Gold Price Analysis: XAU/USD bulls assault $1,750 as market participants prepare for Jackson Hole

After a two-day rally, the gold price (XAU/USD) remains on the defensive at $1,752 during Thursday's Asian session. In doing so, gold reflects the market's nervousness in advance of significant data/events and in response to the mixed results of recently revealed information.

In spite of this, US Durable Goods Orders for July fell to 0.0%, compared to 0.6% projected and a revised up 2.2% prior estimate. Nondefense Capital Goods Orders excluding Aircraft, however, surpassed the 0.3% market consensus to reach 0.4%, up from 0.9% previously. Additionally, Pending Home Sales improved to -1.0% MoM in July, compared to -4.0% projected and -8.9% previously (revised down from -8.9%). Annually, Pending Home Sales declined by 19.9%, compared to the previous annual decline of 20%.

On the other hand, economic fears support the US dollar's safe-haven demand, as S&P Global Market Intelligence's Executive Director of Economic Research, Sara Johnson, said in a statement on Wednesday that global growth is expected to remain subdued in late 2022 and 2023, while inflation is anticipated to moderate over the next two years.

However, predictions that China will overcome its recessionary troubles and that Fed Chairman Powell will reiterate his cautious words at Jackson Hole appeared to have weighed on the DXY bulls. "Various Chinese official media organizations are defending the yuan following its recent fall, arguing that the country's robust exports could offset a stronger dollar and hawkish Federal Reserve rate hikes," Reuters reported on Wednesday. Due to China's role as one of the world's major gold consumers, gold traders are increasingly concerned about the dragon nation.

XAU/USD may experience a pullback if Fed Chair Jerome Powell surprises markets with a hawkish tone amid recession fears, given the current mixed market conditions and the US dollar's reluctance to re-establish its multi-year high.

The second edition of the US GDP for the second quarter will be added to the US Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) for the same period to beautify the calendar intraday. However, Jackson Hole will receive the most of the focus for new initiatives.

Despite recent inactivity, the gold price maintains the rebound above the prior resistance line from mid-April, suggesting more higher momentum towards a 10-week-old resistance line near $1,788.