World Gold Council: Gold prices deliver an annualized return of around 5%, with their long-term trend underpinned by wealth storage demand.

World Gold Council recently released "2026 Insights into China's Gold Jewelry Retail Trends" and answered reporters' questions on the evolution of hard pure gold categories and the transformation of China's gold jewelry consumption structure. Wang Lixin, CEO of World Gold Council China, stated: "Hard pure gold remains the 'sun at eight or nine o'clock'—it will definitely be the future trend, with huge growth potential." China's gold jewelry market is seeing a typical "rising price, falling volume" trend. Council data shows that in the first half of 2026, gold jewelry consumption volume dropped 30% year-on-year to 136 tons, while total consumption value rose 5% to 143.7 billion yuan. Retail stores are continuing to consolidate, and demand for self-use and self-indulgence has climbed for three consecutive years, shifting from "special occasion" consumption to "every moment" consumption. The insights report's judgment on future gold investment trends is as follows: In the short term, it hinges on the tug-of-war between the "hawkish" Federal Reserve and the "dovish" U.S. Treasury; in the medium term, it is supported by central bank gold purchases; in the long term, it is driven by consumer and wealth storage needs stemming from economic growth. Historical data shows that gold's long-term average annual return is stable at around 5%. (21st Century Business Herald)