School
Short lessons on what moves gold and oil and why, with no jargon. Each takes a couple of minutes.
Gold
- How the US jobs report moves goldWhy the first Friday of the month is often the biggest day for gold.
- Does inflation help or hurt gold?Gold is called an inflation hedge, yet hot inflation numbers often push it down.
- How the Fed affects goldInterest rates are the single biggest force on gold. The Fed sets them.
- War, oil and goldWhy a war can push gold down, even though it is meant to be a safe haven.
- The dollar and goldWhy the two so often move in opposite directions.
- Bond yields: gold's real rivalWhat a yield is, and why traders watch it next to the gold price.
- Why central banks buy goldThe quiet buyers behind the price.
- Why gold sometimes ignores the newsGood news, gold falls. Bad news, gold rises. Here is what is going on.
Brent oil
- What moves the price of Brent oilSupply, demand and fear. Almost every oil headline comes back to these three.
- OPEC+ explainedThe group of producers that can move oil with one decision.
- The weekly US oil stocks reportWhy oil can jump at 10:30am New York time every Wednesday.
- Brent and WTI: what is the difference?Two prices for oil, and why this site follows Brent.
Charts and trading
- The trading day: Asia, London and New YorkGold trades around the clock on weekdays, but not every hour is the same.
- Support and resistance, simplyWhy prices keep stopping at the same levels, and why those levels sometimes break.
- Yesterday's high and low, and round numbersThe simplest levels on any chart, and why so many traders watch them.
- How to read a candle chartEach candle shows four prices. Once you can read one, the chart tells a story.
- When news meets the chartWhy a big release can blow through a level, and why some moves fade.
- Position size and risk, explainedHow much to trade depends on how much you are willing to lose, not how sure you feel.