Georgette Boele says gold hasn't lost any luster from the previous months, and its outlook for the rest of the year is still exciting.
As gold moves back and forth across the $1,300 level, Kitco reports that Dutch bank ABN Amro stands by its prediction that the metal will see $1,400 an ounce before the end of the year. Georgette Boele, the bank's coordinator of foreign exchange and precious metals strategy, explained in her latest precious metals report why she sees gold heading higher and higher as the year progresses.
Despite occasional dips, Kitco writes that gold remains comfortably in the green since the start of the year. Furthermore, prices have held their ground above the 200-day moving average even during periods of selling, something Boele sees as very optimistic.
Boele and her firm believe gold hasn't lost any of its luster from the previous months, and that the metal's outlook for the rest of the year is still exciting. Although the troubles in equities have lessened a major hurdle for the gold market, Boele noted that a persistently robust U.S. dollar and a sudden, albeit short-lived, spike in Treasury yields will be gold's main competitors in the near-term.
Nonetheless, the analyst thinks that gold could climb to the $1,365-$1,375 level over the next few months even in the face of these headwinds. Later in the year, Boele expects the pressure from the U.S. dollar to subside, driven largely by a change in policy by the Federal Reserve.
It's hard to argue that years of monetary tightening have weighed on gold, even though the metal's price held up with as many as four rate hikes per year. Many experts think that 2019 will be the year when the Fed finally dials down on its hawkish strategy, or even reverses it, writes Kitco. Boele concurs, adding that the Fed's gradual wrap-up of its hiking cycle will be accompanied by dovishness from other central banks.
The latter point has already been highlighted by the European Central Bank's announcement that it would not raise interest rates for the rest of the year. In the same announcement, the ECB also slashed its growth forecast by a wide margin, which many interpreted as another bullish signal for gold, reports Kitco.
The spike in yields should also prove to be inconsequential, says the article, as analysts have pointed out that Treasuries are on a long-term downwards trajectory, with the yield curve nearing flat status. A flat yield curve signaled the last two market crashes, building on existing concerns that an economic slowdown and a possible recession are on the way.
