Analyst: Structural bullish factors for gold still exist, and after a sharp drop in gold prices, bottom-fishing funds are coming in

According to Bloomberg, after gold prices experienced the largest sell-off in years, bargain buyers have started to enter the gold market. As of Thursday's close, gold prices had fallen 19% from the closing peak in January, approaching the 20% threshold that traditionally marks the beginning of a bear market. However, by Friday, buyers re-entered the market, pushing gold prices up by about 3%.

George Efstathopoulos, a fund manager at Fidelity International, stated that this pullback presents a buying opportunity once tensions in the Middle East subside. Inflation risks, fiscal pressures, and bond credit issues remain structural positives for gold. Analysts also pointed out that the Iran conflict could trigger central banks to sell gold, or at least slow down their purchasing pace. Daniel Ghali, a commodity strategist at TD Securities, believes that given that central banks have been cornerstone buyers in this bull market, large-scale direct selling would have a more immediate impact on prices and a more destructive effect on market sentiment. However, for now, the broader trend may be a gradual slowing of central bank gold purchases rather than a complete shift to selling.