UPDATE: As if by magic, the 'spike' lower has been fully retraced with a 'spike' higher. Of course, in the preceding sentence one should replace "magic" with a selling algo suddenly taking out the bid stack simple because it is programmed to do so, only for another algo to step in and try to make the entire move less obvious, in the process showing just how much of a farce price discovery in paper gold has become...
With markets quiet, what better time than now to smash the 'price' of spot gold lower than the moment US futures close and all that is left are a few Spot FX traders. Of course this makes perfect sense for any 'rational' bullion seller looking to unwind a position (or even a short looking to set out a decent trade) - wait until there is no liquidity so that your price action culls the order book and leaves you with anything but 'best execution' - but then again, when you don't have to worry about MtM, that doesn't matter. It seems that while the volume cat's away, the gold manipulators will play...
Before...
[3]
After...
[4]
Charts: Bloomberg