XAU/USD slides back below $4,200; Nikkei fades, China profit growth slows

Gold (XAU/USD) was hit hard during the Asia-Pacific session and traded back under $4,200 again. The source gives no percentage move, no dollar-per-ounce change and no technical levels beyond the $4,200 mark, and it does not name a specific driver for the drop. The wider risk tone was softer. Japan's Nikkei gave up early gains as Nasdaq futures slipped ahead of Micron earnings. In China, industrial profits rose 4.2% in August, the weakest monthly gain this year. Goldman Sachs estimated that a US diesel export ban would cut US diesel prices by about 4% and raise costs in Europe, which is relevant to energy-linked markets. The US Treasury's $202 billion settlement was described as routine and not a trigger for Bitcoin. A headline on China and the US was also included, but the source text is cut off and gives no details. For traders, the return below $4,200 puts that figure in focus for XAU/USD. The Micron earnings release is the next scheduled event named in the session wrap.