The financial markets are entering a shortened trading period over the next two weeks as investors celebrate the holidays and the New Year. During this time, market participants continue to process the Federal Reserve's monetary policy modifications announced at last week's final FOMC meeting of the year.
Additionally, investors are beginning to factor in the transition to a new presidential administration, with President-elect Trump set to re-enter Washington on January 20 for his second non-consecutive term. Following a sharp $63 decline after Wednesday's FOMC meeting conclusion, gold appeared to find support on Thursday and Friday of last week. However, this price recovery failed to maintain momentum into the first trading day of the shortened holiday week, with gold trading moderately lower. As of 4 PM ET, gold futures for the most active February 2025 contract declined by $14.00, or 0.54%, settling at $2626.50. Market sentiment remains focused on last week's final FOMC meeting, which included the release of the latest summary of economic projections (SEP) containing interest rate forecasts through 2027. A crucial component of the SEP is the 'dot plot,' released quarterly during alternate FOMC meetings, providing an anonymous overview of where the 19 Federal Reserve committee members expect future Fed funds rates to land. The latest dot plot marked a significant departure from September's projections, indicating the Federal Reserve's intention to reduce the number of anticipated interest rate cuts in the coming year from four to just three quarter-point reductions. This more hawkish stance caught many traders and investors off guard, despite Chairman Powell's previous signals of a potential policy shift in speeches leading up to the pre-meeting blackout period. Market participants are increasingly turning their attention to the broader implications for financial markets as Donald Trump prepares for his second presidential term