FOMC Rate Decision and Gold
When the FOMC rate decision comes out, why it moves gold, and how gold actually reacted the last 12 times, from real hourly prices. Next release in your time zone, with a countdown and a calendar reminder.
FOMC rate decision:
Wed 9 Dec 2026, 2:00 pm New York time · source: Federal Reserve
The time above is shown in your own time zone. The calendar file holds this release with a reminder 15 minutes before; it works in Apple, Google and Outlook calendars.
How gold reacted the last 12 times
- Average release-hour move
- $39.2 (0.92%)
- Average release-hour range
- $58.8
- Release hour closed higher
- 3 of 12
- Average session move
- 1.49% ($68.6)
- Gold closed the session higher
- 5 of 12
- Average session range
- $124.8
Averages of the absolute moves (ignoring direction) in the table above, computed when the page was built. Past reactions do not predict the direction of the next one.
| Release (New York date) | Release hourmove | Release hourhigh–low | Gold that sessionclose to close | Session rangehigh–low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 28 Oct 20262:00 pm NY | −$7.3−0.18% | $44.3 | +0.20%+$8.1 | $60.3 |
| Wed 16 Sep 20262:00 pm NY | −$97.7−2.22% | $115.8 | −0.71%−$30.9 | $139.8 |
| Wed 29 Jul 20262:00 pm NY | +$64.0+1.56% | $69.0 | +2.41%+$97.2 | $167.5 |
| Wed 17 Jun 20262:00 pm NY | −$95.9−2.18% | $111.3 | −1.76%−$76.7 | $166.2 |
| Wed 29 Apr 20262:00 pm NY | −$9.1−0.20% | $35.0 | −1.13%−$52.3 | $102.1 |
| Wed 18 Mar 20262:00 pm NY | −$37.8−0.77% | $48.3 | −3.74%−$187.4 | $212.7 |
| Wed 28 Jan 20262:00 pm NY | +$41.8+0.79% | $64.9 | +5.18%+$268.2 | $298.0 |
| Wed 10 Dec 20252:00 pm NY | +$23.8+0.56% | $41.2 | +0.51%+$21.7 | $61.0 |
| Wed 29 Oct 20252:00 pm NY | −$26.1−0.65% | $67.0 | −0.67%−$26.4 | $116.2 |
| Wed 17 Sep 20252:00 pm NY | −$36.4−0.98% | $64.5 | −0.88%−$32.9 | $64.5 |
| Wed 30 Jul 20252:00 pm NY | −$22.6−0.67% | $26.3 | +0.08%+$2.6 | $70.1 |
| Wed 18 Jun 20252:00 pm NY | −$7.4−0.22% | $18.2 | −0.56%−$19.2 | $38.9 |
Prices: COMEX gold futures (GC=F) 1-hour bars via Yahoo Finance, dollars per ounce. Release hour = the 1-hour bar that contains the release, from the close of the hour before. Session = the COMEX day the release falls in (6 pm New York the evening before to 5 pm New York), against the previous session’s close. Session closes are the last hourly price before 5 pm New York, not the 1:30 pm settlement, so afternoon releases such as Fed decisions are inside the move.
Get reminded
Two free ways, no account needed. Add the next release to your own calendar with the buttons above, or get Gold Daily: once a day, Mon–Sat, it lists the next big event in your time zone with today’s gold levels.
What is the FOMC rate decision?
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) sets the target range for the federal funds rate, the overnight rate that anchors US borrowing costs, and publishes a statement explaining the decision. The next FOMC decision release is on Wed 9 Dec 2026 at 2:00 pm New York time ( in your time zone).
When does it come out?
Eight scheduled meetings a year, roughly every six weeks. The statement is published at 2:00 pm New York time on the second day of the meeting and the Chair's press conference starts 30 minutes later. The March, June, September and December meetings also publish new economic projections and the “dot plot” of rate forecasts. Dates come from the Federal Reserve; we only list a date once it is on the official schedule.
Why does it move gold?
Gold pays no interest, so holding it costs more when US interest rates are high and less when they fall. A decision or guidance that is more hawkish than markets expected tends to lift Treasury yields and the dollar, which usually weighs on gold; a dovish surprise tends to do the opposite. The rate move itself is often fully priced in, so much of the reaction comes from the statement wording, the projections and the press conference, which is why gold can swing both ways in the same afternoon.
What moves the price is the surprise: the gap between the number and what the market expected. We do not show consensus forecasts, because they come from commercial surveys we cannot republish, and we never guess them.
What traders look at
- The statement's wording on inflation and future moves, compared with the previous statement
- The dot plot and projections at the quarterly meetings
- The press conference, which starts 30 minutes after the statement and often reverses the first move
- Dissents: votes against the decision show which way the committee is leaning
What the history table shows
Across the last 12 times, gold’s release hour moved $39.2 on average (0.92%), with an average high–low range of $58.8 in that hour. Over the whole session gold moved 1.49% on average and closed higher 5 of 12 times. The table uses COMEX gold futures, which trade a few dollars above spot gold (XAUUSD) but move almost identically. For an 8:30 am release the release hour is the 8:00–9:00 am New York bar, so it includes 30 minutes before the number. Rows marked “with” show other releases that came out at the same minute: gold’s move that hour is the combined reaction.
How traders prepare (education)
- Know the time in your zone. The countdown above converts it for you; add it to your calendar so it does not catch you mid-trade.
- Size for the release hour. Compare the average release-hour range above with your stop. The position size calculator shows the lot size that keeps the risk the same with a wider stop.
- Decide before the number. Stand aside, reduce size or wait for the first spike to settle: pick one in advance. See the gold news trading lesson.
- Check the week. The weekly gold cheat sheet lists this week’s events and levels; the market scoreboard shows the dollar and yields gold reacts to.
Related reading
- How to trade gold on Fed day
- FOMC day gold playbook
- Gold after Fed decisions: the data
- Fed decision time in your zone
- How to read FedWatch for gold
- The Fed blackout period and gold
- All gold event pages
- Gold economic calendar
- Gold event centre: next three weeks
Frequently asked questions
When is the next FOMC decision release?
Wed 9 Dec 2026 at 2:00 pm New York time (19:00 UTC), according to the Federal Reserve. The page shows it in your own time zone with a countdown.
What time is the FOMC decision released?
Eight scheduled meetings a year, roughly every six weeks. The statement is published at 2:00 pm New York time on the second day of the meeting and the Chair’s press conference starts 30 minutes later. The March, June, September and December meetings also publish new economic projections and the “dot plot” of rate forecasts.
Does the FOMC decision push gold up or down?
It depends on the surprise, not the number itself. A decision or guidance that is more hawkish than markets expected tends to lift Treasury yields and the dollar, which usually weighs on gold; a dovish surprise tends to do the opposite. What else is moving yields and the dollar that day matters too, so the same kind of surprise does not always move gold the same way.
How much does gold move on FOMC decision?
Over the last 12 times, gold’s release hour moved $39.2 on average (0.92%), with an average range of $58.8. Over the full session it moved 1.49% on average and closed higher 5 of 12 times. These are averages of real past moves, not a forecast.
Where do the numbers on this page come from?
Release dates come from the Federal Reserve’s official schedule and release archive. Gold prices are COMEX gold futures (GC=F) 1-hour bars via Yahoo Finance, and every move in the table is calculated from those bars when the page is built. We do not show consensus forecasts.
Can I get a reminder before the release?
Yes. Use Add to calendar for a calendar file with a reminder 15 minutes before, or the Google Calendar button. Gold Daily, our free email, lists the next big event in your time zone once a day, Mon–Sat.
Educational page only. Not financial advice and not a signal. Past price reactions do not predict future prices. See our risk disclaimer.