Gold market gurus from Lynette Zang to Chris Blasi to Jordan Roy-Byrne have shared eye-popping predictions on the gold worth that might intrigue any investor — gold bug or not.
Some have posited that the gold worth might rise as excessive as US$4,000 or US$5,000 per ounce, and there are those that consider that US$10,000 gold and even US$40,000 gold might develop into a actuality.
These spectacular worth predictions have traders questioning, what’s gold’s all-time excessive (ATH)?
Previously yr, gold has reached a brand new all-time excessive dozens of instances. Discover out what has pushed it to those ranges, plus how the gold worth has moved traditionally and what has pushed its efficiency in recent times.
How is gold traded?
Earlier than discovering what the very best gold worth ever was, it’s value taking a look at how the dear steel is traded. Figuring out the mechanics behind gold’s historic strikes might help illuminate why and the way its worth adjustments.
Gold bullion is traded in {dollars} and cents per ounce, with exercise going down worldwide in any respect hours, leading to a stay worth for the steel. Buyers commerce gold in main commodities markets similar to New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong. London is seen as the middle of bodily valuable metals buying and selling, together with for silver. The COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Change is house to most paper buying and selling.
There are lots of well-liked methods to put money into gold. The primary is thru buying gold bullion merchandise similar to bullion bars, bullion cash and rounds. Bodily gold is bought on the spot market, that means that patrons pay a particular worth per ounce for the steel after which have it delivered. In some elements of the world, similar to India, shopping for gold within the type of jewellery is the most important and most conventional path to investing in gold.
One other path to gold funding is paper buying and selling, which is completed by way of the gold futures market. Individuals enter into gold futures contracts for the supply of gold sooner or later at an agreed-upon worth.
In such contracts, two positions might be taken: an extended place below which supply of the steel is accepted or a brief place to offer supply of the steel. Paper buying and selling as a way to put money into gold can present traders with the flexibleness to liquidate property that aren’t obtainable to those that possess bodily gold bullion.
One vital long-term benefit of buying and selling within the paper market is that traders can profit from gold’s safe-haven standing while not having to retailer it. Moreover, gold futures buying and selling can supply extra monetary leverage in that it requires much less capital than buying and selling within the bodily market.
Curiously, traders can even buy bodily gold through the futures market, however the course of is sophisticated and prolonged and comes with a big funding and extra prices.
Other than these choices, market members can put money into gold by way of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Investing in a gold ETF is much like buying and selling a gold inventory on an change, and there are quite a few gold ETF choices to select from. As an illustration, some ETFs focus solely on bodily gold bullion, whereas others concentrate on gold futures contracts. Different gold ETFs heart on gold-mining shares or observe the gold spot worth.
You will need to perceive that you’ll not personal any bodily gold when investing in an ETF — generally, even a gold ETF that tracks bodily gold can’t be redeemed for tangible steel.
On the subject of the efficiency of gold versus buying and selling shares, gold has an attention-grabbing relationship with the inventory market. The 2 usually transfer in sync throughout “risk-on intervals” when traders are bullish. On the flip facet, they have a tendency to develop into inversely correlated in instances of volatility. There are a selection of choices for investing in shares, together with gold mining shares on the TSX and ASX, gold juniors, valuable metals royalty firms and gold shares that pay dividends.
In response to the World Gold Council, gold’s skill to decouple from the inventory market during times of stress makes it “distinctive amongst most hedges within the market.” It’s usually throughout these instances that gold outperforms the inventory market. For that purpose, it’s usually used as a portfolio diversifier to hedge towards uncertainty.
What was the very best gold worth ever?
The gold worth peaked at US$3,646.13, its all-time excessive, throughout buying and selling on September 8, 2025.
What drove it to set this new ATH? Gold reached its new highest worth as momentum continued from Friday’s buying and selling session, which noticed the discharge of unexpectedly weak US job information. Following the discharge, FedWatch’s odds for a 25 foundation level charge reduce on the upcoming US Federal Reserve assembly dropped from 99 to 90.2 p.c, whereas odds of a 50 level drop jumped to 9.8 p.c. The assembly will happen from September 16 to 17.
Gold set new highs a number of instances within the final two weeks amid vital uncertainty within the US and world economies and surging gold ETF purchases.
One vital driver got here on August 29, when a US federal appeals courtroom dominated that US President Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs, introduced in April, are unlawful, stating that solely Congress has the facility to enact widespread tariffs. The Trump administration is anticipated to attraction the ruling, which is able to go into impact on October 14.
Inventory markets fell throughout buying and selling September 2, whereas treasury yields within the US and overseas rose considerably, offering tailwinds to the gold worth. Gold was additionally boosted by the expectation of rate of interest cuts by the US Federal Reserve on the September assembly.
Information surrounding the tariffs had beforehand led gold to achieve a number of new highs again in April, as we dive into beneath.
Why is the gold worth setting new highs in 2025?
This string of record-breaking highs this yr are brought on by a number of components.
Elevated financial and geopolitical turmoil brought on by the brand new Trump administration has been a tailwind for gold this yr, in addition to a weakening US greenback, sticky inflation within the nation and elevated protected haven gold demand.
Since coming into workplace in late January, Trump has threatened or enacted tariffs on many international locations, together with blanket tariffs on longtime US allies Canada and Mexico and tariffs on the European Union. Trump has additionally applied 25 p.c tariffs on all metal and aluminum imports.
The gold worth set a string of latest highs within the month of April amid excessive market volatility as markets reacted to tariff selections from Trump and the escalating commerce conflict between the US and China. By April 11, Trump had raised US tariffs on Chinese language imports to 145 p.c and China has raised its tariffs on US merchandise to 125 p.c.
As for the impact of those widespread tariffs elevating costs for the American populace, Trump has reiterated his sentiment that the US might have to undergo a interval of financial ache to enter a brand new “golden age” of financial prosperity. Falling markets and a declining US greenback help gold, as did elevated gold buying in China in response to US tariffs on the nation. Elon Musk’s name to audit the gold holdings in Fort Knox has additionally introduced consideration to the yellow steel.
What components have pushed the gold worth within the final 5 years?
Regardless of these current runs, gold has seen its share of each peaks and troughs during the last decade. After remaining rangebound between US$1,100 and US$1,300 from 2014 to early 2019, gold pushed above US$1,500 within the second half of 2019 on a softer US greenback, rising geopolitical points and a slowdown in financial progress.
Gold’s first breach of the numerous US$2,000 worth degree in mid-2020 was due largely to financial uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. To interrupt by way of that barrier and attain what was then a document excessive, the yellow steel added greater than US$500, or 32 p.c, to its worth within the first eight months of 2020.
Gold worth chart, August 31, 2020, to September 1, 2025.
Chart through the Investing Information Community.
The gold worth surpassed that degree once more in early 2022 as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine collided with rising inflation world wide, rising the attract of safe-haven property and pulling the yellow steel as much as a worth of US$2,074.60 on March 8, 2022. Nevertheless, it fell all through the remainder of 2022, dropping beneath US$1,650 in October.
Though it did not fairly attain the extent of volatility because the earlier yr, the gold worth skilled drastic worth adjustments in 2023 on the again of banking instability, excessive rates of interest and the breakout of conflict within the Center East.
After central financial institution shopping for pushed the gold worth as much as the US$1,950.17 mark by the tip of January, the US Federal Reserve’s 0.25 p.c charge hike on February 1 sparked a retreat because the greenback and Treasury yields noticed good points. The valuable steel went on to fall to its lowest worth degree of the yr at US$1,809.87 on February 23.
The banking disaster that hit the US in early March precipitated a domino impact by way of the worldwide monetary system and led to the mid-March collapse of Credit score Suisse, Switzerland’s second-largest financial institution. The gold worth jumped to US$1,989.13 by March 15. The continued fallout within the world banking system all through the second quarter of the yr allowed gold to interrupt above US$2,000 on April 3, and go on to flirt with a near-record excessive of US$2,049.92 on Could 3.
These good points had been tempered by the Fed’s ongoing charge hikes and enhancements within the banking sector, leading to a downward pattern within the gold worth all through the rest of the second quarter and all through Q3. By October 4, gold had fallen to a low of US$1,820.01 and analysts anticipated the dear steel to drop beneath US$1,800.
That was earlier than the October 7 assaults by Hamas on Israel ignited reliable fears of a a lot bigger battle erupting within the Center East. Reacting to these fears, and to rising expectations that the Fed would start to reverse course on rates of interest, gold broke by way of the essential psychological degree of US$2,000 and closed at US$2,007.08 on October 27. Because the preventing intensified, gold reached a then-new excessive of US$2,152.30 in intraday buying and selling on December 3.
That sturdy momentum within the spot gold worth continued into 2024, chasing new highs on fears of a looming US recession, the promise of Fed charge cuts on the horizon, the worsening battle within the Center East and the tumultuous US presidential election yr. By mid-March, gold was pushing up towards the US$2,200 degree.
That record-setting momentum continued into the second quarter of 2024 when gold broke by way of US$2,400 in mid-April on robust central financial institution shopping for, sovereign debt issues in China and traders anticipating the Fed to begin reducing rates of interest. The valuable steel went on to hit US$2,450.05 on Could 20.
All through the summer season, the hits stored on coming.
The worldwide macro surroundings was extremely bullish for gold within the lead as much as the US election. Following the failed assassination try on Trump and an announcement about coming rate of interest cuts by Fed Chair Powell, the gold spot worth hit a then new all-time excessive on July 16 at US$2,469.30. One week later, information that then-President Joe Biden wouldn’t search re-election and would as an alternative move the baton to Vice President Kamala Harris eased a number of the pressure within the inventory markets and strengthened the US greenback. This additionally pushed the value of gold all the way down to US$2,387.99 on July 22, 2024.
Nevertheless, the bullish components supporting gold remained in play, and the spot worth for gold went on to breach US$2,500 on August 2 that yr on a lower than stellar US jobs report; it closed simply above the US$2,440 degree. A couple of weeks later, gold pushed previous US$2,500 as soon as once more on August 16, closing above that degree for the primary time ever after the US Division of Commerce launched information displaying a fifth consecutive month-to-month lower in a row for homebuilding.
The information that the Chinese language authorities issued new gold import quotas to banks within the nation following a two month pause additionally helped gasoline the gold worth rally. Central financial institution gold shopping for has been a big tailwind for the gold worth this yr, and China’s central financial institution has been one of many strongest patrons.
Market watchers anticipated the Fed to chop rates of interest by 1 / 4 level at their September 2024 assembly, however information on September 12 that the regulators had been nonetheless deciding between the anticipated reduce or a bigger half-point reduce led gold costs on a rally that carried by way of into the following day, bringing gold costs close to US$2,600.
On the September 18 Fed assembly, the committee in the end made the choice to chop charges by half a degree, information that despatched gold even greater. By September 20, it moved above US$2,600 and held above US$2,620.
In October 2024, gold first breached the US$2,700 degree and continued to greater on quite a lot of components, together with additional charge cuts and financial information anticipation, the escalating battle within the Center East between Israel and Hezbollah, and financial stimulus in China — to not point out the very shut race between the US presidential candidates.
Whereas the gold worth fell following Trump’s win in early November and largely held below US$2,700 by way of the tip of the yr, it started trending upwards in 2025 to the brand new all-time excessive mentioned earlier within the article.
What’s subsequent for the gold worth?
What’s subsequent for the gold worth isn’t a straightforward name to make. There are lots of components to think about, however a number of the most prevalent long-term drivers embody financial enlargement, market danger, alternative value and momentum.
Financial enlargement is among the main gold worth contributors because it facilitates demand progress in a number of classes, together with jewellery, know-how and funding. Because the World Gold Council explains, “That is significantly true in growing economies the place gold is commonly used as a luxurious merchandise and a way to protect wealth.”
Market danger can also be a first-rate catalyst for gold values as traders view the dear steel because the “final protected haven,” and a hedge towards foreign money depreciation, inflation and different systemic dangers.
Going ahead, along with the Fed, inflation and geopolitical occasions, consultants might be searching for cues from components like provide and demand. By way of provide, the world’s 5 high gold producers are China, Australia, Russia, Canada and the US. The consensus within the gold market is that main miners haven’t spent sufficient on gold exploration in recent times. Gold mine manufacturing has fallen from round 3,200 to three,300 metric tons (MT) annually between 2018 and 2020 to round 3,000 to three,100 MT annually between 2021 and 2023.
On the demand facet, China and India are the largest patrons of bodily gold, and are in a perpetual struggle for the title of world’s largest gold shopper. That stated, it is value noting that the previous couple of years have introduced an enormous rebound in central financial institution gold shopping for, which dropped to a document low in 2020, however reached a 55 yr excessive of 1,136 MT in 2022.
World Gold Council information exhibits 2024 central financial institution gold purchases got here to 1,044.6 MT, marking the third yr in a row above 1,000 MT. In H1 2025, the group says gold purchases from central banks reached 415.1 MT.
“I anticipate the Fed’s rate-cutting cycle to be good for gold, however central financial institution shopping for has been and stays a significant component,” Lobo Tiggre, CEO of IndependentSpeculator.com, advised the Investing Information Community (INN) at the beginning of This autumn 2024.
David Barrett, CEO of the UK division of world brokerage agency EBC Monetary Group, can also be keeping track of central financial institution purchases of gold. “I nonetheless see the worldwide central financial institution shopping for as the principle driver — because it has been during the last 15 years,” he stated in an electronic mail to INN. “This demand removes provide from the market. They’re the final word buy-and-hold members and so they have been shopping for large quantities.”
Along with central financial institution strikes, analysts are additionally expecting escalating tensions within the Center East, a weakening US greenback, declining bond yields, and additional rate of interest cuts as components that would push gold greater as traders look to safe their portfolios. “Relating to outdoors components that have an effect on the market, it’s simply tailwind after tailwind after tailwind. So I don’t actually see the pattern altering,” Coffin stated.
Randy Smallwood of Wheaton Valuable Metals (TSX:WPM,NYSE:WPM) advised INN in March 2025 that gold is seeing help from many components, together with central financial institution shopping for, nervousness across the US greenback and stronger institutional curiosity. Smallwood is seeing an inflow of fund managers desirous to study valuable metals.
Joe Cavatoni, senior market strategist, Americas, on the World Gold Council, believes that market danger and uncertainty surrounding tariffs and continued demand from central banks are the principle drivers of gold.
“Market danger particularly is a key strategic driver for the gold worth and efficiency,” Cavatoni advised INN in a July 2025 interview. “Assume strategically when you concentrate on gold, and hold that allocation in thoughts.”
Take a look at extra of INN’s interviews to search out out what consultants have stated in regards to the gold worth throughout its 2025 bull run and the place it might go subsequent.
Do you have to watch out for gold worth manipulation?
It’s essential for traders to remember that gold worth manipulation is a sizzling matter within the business.
In 2011, when gold hit what was then a document excessive, it dropped swiftly in just some quick years. This decline after three years of spectacular good points led many within the gold sector to cry foul and level to manipulation.
Early in 2015, 10 banks had been hit in a US probe on valuable metals manipulation.
Proof supplied by Deutsche Financial institution (NYSE:DB) confirmed “smoking gun” proof that UBS Group (NYSE:UBS), HSBC Holdings (NYSE:HSBC), the Financial institution of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS,NYSE:BNS and different corporations had been concerned in rigging gold and silver charges out there from 2007 to 2013. Not lengthy after, the long-running London gold repair was changed by the LBMA gold worth in a bid to extend gold worth transparency. The twice-a-day course of, operated by the ICE Benchmark Administration, nonetheless includes quite a lot of banks collaborating to set the gold worth, however the system is now digital.
Nonetheless, manipulation has in no way been eradicated, as a 2020 wonderful on JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) exhibits. The following yr, chat logs had been launched in a spoofing trial for 2 former valuable metals merchants from the Financial institution of America’s (NYSE:BAC) Merrill Lynch unit. They present a dealer bragging about how straightforward it’s to control the gold worth.
Gold market members have persistently spoken out about manipulation. In mid-2020, Chris Marcus, founding father of Arcadia Economics and writer of the e book “The Massive Silver Quick,” stated that when gold fell again beneath the US$2,000 mark after hitting near US$2,070, he noticed similarities to what occurred with the gold worth in 2011.
Marcus has been following the gold and silver markets with a spotlight particularly on worth manipulation for almost a decade. His recommendation? “Belief your intestine. I consider we’re witnessing the final word ’emperor’s actually bare’ second. This isn’t complicated monetary evaluation. Typically I consider it as the best hypnotic thought experiment in historical past.”
Investor takeaway
Whereas we now have the reply to what the very best gold worth ever is as of now, it stays to be seen how excessive gold can climb, and if the dear steel can attain as excessive as US$5,000, US$10,000 and even US$40,000.
Even so, many market members consider gold is a will need to have in any funding profile, and there may be little doubt traders will proceed to see gold worth motion making headlines this yr and past.
That is an up to date model of an article first revealed by the Investing Information Community in 2020.
Don’t overlook to observe us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, maintain no direct funding curiosity in any firm talked about on this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing Information Community doesn’t assure the accuracy or thoroughness of the data reported within the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews don’t replicate the opinions of the Investing Information Community and don’t represent funding recommendation. All readers are inspired to carry out their very own due diligence.
