How Does Gold Affects the Forex Market?

Gold and Forex… Have you ever considered there might be a correlation between these two? No? Well, it may seem unlikely if you are hearing about this for the first time, but there is a correlation between fiat currency and gold prices.

And, SPOILER ALERT: the forex market and gold mesh pretty well!

Ready to find out more and explore how gold affects the forex, fiat money, and central bank policy decisions? Read on!

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Why Gold Affects Fiat Currencies?

Gold is one of the most heavily traded commodities worldwide. One reason is that it has been used as a form of money for a long time from one empire to another and one century to another.

But that’s not the only reason gold has such a strong hold on fiat currencies. Here are some others. 

1. Utility

Gold’s ductility and luster make it a sought-after medium for jewelers and artisans around the globe. In addition, bullion serves various purposes, from applications as precious metal superconductors to gold coins.

Given the yellow metal’s utility, it has a steady demand from the art, jewelry, and industrial sectors.

2. The Gold Standard

Gold is an inherently scarce commodity. The world’s supply is believed to originate in a meteor shower that took place billions of years ago. As an “extraterrestrial element,” gold is not readily cultivated. Reserves are found deep within the Earth’s crust and require vast resources to bring to market.

Due to the rare nature of gold, many central banks and governments stockpile bullion as reserves. Reserves can be used as collateral or as backing for a country’s currency (see gold standard).

3. Gold As Hedge Against Inflation

Traders believe that gold reflects the condition of economic and political stability. Thus, during times of crisis, traders and investors tend to seek safe-haven assets such as gold. Amid periods of geopolitical or financial tumult, many flee from paper money for the relative safety of bullion.

Conversely, the opposite is true in times of economic prosperity and political stability. Gold investors seek higher profits in other, more profitable markets such as forex. 

However, no matter the economic cycle, gold has never been worthless! Gold prices have always been north of zero – that’s a fact!

The Effects of Gold on USD Pairs

Its price fluctuations significantly impact three major currencies: the USD, AUD, and CHF.

Generally, when the US dollar goes up, the value of gold falls. On the other hand, as the price of gold rises, the value of the USD falls. This is a broad generalization, but it does establish a basic inflationary/deflationary relationship between the gold price and the value of fiat currencies.

As the world’s reserve currency, the USD was once privy to the “gold standard.” The gold standard is a term used to describe fiat currencies (paper money) that are pegged to the value of gold. The United States was on the gold standard from the signing of the Bretton Woods Accords (1945) until the early 1970s.

The XAU/USD

So, where can you see how the value of Gold is changing compared to the USD? It’s pretty simple: the XAU/USD. The XAU/USD is a special forex currency pair comparing gold (XAU) to the US dollar (USD). Thus, the pair is called the XAU/USD.

The XAU/USD tells traders how many US dollars it costs to purchase one ounce of gold. Although all national currencies may be paired with gold, the XAU/USD is the most frequently referenced. Why? Because the USD is the world’s leading reserve currency held by central banks. So, gold prices are commonly denominated in USD in global currency markets.

The XAU/USD is an interesting currency pair to trade! Ask any trader, and they’ll tell you about the massive liquidity of XAU/USD. It’s not unreasonable to call the XAU/USD the gold standard of the forex! (Excuse the pun…)

Now, how does gold affect the major currency pairs in Forex? Let’s explore. 

Gold vs AUD/USD

Australia has a strong reputation as one of the world’s largest bullion producers. This means that the Australian economy relies heavily on how it exports gold to the rest of the world. So, it’s not a quantum leap to understand that Australia’s domestic currency (AUD) is impacted by the nation’s commitment to export gold.

A picture is worth 1000 words. Let’s place gold and AUD/USD side by side on the same chart and see if there are any correlations.

Can you see how they move together? That’s because gold has a positive correlation with the AUD/USD. So, if the value of gold goes up, so does AUD/USD; if the value of gold goes down, so does the AUD/USD. While this relationship isn’t the product of a central bank peg, it is at least an informal gold standard.

Remember, this correlation is due to various factors, including Australia being the third biggest gold producer worldwide. Each year, AUS miners dig out more than $5 billion worth of bullion. This is a staggering valuation and one that impacts the country’s currency on an ongoing basis.

Historically, the AUD/USD has had a massive correlation of 80% to the price of Gold!

Gold vs USD/CHF

There’s a correlation between the Swiss franc (CHF) and gold. But it’s not free sailing like AUD/USD. In fact, gold has a negative correlation with USD/CHF.

A negative correlation in asset pricing alludes to two (or more) assets having an inverse relationship. In the case of gold and the CHF, it means that if gold prices go up, the value of USD/CHF moves down. And, if gold prices fall down, the value of USD/CHF goes up. Think of this relationship as sort of an “inverse gold standard.”

Again, the USD/CHF/XAU relationship may be due to a number of different reasons. One worth mentioning, however, is that over 25% of the Swiss franc is backed by gold reserves. So, the CHF fiat currency is, in part, a version of the gold standard.

One could say that Switzerland is the global hub for the gold industry, and most of the gold in the world passes through Switzerland. So, the country imports gold, and 1/4 of the country’s currency is backed by gold.

Key Takeaways

• Gold significantly impacts fiat currencies, including the US dollar, Australian dollar, and Swiss franc.
• Gold is a safe-haven asset that investors turn to during times of economic uncertainty. It was also used as a backup for fiat currencies in the 19th and 20th centuries. All of these contribute to the commodity’s massive effect on fiat currencies.
• The price of gold is positively correlated with the Australian dollar (AUD/USD) and negatively correlated with the Swiss franc (USD/CHF).

Summary

If you’re trading currencies, don’t forget about gold! It’s a barometer of economic performance, as well as being a bonafide safe-haven asset. Bullion’s impact on the forex is profound, especially upon countries that import, export, and stockpile the yellow metal.

As we said earlier, gold has never been worthless! Be sure to watch this exciting market as you trade forex.