Spot gold climbed 0.9% to $5,232.21 on Friday, putting the metal on track for its seventh consecutive monthly gain. U.S. gold futures for April delivery were up 1.2% at $5,253.20.
Gold Apr 26 (GC=F)
Gold has gained 6.5% in February alone. Over the past seven months, it has risen 58%.
The move higher comes as traders weigh ongoing uncertainty around U.S. tariff policy and talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program.
The U.S. started collecting a 10% global import tariff on Tuesday. That rate is set to rise to 15% for some countries, according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday. The Omani mediator said progress was made, and technical talks are planned for next week in Vienna.
U.S. 10-year Treasury yields dropped to a three-month low on Friday, reducing the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding gold — a tailwind the metal has benefited from before.
Brokerage firm Bernstein raised its long-term gold price targets, now forecasting $4,800 per ounce in 2026 and $6,100 by 2030.
Analyst Bob Brackett built the forecast around a framework focused on net central bank demand and ETF flows, alongside the expected impact of U.S. rate cuts.
Central bank purchases slowed in 2025 but remain well above pre-2022 levels. Survey data shows 95% of central banks expect global gold reserves to rise over the next year.
ETF holdings have climbed strongly since mid-2024. Brackett described ETFs as a “swing” factor — one that can amplify price moves when inflows pick up.
The market currently prices in two to three Fed rate cuts in 2026. Brackett noted that gold has risen an average of 6.53% in the twelve months following rate cuts, implying a potential total return of around 13% from cuts alone.
Bernstein also upgraded Newmont (NEM) to Outperform, setting a price target of $157. The firm raised its EBITDA forecast for the miner by 26% to $21.9 billion, driven by its revised gold outlook.
NEM was up 2.33% on the day.
Elsewhere in precious metals, spot silver rose 4.4% to $92.20 an ounce, heading for a 6.2% monthly gain. Spot platinum climbed 5.3% to a four-week high of $2,393.80, while palladium gained 1.5% to $1,810.60.
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