Gold XAU/USD
2026 Projections · 12 Banks
Closed$2,920.00+26.86 (+0.92%)
YE $3,2812025 Forecast Track Record
Avg Error
$337
11.5% off
Direction
12/12
All correct
Undershot
12/12
Too conservative
Closest
GS
$20 off
Key Finding: Every single firm underestimated gold's 2025 rally. The average forecast of $2,583 missed the actual $2,920 by an average of $337 (11.5%). Goldman Sachs came closest with a $2,900 forecast (just $20 off), while Citigroup was furthest at $2,300 ($620 off). This systematic underestimation suggests consensus may also be conservative on 2026 targets.
2025 Forecasts vs Actual
Accuracy Leaderboard
| # | Firm | Forecast | Actual | Error | Error % | Direction | Revisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Goldman Sachs | $2,900 | $2,920 | -20 | -0.7% | 4x | |
2 | JP Morgan | $2,800 | $2,920 | -120 | -4.1% | 3x | |
3 | Bank of America | $2,750 | $2,920 | -170 | -5.8% | 3x | |
4 | UBS | $2,700 | $2,920 | -220 | -7.5% | 2x | |
5 | Wells Fargo | $2,650 | $2,920 | -270 | -9.2% | 2x | |
6 | Deutsche Bank | $2,600 | $2,920 | -320 | -11.0% | 2x | |
7 | ANZ | $2,550 | $2,920 | -370 | -12.7% | 2x | |
8 | Morgan Stanley | $2,500 | $2,920 | -420 | -14.4% | 2x | |
9 | Barclays | $2,500 | $2,920 | -420 | -14.4% | 3x | |
10 | Macquarie | $2,400 | $2,920 | -520 | -17.8% | 1x | |
11 | HSBC | $2,350 | $2,920 | -570 | -19.5% | 1x | |
12 | Citigroup | $2,300 | $2,920 | -620 | -21.2% | 1x |
Revision Journey
BofA
ImprovedInitial
$2,400
Final
$2,750
+350 revisionvs actual: $170 off
JPM
ImprovedInitial
$2,500
Final
$2,800
+300 revisionvs actual: $120 off
GS
ImprovedInitial
$2,600
Final
$2,900
+300 revisionvs actual: $20 off
UBS
ImprovedInitial
$2,450
Final
$2,700
+250 revisionvs actual: $220 off
WF
ImprovedInitial
$2,400
Final
$2,650
+250 revisionvs actual: $270 off
DB
ImprovedInitial
$2,400
Final
$2,600
+200 revisionvs actual: $320 off
Barc
ImprovedInitial
$2,300
Final
$2,500
+200 revisionvs actual: $420 off
ANZ
ImprovedInitial
$2,350
Final
$2,550
+200 revisionvs actual: $370 off
MS
ImprovedInitial
$2,350
Final
$2,500
+150 revisionvs actual: $420 off
Citi
ImprovedInitial
$2,200
Final
$2,300
+100 revisionvs actual: $620 off
HSBC
ImprovedInitial
$2,250
Final
$2,350
+100 revisionvs actual: $570 off
Macq
ImprovedInitial
$2,300
Final
$2,400
+100 revisionvs actual: $520 off
Error Distribution
Most undershotActual: $2,920Most overshot
JPM
GS
BofA
UBS
Citi
MS
DB
HSBC
Barc
ANZ
Macq
WF
Mean Error
-$337
Median Error
-$320
Std Dev
$177
Accuracy → 2026 Conviction
Firm Report Cards
Goldman Sachs
Rank #1 accuracy
A
2025 Forecast
$2,900
Error
-0.7%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$3,300
Implied Upside
+13.0%
JP Morgan
Rank #2 accuracy
B
2025 Forecast
$2,800
Error
-4.1%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$3,675
Implied Upside
+25.9%
Bank of America
Rank #3 accuracy
C
2025 Forecast
$2,750
Error
-5.8%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$3,500
Implied Upside
+19.9%
UBS
Rank #4 accuracy
C
2025 Forecast
$2,700
Error
-7.5%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$3,400
Implied Upside
+16.4%
Wells Fargo
Rank #5 accuracy
C
2025 Forecast
$2,650
Error
-9.2%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$3,600
Implied Upside
+23.3%
Deutsche Bank
Rank #6 accuracy
D
2025 Forecast
$2,600
Error
-11.0%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$3,450
Implied Upside
+18.2%
ANZ
Rank #7 accuracy
D
2025 Forecast
$2,550
Error
-12.7%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$3,350
Implied Upside
+14.7%
Morgan Stanley
Rank #8 accuracy
D
2025 Forecast
$2,500
Error
-14.4%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$3,200
Implied Upside
+9.6%
Barclays
Rank #9 accuracy
D
2025 Forecast
$2,500
Error
-14.4%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$3,100
Implied Upside
+6.2%
Macquarie
Rank #10 accuracy
F
2025 Forecast
$2,400
Error
-17.8%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$3,050
Implied Upside
+4.5%
HSBC
Rank #11 accuracy
F
2025 Forecast
$2,350
Error
-19.5%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$2,950
Implied Upside
+1.0%
Citigroup
Rank #12 accuracy
F
2025 Forecast
$2,300
Error
-21.2%
0% error25%+ error
2026 Target
$2,800
Implied Upside
-4.1%
Bias-Adjusted 2026 Forecast
Key Takeaway for 2026
The systematic underestimation in 2025 suggests a structural bias toward conservatism in sell-side gold forecasts. All 12 firms correctly predicted the direction (higher from $2,625) but undershot the magnitude by an average of 11.5%.
If 2026 follows the same pattern
The current consensus of $3,281 could undershoot by ~12%, implying an actual YE closer to $3,660
Most accurate firm says
Goldman Sachs — the most accurate 2025 forecaster — now targets $3,300 for 2026
Most revised firm
Goldman Sachs revised 4x in 2025. Their 2026 target: $3,300