The United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced a natural gas storage increase of 48 billion cubic feet on July 25, 2025. This change was higher than the expected increase of 38 billion cubic feet. The Australian dollar struggled against the US dollar, trading between 0.6430 and 0.6420, due to the strength of the US dollar. Meanwhile, the Euro bounced back against the dollar, reaching 1.1460, despite the dollar’s robust performance.

Gold and Ripple Market Overview

Gold faced selling pressure as it tested around $3,300 per troy ounce, amid falling US yields and slight losses for the dollar. Ripple (XRP) dropped to $3.09 after failing to break above $3.32, reflecting changes in market sentiment following the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) had differing opinions on the impact of tariffs, raising concerns about potential risks in the labor market and inflation. There is growing interest in brokerage options for EUR/USD trading and leveraged trading opportunities in the Forex market. The bigger-than-expected 48 billion cubic feet natural gas build suggests a well-supplied market. This is a bearish signal, as consistent inventory increases last summer also led to price declines heading into the fall. Therefore, buying put options on natural gas futures or taking short positions could be a smart strategy to benefit from this supply surplus. The Euro is showing resilience against the US dollar, recently climbing back to 1.1460. This strength, despite the US dollar’s overall strength, indicates positive momentum for the Euro, especially as recent Eurozone PMI data reached a six-month high. Buying call options on EUR/USD, targeting the 1.1500 resistance level seen earlier this year, might be worth considering. On the other hand, the Australian dollar remains weak, struggling around the 0.6420 level. This area has served as key support in the past, especially during the latter half of 2024. A persistent dip below this level may lead to further declines, making put options on the AUD/USD a potentially wise hedge or speculative move. Gold shows weakness as it tests the $3,300 per ounce mark, even with a slight decline in US yields. This indicates that selling pressure is overcoming the typical factors that usually support gold. Notably, open interest for put options with a $3,250 strike price has risen over 12% this past week, suggesting traders are bracing for a potential drop.

Ripple and FOMC Insights

Ripple’s inability to break through the $3.32 resistance level last week highlights a slowdown in buying momentum. The retreat to $3.09 shows that sellers are gaining control in the short term, with trading volume down nearly 25% since the rejection. We should monitor for a possible test of the $3.00 support level; if it breaks below that, the downward trend could intensify. The split within the FOMC over tariffs and inflation adds significant uncertainty in the market. This disagreement, noted in the July meeting minutes, means that the upcoming August inflation report will be important. We believe this situation is likely to increase volatility, as the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) has risen from 14 to 17 this month, making strategies like buying straddles on major indices a relevant way to trade the potential for sharp market movements. Create your live VT Markets account and start trading now.

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