Riyadh Airport Strike Spikes Gold to $4,216 Before Profit-Taking

Gold reversed from a $4,216 Asian spike to $4,188 as crude slid on Russian diesel and energy-truce reports, with the US bond market closed for Columbus Day and September CPI due Wednesday.

Houthi drones hit Riyadh airport, gold spikes to $4,216

Renewed drone strikes by Houthi forces targeted Riyadh’s main airport, and spot gold swept an intraday peak of USD 4,216.21 during early Asian hours. The geopolitical bid found no follow-through: with traders de-risking ahead of Wednesday’s US CPI, systematic profit-taking set in and gold retraced to USD 4,188.48 (−0.18%), with an intraday low of USD 4,184.15. Safe-haven buying on Gulf headlines was surrendered quickly as crude turned lower.

Crude slides on Russian diesel deal and energy truce

Brent trades at USD 103.44 per barrel (−1.22%) and WTI at USD 90.40 (−1.58%). Reports of an agreement on Russian diesel supplies and an energy truce, together with China’s post-holiday resumption of refined fuel exports, are easing the energy risk premium. Cooling oil takes immediate pressure off headline inflation and dampens momentum for aggressive safe-haven hedging. For Brent, holding above USD 103.00 keeps the range stable, while a slip below USD 102.50 risks a test of USD 101.20.

Columbus Day, 5.24% yields and the CPI countdown

The United States observes Columbus Day: cash Treasury markets are closed while equities trade, so expect thinner participation and headline-driven sensitivity in New York hours. The US 10-year yield is locked at Friday’s 5.24% close and the Dollar Index hovers flat at 102.20. All eyes are on Wednesday’s US September CPI at 14:30 CET, with headline forecast at 3.6% YoY and core at 2.4%. The IMF and World Bank Meetings in Bangkok (12–18 October) add policy commentary, with monetary and currency stability in focus.

Flows and technicals: profit-taking after Friday’s rally

Gold’s slide from USD 4,212 to USD 4,188 reflects profit-taking after Friday’s +1.5% rally. Spot broke below its 1-hour short EMAs, with the H1 EMA20 (USD 4,197.13) and D1 EMA20 (USD 4,197.43) now capping rebounds. Gold is mounting a tight defense of the USD 4,182–4,184 shelf, where the intraday low meets the H4 lower Bollinger Band.

Market impact - today’s trading day in brief

Gold trades at USD 4,188.48 and Brent at USD 103.44 (WTI USD 90.40). The Asian spike has been absorbed, and the session is about defending the USD 4,182–4,184 shelf into Wednesday’s CPI.

Level	Zone (USD)
Resistance 2	USD 4,216–4,256
Resistance 1	USD 4,197–4,200
Key pivot	USD 4,182–4,184
Support 1	USD 4,170–4,175
Macro support	USD 4,141

A confirmed H1 close above USD 4,197–4,200 re-targets USD 4,209 and USD 4,216, while a clean H1 breakdown below USD 4,182 opens USD 4,175 and USD 4,170.

Scenario odds: 30% bullish, 40% neutral, 30% bearish

This report is prepared by the An Infinity Original team as a daily overview of market and geopolitical developments based on publicly available sources and market data at the time of publication. It is for informational and analytical purposes only and is not financial advice. Trading on financial markets carries a high risk of capital loss.