RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Goldman Sachs raised the gold forecast to US$1,800 an ounce as the coronavirus, very low real interest rates and increased focus in the US elections continue to drive demand for the metal as a safe haven.
The bank raised its 12-month projection by US$200 and said that “if the effect of the virus extends into the second quarter, we could see gold above US$1,800 an ounce within just three months. The gold spot, which accumulates a high of more than eight percent this year, was traded at US$1,651.70 an ounce on Thursday.
Gold is trading near a seven-year high, driven by a growing number of coronavirus cases around the world that threaten to reduce global economic activity. The metal outperformed traditional safe havens such as the Yen and Swiss Franc and was considered a “refuge of last resort,” Goldman analyst Mikhail Sprogis said in a report Wednesday.
The bank projects prices to rise to US$1,700 an ounce within three months and to US$1,750 within six months. The former projection was for US$1,600 for both periods. Goldman also raised the projection for silver.
The bank is one of the largest investment banking enterprises in the world, and is a primary dealer in the United States Treasury security market and more generally, a prominent market maker.