems to act as immediate support ahead of the $1,795-$1,95 area (200 DMA). Any subsequent slide might continue to attract some buyers at lower levels and remain cushioned near the $1,780-$1,777 support zone. The latter should act as a pivotal point, which if broken will set the stage for some meaningful downside for Gold price.