Gold price today (Friday, December 26, 2025) surged to fresh all-time highs, extending a breakout above the psychologically loaded $4,500 level as traders leaned into a familiar cocktail: safe-haven demand, expectations of easier U.S. monetary policy, and thin holiday liquidity that can turn a normal move into a dramatic one. [1]
Spot gold touched a new record peak of $4,530.60 per ounce in early Asian trading before easing back toward the $4,500 area—still up on the day. Reuters reported spot gold at $4,501.44 around 0209 GMT, and later at $4,511.70 around 0704 GMT, reflecting continued bid-side pressure even after the initial spike. [2]
Gold price today: Spot holds above $4,500 after notching a new all-time high
The headline number matters because it’s not just a “new high.” It’s a new high at a round-number threshold that markets love to fight over. This week has repeatedly shown that once gold gets above a major level, momentum traders and short-covering can do the rest—especially when liquidity is thin and a lot of discretionary desks are running holiday staffing.
Associated Press also reported gold gaining 0.9% to about $4,541.80 per ounce in Asian trading, underscoring how quickly pricing can vary by timestamp and venue during fast markets. [3]
Meanwhile, U.S. gold futures climbed alongside spot. Reuters reported February delivery futures up around 0.9% to $4,541.30 as of 0704 GMT. [4]
Why is gold rising: The three big drivers behind today’s move
1) Rate-cut expectations make non-yielding gold “feel” more valuable
Gold doesn’t pay interest. So when markets believe policy rates and yields are headed lower, the opportunity cost of holding gold shrinks—sometimes rapidly. Reuters’ reporting tied today’s run-up to expectations for additional U.S. Federal Reserve rate cuts. [5]
In Reuters’ broader market wrap, traders were described as focusing on how soon the Fed could cut again and how much easing could arrive, with markets pricing multiple cuts into 2026 in an environment where policy uncertainty is still very much “alive.” [6]
2) Safe-haven demand is back in the driver’s seat
Gold’s ancient superpower is psychological: when confidence in the near future gets fuzzy, gold becomes the asset people buy because it’s the one they’ve always bought. Reuters explicitly framed today’s record as being buoyed by safe-haven demand, while also noting a rise in geopolitical risk as part of the broader setup behind the precious-metals surge. [7]
3) Holiday-thin liquidity amplifies price swings
December markets have a special personality: lots of institutions have already reduced risk, many regions are closed, and the order book can be shallow. Reuters noted that multiple major markets were closed (including parts of Europe, plus Australia and Hong Kong), with liquidity expected to be thin. That environment can exaggerate breakouts—up or down—because fewer orders stand in the way. [8]
Gold’s 2025 story: Biggest annual gain since 1979
Today’s headline is a record, but the bigger narrative is the year.
Reuters said gold is up nearly 72% year-to-date, positioning 2025 as its strongest annual performance since 1979—a throwback to the era when inflation fears and macro uncertainty made gold the market’s emotional support metal. [9]
That kind of annual move rarely comes from a single catalyst. Reuters’ reporting attributed the broader 2025 rally to a mix of:
- Federal Reserve easing
- geopolitical uncertainty
- strong central bank demand
- rising gold ETF holdings/inflows
- and ongoing de-dollarisation themes [10]
In other words: part “macro math,” part “macro mood.”
The precious metals complex is screaming “risk hedge” right now
Gold isn’t moving alone. It’s moving with friends—and those friends are being even louder.
Reuters reported silver hitting $75 for the first time, touching an all-time high of $75.14 per ounce and rising about 158% year-to-date (outpacing gold’s already wild performance). [11]
AP similarly flagged silver near $74.90, briefly pushing above $75, while pointing to safe-haven demand and central bank buying as part of the “why now.” [12]
Platinum also ripped to record highs in the same window. Reuters described platinum surging to a record amid tight supply dynamics and policy headlines, with some investor attention rotating across the precious-metals board. [13]
When gold, silver, and platinum all surge together, it’s often a sign the market isn’t just making a “gold trade.” It’s building a broader “hard assets and hedges” position.
Physical gold reality check: India cools off, China’s discounts narrow
Paper and futures markets can sprint. Physical demand tends to walk—and right now it’s walking carefully.
Reuters reported that retail buying in India cooled as domestic prices hit record territory, with local sentiment described bluntly: people are in a festive/travel mode and not eager to buy at record-high levels. Domestic Indian gold prices hit 139,286 rupees per 10 grams, according to Reuters. [14]
That softer demand showed up in dealer pricing: Indian dealers were reportedly offering discounts of up to $61 per ounce over official domestic prices (inclusive of import and sales levies), wider than the prior week’s up to $37. [15]
China, however, looked different. Reuters said discounts narrowed to about $15–$30 per ounce, tightening sharply from the previous week’s up to $64. Reuters attributed part of that shift to speculative buying, expectations of U.S. rate cuts, and constrained supply tied to import quota dynamics, alongside currency effects. [16]
The punchline: the global benchmark can roar even when some of the world’s biggest physical buyers hesitate—especially if investment flows (ETFs, futures positioning, central bank activity) are doing the heavy lifting.
The dollar factor: a quieter tailwind in the background
Even when gold’s headline driver is “safe haven,” currency often acts like the stage lighting.
Reuters’ global markets report described the U.S. dollar under pressure in the same session, with investors weighing the Fed path and broader policy uncertainty. A softer dollar generally supports dollar-priced commodities because it makes them cheaper for buyers using other currencies. [17]
AP also noted major markets were moving with holiday-thin volumes and described currency moves in that context, reinforcing that today’s price action is happening in a low-liquidity environment where cross-asset nudges matter more. [18]
What happens next: Key forces to watch after the record high
Gold’s short-term direction from here will likely hinge on a tug-of-war between momentum and gravity.
Momentum:
Reuters quoted market commentary pointing to momentum-driven and speculative participation, amplified by year-end liquidity conditions. That’s the stuff that can keep records printing even after “the obvious” move has already happened. [19]
Gravity (profit-taking and positioning):
After a giant year, some investors will take profits into year-end or rebalance risk into early 2026, particularly if volatility spikes or if the dollar and yields bounce.
Macro catalysts:
The market’s obsession will remain the same: the Fed’s next steps, the path of yields, inflation persistence, and any geopolitical developments that shift risk appetite quickly. Reuters’ reporting repeatedly tied today’s price behavior to rate-cut expectations and geopolitical risk—so those are the levers to watch. [20]
Gold’s record today is the flashy headline, but the deeper story is structural: 2025 has turned gold into a macro barometer for policy uncertainty, debt anxiety, and the global appetite for “assets that don’t need permission.” And on December 26, the market voted—with its wallet—that those themes still have weight. [21]
References
1. www.reuters.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. apnews.com, 4. www.reuters.com, 5. www.reuters.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.reuters.com, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. apnews.com, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. www.reuters.com, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. www.reuters.com, 18. apnews.com, 19. www.reuters.com, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. www.reuters.com
