While gold has benefited from the weakening dollar and the fact that the US Federal Reserve Bank has once again lowered interest rates after their extremely rapid increases in 2022 and 2023, it is clear that it is also seen as a safe haven asset that investors seek in times of uncertainty. The current trend towards gold can be viewed in the context of the accumulation of destructive and ongoing events, such as the conflict in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, fears of new upheavals amid the creation of a global bloc and increased authoritarianism, as well as the further weakening of the troubled global economy. protectionism, when dissatisfaction with the economic and political status quo began to grow in some countries.
Analysts also noted that they witnessed an increase in gold purchases by reserve banks in developing countries, which led to an increase in gold prices. Forecasts for 2026 show that the price of gold will exceed 4,000 per ounce on average, while gold miners have said they expect the precious metal to rise to almost 5,000 next year. Although annual returns do not take into account the ups and downs in gold prices that have also occurred in recent decades, over the past 50 years, the average annual return on gold has been 8%, which is higher than inflation in the United States, which is about 4%.
