For gold investors, 2018 is yet another that promised much at the start of the year before a combination of factors conspired against the precious metal as gold subsequently failed to hold these gains, and instead develop that relentless momentum lower which we have seen many times before. So where next for gold, and if we start with the daily chart, here the bearish progress lower is almost metronomic, with each pause and congestion phase, then followed by a swift move lower, before this pattern of price behavior is repeated at a new lower level. The two widespread down candles of mid-May and mid-June reinforce the point, and more so when viewed in conjunction with the associated volume on both days which was extreme, thereby confirming the heavy selling by the big operators. This also highlights the opposite side of the coin, namely a distinct lack of buying volumes on those days when the metal attempted to rally. Indeed, the most recent rally on the 5th July with a narrow spread candle on high volume was classic volume price analysis with this volume signaling selling into weakness, which duly arrived a few days later.

We are now trading well below the volume point of control which is anchored just below the $1300 per ounce area, and adding further downward pressure, and although the price action has managed to capitalize on last Friday’s buying in the $1235 per ounce region and temporarily stem the bearish momentum, this halt in momentum is only likely to be a pause point. The bearish momentum is also confirmed by the trend monitor, which has remained red since mid-April and which accelerated following the volatility candle of the 15th June. Moreover,  the precious metal has also benefited from some weakness in the USD that has seen the DXY index pullback from the key 95 price level.

The present move higher in gold now sees the precious metal consolidating in the Camarilla neutral or buffer zone, namely between the first resistance at $1245 and first support at $1238 and only a clear breach of the former on good volume will signal the possibility that gold may, at last, be regaining some of its lustre.

 However,  the monthly chart paints a very different picture, and here we see a heavily bearish picture for gold in the longer term for several reasons. First, we have the well-developed ceiling of resistance in the $1370 per ounce area which has capped all recent attempts to rally and extends back as far as 2014. Next, we see the extreme volumes of January and March with strong selling once again in evidence into the associated narrow spread price action which failed to follow through and hold the highs of the session. Then we come to the camarilla levels, which are perhaps the most revealing and significant as July has seen the price of gold move through the S3 level and begin to approach the S4 level in the $1200 per ounce region which is now key. If this level is breached then a full-blown breakdown in price is likely with a potential move to test the S5 level at $1145 per ounce or deeper still to the S6 which takes gold below the $1100 per ounce price point once again. Note also the decreasing volumes on the volume point of control, which provide little in the way of resistance to such a move lower.

For investors and gold bugs 2018 looks like being another year to forget, and with US dollar strength returning, and with inflation continuing to remain hard to create, gold looks set to react to risk more strongly for the time being, but not for any sustained period to provide a reversal in the longer term picture. If and until buyers return with sustained volumes and ones which are sufficient to break and hold above some stiff resistance, the bears look set to remain in full control, with the camarilla levels now mapping the way ahead.