Golden Bubble: Why Gold's Record Run Is Driven By FOMO, Not Fundamentals

The recent, sharp pullback in gold prices should surprise no one, according to financial analysts, who argue that the yellow metal’s extraordinary run this year has seen it become increasingly "unmoored from any fundamental valuations."

Despite the correction, which included its biggest single-day fall in over a decade, gold remains at a record high in inflation-adjusted terms.

The rally is becoming harder to justify using traditional economic logic. According to a report from Renaissance Investment Managers, historically gold has moved inversely to real yields on US government bonds, meaning when the real return on Treasuries rises, the non-income-paying gold becomes less attractive.

However, this foundational relationship "broke down in 2022." Gold prices have continued to march higher even as real yields have climbed, a divergence that is the classical early warning sign of a market bubble driven by sheer human psychology.

Two major, structural forces have been at work to justify a fundamental shift in demand. The first is official demand from central banks, particularly in emerging markets, seeking to diversify away from the US dollar.

This behavior accelerated sharply after the freezing of Russia’s reserve assets in 2022, prompting central bank policymakers to view gold as a “sanction-proof” store of value. This has led to gold’s share of total global reserves rising above 20%.

The second driver often cited is the "debasement trade", the idea that political turmoil in Washington would stoke inflation and weaken the dollar.

Evidence contradicts this narrative: the dollar has been relatively stable and Treasury bond yields have been relatively stable, which is the opposite of what a true debasement hedge would imply.

A more plausible explanation for the recent price surge is that a fundamentals-justified rise, stemming from central bank buying, simply “took on a momentum of its own.”

The true accelerator appears to be retail investor participation. There is a striking correlation between the monthly real gold price and Google searches for “Gold ETF”, which is a proxy for retail demand.

This suggests the market has been gripped by FOMO or the fear of missing out rather than any new economic fundamentals.

While central bank demand may provide a cushion on the downside, the current frenzy means gold has likely run far ahead of its intrinsic value and is entering territory where only speculators dare to tread.