Gold attractive as hedge and monetary asset
Gold's late-summer rally shows the higher-for-longer strong-dollar story is losing credibility. Treasury long-end buybacks, large deficits and debt revived fiscal-dominance/currency-debasement concerns; softer July labor data pulled back aggressive Fed hike expectations; the dollar weakened and money flowed back into gold. Central bank buying and Iran geopolitical risk add support, and traders see a messier fall policy environment that makes gold attractive as both a hedge and a monetary asset.
Strong dollar story losing credibility
The higher-for-longer strong-dollar story is starting to lose credibility heading into fall as Treasury long-end buybacks, deficits and debt revive fiscal-dominance/currency-debasement concerns, and softer July labor data reduces aggressive Fed hike expectations; the dollar weakened and money flowed back into gold.