Gold prices jumped to a record high of $5,594 per ounce on Jan. 29 only to plummet nearly 10% the next day in its sharpest drop in decades. Since then, the yellow metal has struggled to consistently stay above the 5,000 level. While broader factors such as U.S. interest-rate expectations and geopolitical tensions continuing to drive bullion demand, some analysts believe Chinese retail and institutional investors are playing an outsized role in driving volatility.
fredag 13. februar 2026
How China’s ‘unruly’ speculators might be fueling the frenzy in gold market
Gold’s wild price swings in recent weeks are increasingly being linked to speculative trading in China by some analysts, with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attributing the heightened volatility to “unruly” Chinese activity.
Gold prices jumped to a record high of $5,594 per ounce on Jan. 29 only to plummet nearly 10% the next day in its sharpest drop in decades. Since then, the yellow metal has struggled to consistently stay above the 5,000 level. While broader factors such as U.S. interest-rate expectations and geopolitical tensions continuing to drive bullion demand, some analysts believe Chinese retail and institutional investors are playing an outsized role in driving volatility.
Gold prices jumped to a record high of $5,594 per ounce on Jan. 29 only to plummet nearly 10% the next day in its sharpest drop in decades. Since then, the yellow metal has struggled to consistently stay above the 5,000 level. While broader factors such as U.S. interest-rate expectations and geopolitical tensions continuing to drive bullion demand, some analysts believe Chinese retail and institutional investors are playing an outsized role in driving volatility.
