May 22, 2026 7:07 AM EDT Key Points Central banks sold gold to defend currencies amid 2026 US-Israel-Iran conflict and energy crisis. Jeffrey Currie predicts gold could fall to $3,750 before rallying as structural buyers return. Long-term, AI-driven demand and underinvestment may push gold prices toward $10,000 per ounce. Gold has always been the asset investors run to when they stop believing in everything else. It is the trade that pays off when central banks lose credibility, when currencies wobble, when geopolitics get loud, and when the rest of the stock market finally cracks. For most of the past three years, that playbook worked beautifully. Sovereign buyers from Beijing to Warsaw to Ankara stacked bullion at a pace not seen in half a century. Retail piled in behind them. The metal blew through one all-time high after another, and the bears went quiet. Then 2026 happened. A US-Israeli war on Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, sent energy prices vertical, and forced some of the same central banks that drove the rally to start unloading their gold to defend collapsing currencies. The yellow metal has now given back almost all of its year-to-date gains, hovering near $4,534 an ounce on May 19, according to Fortune . Now one of Wall Street ’s most respected commodity voices is telling clients the pain is far from over. And the eventual payoff, if his call lands, will dwarf anything the gold market has ever produced. Why this gold selloff is just getting started The bear in question is Jeffrey Currie, the former global head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs ( GS ), who spent 27 years at the firm before leaving in 2023 and is now chief strategy officer of energy pathways at Carlyle Group ( CG ), according to Carlyle . He is best known for calling the 2000s commodity supercycle and predicting oil’s run past $100 a barrel. In a recent thread on X , the former Twitter, Currie wrote that he has been “short gold” since March despite describing himself as a “gold perma bull”. His thesis is mechanical, not philosophical. The Iran conflict and the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz have driven energy import costs higher and pressured emerging-market currencies. To defend those currencies and pay for fuel, some of the world’s most prolific gold buyers have flipped into sellers. Turkey is the cleanest example. Its central bank sold or swapped roughly 79 tons of gold in the first quarter alone, with “the largest sales from Turkey (60 tonnes) and Russia (16 tonnes) [offsetting] purchases elsewhere,” according to the World Gold Council . “When the marginal central bank flips from structural buyer to forced seller to pay for energy, gold’s biggest bid disappears,” Currie wrote on X . That dynamic, in his view, points to a deeper retracement. He sees gold sliding all the way toward $4,000, with a possible overshoot into the $3,750 range, before sovereign buyers, particularly China, step back in and restart the rally. The bigger thesis behind the $10,000 gold target Currie’s gold call sits inside a much bigger argument about how a decade of capital flows have left commodity markets dangerously under-invested. After running the numbers against his framework myself, the imbalance is more extreme than most equity investors realize. The argument starts with where the money has gone. The Magnificent Seven plus Oracle ( ORCL ) are projected to spend roughly $820 billion on artificial intelligence capital expenditure in 2026 alone, which Currie called “the largest physical commodity bid ever assembled inside eight income statements,” according to Benzinga . Meanwhile, the suppliers cannot keep up. The numbers Currie laid out paint a clear picture: Information Technology and Communication Services make up roughly 43% of the S&P 500 , while Energy and Materials together account for about 6%. Upstream oil and gas investment is down 35% from its 2015 peak. The world’s top 20 mining companies are spending 40% less than during the 2012 peak cycle, per Currie’s analysis. Central banks bought a net 244 tonnes of gold in Q1 2026, up 3% year-on-year. Source: Currie’s analysis via Benzinga Currie calls this transition the move from “HAGO” (Hard Assets, Global Operations) into “ HALO ” (Hard Assets, Local Operations), where physical commodities are repriced upward as supply struggles to meet AI -driven demand. “The price will overshoot first. The capex will follow. Then the new supply,” Currie wrote in his X thread . That sequence, in his framework, is what eventually pushes gold to $10,000. Once central banks stop fighting inflation , pivot back to easier policy, and resume buying physical metal, the same forced sellers of today flip back into structural bidders. What this gold call means for your portfolio None of this guarantees Currie is right. Plenty of veteran strategists have made bold price calls that aged poorly, and the path from $4,000 to $10,000 will almost certainly take years rather than quarters. Iris Cibre, founder of Phoenix Consultancy in Istanbul, has noted that Turkey’s recent gold operations were primarily designed to support the lira during a specific war-driven liquidity crunch, not a verdict on gold’s long-term value, according to the Canadian Mining Report . That distinction matters. Forced selling is not fundamental selling, and a 2025 survey found that 95% of central banks expected global gold holdings to rise over the next 12 months, according to the World Gold Council . In my analysis, what makes Currie’s framework interesting is the structural argument underneath the headline number. Markets have systematically underfunded the physical world for a decade while flooding the digital one with capital. If he is even directionally right, the next gold cycle is less about jewelry, inflation hedges, or fear trades. It is about repricing every ton of metal that an AI data center, an EV plant, or a defense supply chain ultimately needs, an argument that echoes Goldman’s own longer-term outlook for the rest of this decade. For investors holding the SPDR Gold Shares ( GLD ) ETF, which was up 3.32% year-to-date as of last week, the short-term setup looks ugly. Currie himself is positioned for a deeper drawdown first. But the same trade he is shorting today is the one he expects to flip aggressively long once the energy shock starts hurting growth. If you own gold, the next chapter of this story will probably be written by central banks, not by day traders. And central banks have very long memories. Source： https://www.thestreet.com/investing/veteran-goldman-strategist-makes-stunning-10000-gold-call

May 22, 2026 Gold is no longer merely a traditional hedge against crisis; rather, it is reclaiming its role as a monetary anchor in the global financial system. This is the key conclusion reached by Incrementum AG in the latest edition of its renowned “ In Gold We Trust ” report. Authors Ronald-Peter Stöferle and Mark Valek view the recent price swings not as speculative exaggeration, but as a symptom of profound remonetization. Driven by geopolitical fragmentation, de-dollarization, and dwindling confidence in fiat currencies, the gold market is now entering its most dynamic phase. Price targets shattered: On the way to $8,900? The market dynamics speak for themselves: With a gain of 64.4%, gold recorded its strongest annual performance since 1979 in 2025 and hit a record high of $5,595 per ounce in January 2026. The “golden decade” proclaimed by Incrementum in 2020—with a price target at the time of $4,800 by 2030—has thus become a reality ahead of schedule. In light of this acceleration, analysts are now outlining an alternative inflation scenario in which gold could rise to $8,900 by the end of the decade. The Fundamentals: Central Banks, Debt, and a Potential Revaluation The report identifies three major structural pillars supporting the long-term bull market: Central Bank Purchases: Following three record years with purchases exceeding 1,000 tons each, central banks acquired a substantial 863 tons in 2025 as well. The signal is clear: governments are increasingly positioning gold as a neutral reserve asset. Soaring debt: With global debt at a record high of $348 trillion (including $39 trillion in the U.S. alone) and deeply negative real yields, the traditional government bond is losing its role as a “risk-free” haven. Investors are being systematically pushed toward alternative stores of value. Revaluation of U.S. reserves: The U.S. continues to report its gold holdings on its balance sheet at a mere $42.22 per ounce. Incrementum no longer considers an official revaluation to market price (most recently near $4,600) to be merely a thought experiment, but rather a growing political possibility. The Next Wave: Institutional Capital Is Still Missing Despite massive price gains, the market is by no means overcrowded, according to Incrementum. Privately held gold reserves account for an estimated 2.7% of global financial assets. Analysts therefore expect a shift in demand dynamics: While central banks have been the primary buyers so far, institutional capital is now likely to flow into the market on a broad scale. This phase of broad public participation is historically considered the longest and strongest of a bull market. Short-term outlook: Volatility as a side effect However, a straight-line rise is not expected. For early summer 2026, Incrementum forecasts a volatile consolidation within a range of $4,500 to $4,950 per ounce. Higher bond yields or liquidity bottlenecks could certainly trigger sharp pullbacks. In the context of the “In Gold We Trust” report, however, such fluctuations do not represent a break in the trend, but rather the normal breathing room of a market that is returning to its core monetary function within a fragile financial system. Source： https://goldinvest.de/en/new-forecast-is-gold-heading-toward-usd8-900-per-ounce

Published: May 19, 2026 - 10:43 PM Updated: May 19, 2026 - 10:55 PM (Kitco News) – Despite Iran war headwinds, gold prices are still on track to reach a fresh all-time high of $5,800 per ounce before year-end, while silver’s supply deficit and dual demand make it the better medium-term bet, according to Nicky Shiels, head of research and metals strategy at MKS PAMP, Shiels said in a recent interview that the Iran war has “reshaped, but not derailed” the bull case for gold, and she expects the yellow metal will ultimately gain 30% in 2026. “Gold is still expected to average $4,500/oz in 2026, with a new higher all-time high of $5,800/oz a fair target for the second half of the year,” she said. “Gold has morphed from a debasement trade into an inverse oil proxy during the current conflict, and while that correlation has weakened recently, the stagflationary backdrop comes back into play,” Shiels added. “The near-term thesis is one of consolidation, but the longer-term one reinforces the bull case for gold: fiscal dominance fears, US dollar weakness longer-term, and geopolitical risk remain in play.” In the near term, she said that “gold prices below $5000/oz are fair given current oil levels and softening physical demand into the summer, but $5000+ should be the range in 2H’26.” Looking further out, Shiels is even more bullish. She said that it is “unlikely, but possible” that gold prices will reach $10,000 per ounce by 2030. “It’s theoretically possible, as real assets continue to debase higher,” she said. “A lot would have to happen for gold prices to reach five figures, including a substantial rotation from US institutional investors out of equities.” “There are plenty of narratives explaining how one obtains big numbers, where most look at Gold through a debasement lens and adjust for what prices need to be (keeping all other inputs stable) to reach historical relative values vs the stock market, vs % of US debt, as vs % of foreign-held portion of US debt,” Shiels explained. “For example, gold’s global market cap (value of above-ground stocks) is around 20 per cent of the value of the global stock market. Historically, it can be worth 40 per cent, simply implying Gold at $10,000/oz (with no drawdown in stock market value).” She also benchmarked gold’s potential against U.S. government debt to arrive at an even more dramatic price projection. “Today’s US Gold holdings backs only 3 per cent of US government debt; back in the previous wartime era (the last debt expansion era), WWII, in which ~50 per cent of federal debt was Gold-backed; a mere 10 per cent of the US’ debt pile today equates to $15,000/oz,” Shiels said. “The value of the US’ Gold (81100 tonnes) is 14 per cent of all foreign-held US debt; the long-term average has been 50 per cent, which implies ~$18,000/oz.” She added that the scenario “remains a tail, not the base case, but it’s not an unreasonable tail.” Turning to silver, Shiels said that while gold still has the better outlook for 2026, the gray metal could outperform it in the longer term on the back of ongoing structural supply deficits. “The January high above $120/oz can absolutely be revisited, but it’s contingent on gold making new all-time highs,” she said. “Silver is still nowhere near its inflation-adjusted highs of around $200/oz (when Gold took out its 1980 inflation-adjusted high of $3600/oz back in September 2025), which requires a lot to come together (retail, institutional investment, industrial & physical flows re-engaging simultaneously).” Shiels said the Iran war has generated significant headwinds for silver, with the oil shock creating a “stagflationary backdrop” and raising fears of industrial demand destruction. “Silver, as the ‘high-beta’ precious metal, is caught between its monetary/investment and industrial identities,” she said. “Investment demand has softened while industrial demand faces macro pressure and fears over a growth slowdown.” “The core bear case [revolves around] a recession or prolonged stagflationary environment that would hit industrial demand (which accounts for over half of silver consumption) hard, particularly if the green energy buildout slows,” she explained. “That risk can overwhelm investment inflows and keep silver trapped in the lower half of its range, $50 – $70/oz.” But despite these risks to the outlook, Shiels believes silver is the precious metal with the higher upside over the longer term. “Gold has stronger institutional underpinning, resilient CB demand, clearer macro catalysts with a ramp up of stagflationary risks, and less vulnerability to an industrial demand shock,” she noted. “But silver is nowhere near its inflation-adjusted highs of around $200/oz; it faces persistent structural supply deficits where supply is slow to respond, and once both retail and institutional investment flows re-engage simultaneously, the squeeze potential is significant.” “Long-term, silver’s leverage to the hard-asset bull market is its biggest asset.” Moving to the platinum group metals, Shiels said the macro backdrop is weighing heavily on both platinum and palladium, but platinum is better positioned to launch a breakout due to ongoing supply deficits and strong hybrid vehicle demand. “January’s move in both metals reflected a genuine confluence of factors — physical tightness, tariff-driven trade re-ratings, supply disruption (particularly Russian palladium redirected away from the US), and strategic stockpiling — it wasn’t pure speculation,” she said. “However, the macro backdrop since then (oil shock, demand destruction fears, auto sector uncertainty) has weighed heavily.” “Platinum has stronger structural support — persistent multi-year deficits, growing hybrid autocatalyst demand, resilient industrial demand, steady jewellery demand, and a new investor base with the launch of futures contracts in China — so it’s better positioned to break out of the range,” she added. “Palladium is more policy-driven and heavily dependent on auto demand.” Source： https://www.kitco.com/news/article/2026-05-19/gold-will-hit-5800-ath-december-silver-has-highest-upside-platinum-has

Published: May 09, 2026 - 12:24 AM Updated: May 09, 2026 - 12:28 AM (Kitco News) - Gold prices continue to trade in elevated territory, holding new support above $4,700 an ounce, and some analysts have noted that downside risks for the precious metal remain limited as central bank demand continues to provide solid support. Specifically, the People’s Bank of China continues to see lower gold prices as a buying opportunity, as the central bank bought 8.1 tonnes of gold in April, following its 5-tonne purchase in March. China has been a dominant player in the gold market in recent years, increasing its official gold reserves for the last 18 consecutive months. At the same time, the pace of purchases is at its highest level since December 2024. Analysts have said that it is difficult to be short gold when the market continues to see consistent demand from the official sector. “Central bank purchases have been among the key drivers of gold demand for over four years,” said Barbara Lambrecht, Commodity Analyst at Commerzbank, in a note on Friday. “Despite the significant rise in prices, purchases by central banks and other public institutions in the first quarter totaled nearly 245 tonnes, according to the WGC, which was 3% higher than the previous year and even slightly above the five-year average.” Although China has been a key player in the gold market, it is certainly not alone. Krishan Gopaul, Senior Analyst, EMEA at the World Gold Council (WGC), said in a social media post on Thursday that updated reserve data showed the Czech National Bank bought 2 tonnes of gold last month. “Its YTD net purchases now total 8 tonnes, helping to lift total gold holdings to over 79 tonnes,” he said. Gopaul also said that according to preliminary estimates, Poland’s central bank bought another 13 tonnes of gold in April; however, he added that this cannot be confirmed until official reserve numbers are updated. Source： https://www.kitco.com/news/article/2026-05-08/china-and-other-central-banks-continue-buy-dip-gold

[SMM Lead Morning Meeting Minutes: Geopolitical Tensions Resurface Outside China, Lead Prices to Give Back Some Gains] Tensions rise again in the Strait of Hormuz: Iran accused the U.S. of violating the ceasefire by launching airstrikes on Iranian coastal areas and oil tankers. Geopolitical events outside China resurfaced, the macro situation became tense, and non-ferrous metals largely pulled back. China's lead fundamentals underperformed...

Futures: Overnight, LME lead opened at $1,953/mt. During the Asian session, LME lead fluctuated upward, touching a high of $1,963/mt. Entering the European session, LME lead moved sideways within $1,955.5-1,961.5/mt, then shifted to fluctuate downward, eventually closing at a low of $1,945/mt, down 0.33%. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE lead 2606 contract opened lower with a gap at 16,710 yuan/mt. Prices briefly dipped before rebounding slightly in the early session, but encountered resistance above. Subsequently, the overall trend shifted to fluctuate downward, probing a low of 16,645 yuan/mt near the session end, eventually closing at 16,650 yuan/mt, down 95 yuan/mt or 0.57%. Open interest stood at 63,800 lots, down 1,254 lots from the previous trading day. Macro front: The US Fed kept interest rates unchanged as expected, and Powell will remain as governor. Warsh's Fed Chairman nomination passed a Senate committee vote. Trump: now is a good time to cut interest rates; Powell stays at the Fed because no one else wants him. Trump: believes the Russia-Ukraine and Iran conflicts will end at roughly the same time; negotiations with Iran are being conducted by phone, very conveniently. Iran stated that if the US continues to seize ships, it will respond with "unprecedented military action." Putin proposed a "Victory Day" temporary ceasefire with Ukraine and put forward suggestions on Iran's nuclear program; Trump suggested a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine. World Gold Council: global central banks increased gold holdings at the fastest pace in over a year in Q1. Liu Haoling was appointed as CSRC vice chairman. China discovered 13 new 100-million-mt oil fields and 26 new 100-billion-m³ gas fields. Spot fundamentals: Yesterday, SHFE lead maintained narrow-range fluctuations. Ahead of the holiday, suppliers actively made shipments, but warrant quotations in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai remained scarce, with cargoes self-picked up from production site of primary lead smelters as the main source. Some quotations were lowered from the previous day, with mainstream production areas quoted at premiums of -20~+30 yuan/mt against SMM #1 lead average price on an ex-factory basis, while a few regions maintained quotations at premiums of +100 yuan/mt. Secondary lead side, regional tight supply persisted. Secondary lead smelters in North China, Southwest China and other regions made shipments following the market. Secondary refined lead was quoted at premiums of -50~+50 yuan/mt against SMM #1 lead average price on an ex-factory basis. Downstream enterprises successively went on holiday, procurement demand weakened notably, inquiries were also scarce, and spot market transactions were sluggish. Inventory: As of April 29, LME lead inventory decreased by 500 mt to 268,700 mt. As of April 27, SMM lead ingot social inventory saw slight destocking. Lead price forecast for today: Consumption side, as the Labour Day holiday approached, battery factories' periodic restocking largely concluded last week. Downstream just-in-time procurement follow-through was weak, and overall demand remained subdued. Supply side, constrained by tight raw material inventory, some secondary lead smelters adopted production cuts or halted operations, and spot cargo availability in the market continued to tighten; meanwhile, lead ingot destocking outside China continued, and China's primary lead social inventory also pulled back slightly. Currently, the lead market presents a weak supply-demand pattern, and lead prices are highly likely to maintain fluctuating trend in the short term.