Source: Financial Times | 15 October 2026
Leading investment professionals are forecasting fresh record highs for gold within the next 12 to 24 months, as renewed central bank purchasing and concerns over the global economic outlook reinforce the precious metal’s long-term appeal.
According to the Financial Times, provisional World Gold Council figures indicate that central banks purchased approximately 63 tonnes of gold in September, marking the strongest reported monthly demand since November 2024.
Despite gold retreating from its January peak of more than $5,500 per troy ounce, investment managers speaking at the FT’s Precious Metals Symposium expressed confidence in its longer-term prospects.
Their outlook reflects several underlying concerns: mounting government debt, uncertainty surrounding monetary policy, geopolitical instability and a growing desire among institutions to diversify reserves away from the US dollar.
China’s continued accumulation of gold reserves further illustrates the strategic importance that major economies are placing on the precious metal.
What This Means for You – Solomon Global’s View
While short-term fluctuations in the gold price are inevitable, the continued accumulation of physical gold by central banks offers an important perspective for private investors.
Central banks are not purchasing gold solely in anticipation of short-term price movements. They are increasingly recognising its role as a strategic reserve asset, capable of providing diversification and reducing reliance on individual currencies.
For UK investors, many of these same considerations are relevant when evaluating how to protect and diversify personal wealth, particularly against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, persistent government borrowing and changing fiscal policy.
Physical gold also offers an additional consideration for British investors: qualifying UK legal tender gold coins, including Britannias and Sovereigns, are exempt from UK Capital Gains Tax, while investment gold is generally VAT-exempt.
Although no forecast can guarantee future price performance, the underlying factors supporting institutional demand demonstrate why gold continues to feature prominently in discussions around long-term wealth preservation.
Read the full Financial Times article:
Investors predict new record price for gold within two years
Source: Financial Times, 15 October 2026. Commentary and interpretation by Solomon Global. Gold prices can fall as well as rise, and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
