Overview
- Gold notched a new intraday high near $4,525 per ounce on Dec. 24 before steadying on Dec. 25 as some traders booked profits.
- Silver set an all‑time peak around $72.70 with year‑to‑date gains near 145%–150%, while platinum hit records and palladium rose to multi‑year highs.
- Safe‑haven flows linked to U.S.–Venezuela tensions, expectations of further U.S. rate cuts, a softer dollar, strong central‑bank purchases and ETF inflows powered the surge.
- Banks and strategists expect the upswing to extend into 2026, with Goldman Sachs’ base case near $4,900 and some forecasts pointing to tests of $5,000.
- Near‑term risks include thin year‑end liquidity, overbought technical readings and profit‑taking, even as silver’s widening supply deficit and industrial demand underpin the broader bull case.