Gold (XAU/USD) has pulled back over 7% from its all-time high near $5,590, but continues to trade above $5,160 — holding up significantly better than stock market plays and even Bitcoin in the month-on-month timeframe. The bullish channel that has guided the gold price since late December remains intact, and institutional positioning hasn’t budged. Yet the big breakout toward new highs remains elusive. The reason isn’t gold’s structure or demand: it’s most likely crude oil