Gold Demand Surges as Investors Flock to Vault Storage Amid Price Volatility

Wealthy investors are quietly moving physical gold out of bank safe-deposit boxes and into specialized vault facilities, indicating that they believe daily price swings cannot shake their conviction in the metal.

This trend is reflected in the numbers: global demand for bars and coins jumped 21 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2026, reaching 784 tonnes. In Turkey alone, bar purchases surged 29 percent in the first quarter to 26.1 tonnes - the strongest three-month stretch in seven quarters.

The spot price is currently absorbing its latest stress test after Fed Chair Kevin Warsh signaled a tighter policy stance at Jackson Hole, causing gold to slide 3.2 percent to $4,454.60 an ounce on Friday. However, zooming out, the picture shifts dramatically: gold is still up 10 percent over the past 30 days, marking its strongest monthly gain since January.

The longer arc remains firmly bullish, with gold sitting 29 percent above its year-ago level and 30 percent clear of its 52-week low. Goldman Sachs projects that central banks will purchase roughly 50 tonnes of gold per month through 2026, with China leading the pack, which underpins the bank's year-end target of $4,900 an ounce.