Overview
- Spot prices hover around $4,300–$4,400 an ounce after a brief Friday selloff and a Monday rebound, leaving gold up roughly 60–70% this year and near last week’s record around $4,380.
- Major houses have raised outlooks, with HSBC projecting $5,000 by 2026, Bank of America and SocGen offering similar targets, Goldman Sachs at $4,900, and ANZ guiding to $4,600 by mid‑2026.
- Underlying support comes from sustained central‑bank accumulation, a softer dollar, trade and tariff uncertainty, and broader access through bullion ETFs.
- Brokers report heavier activity—some seeing 50–90% jumps in gold volumes—prompting higher maintenance margins at firms such as CMC Markets and IG, as others caution clients on short‑term swings.
- The FBI warns of scams where couriers collect cash or gold from victims, while analysts note that past surges often precede weak long‑term returns, highlighting elevated correction risk.