Gold has posted losses to start off the week. In North American trade, spot gold is trading at $1283.99, down 0.43% on the day. On the release front, there are no US events on the schedule. On Tuesday, the US releases retail sales and core retail sales, key gauges of consumer spending.
The US economy remains strong, and although consumer confidence levels are high, this hasn’t translated into higher consumer spending, a key driver of economic growth. After declines in retail sales in June, the markets are expecting gains in July, and strong readings could lift the US dollar and send gold prices lower. Investors are also keeping an eye on the Federal Reserve, which has said that it will begin trimming its bloated balance sheet of $4.2 trillion, most likely in September. This could weigh on gold prices, as a cut of $60 billion in the balance sheet is equivalent to a rate hike of 25 basis points.
Gold prices have dipped on Monday, as the crisis between North Korea and the US has eased. Last week, tensions soared between the two enemies, sending gold about 2.4%, as investors dumped shares and snapped up the safe-haven metal. Tensions between North Korea and the US remain high, but the prevalent sentiment in the markets is that a diplomatic solution will be found to end the crisis. Still, Donald Trump and Kim Jon-un are unpredictable leaders, and any move by either side could easily ratchet up tensions and unnerve investors. Donald Trump continues to deal with domestic problems as well, and the White House faced stinging criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, as Trump failed to single out white supremacists for the violence in Charlottseville, Virginia, where one person was killed at a demonstration against far-right marchers.
