World Gold Council records gold at $4,176 an ounce in September after an 8.5% decline
Key Facts
Gold closed at $4,176 an ounce at the end of September 2026, down 8.5% for the month, according to the World Gold Council’s commentary on the gold market. The council attributed part of the decline to higher U.S. Treasury yields and a stronger dollar. This puts September’s performance in a different context from the record level the council cited for gold in dollars per ounce, at $5,405 on January 29, 2026. The available figures do not support claims that gold reached a peak of $5,594.82 during the week before publication on November 3. The source links that figure to the January 29 session, when “gold earlier touched $5,594.82.”
Council data indicate that gold entered September after rising to record levels in January, but fell during the month to $4,176 an ounce. The monthly decline was 8.5%, according to the council’s wording, which compares the price with the end of the previous month. The council said higher U.S. Treasury yields and a stronger dollar partly weighed on the metal. This explains September’s price action as described in the council’s commentary; it does not establish the cause of a price move in the week before November 3. The record level of $5,405 is also the figure recorded in the council’s table through September 30, with January 29 identified as the date of the peak.
On official-sector demand, the World Gold Council said China’s central bank reported adding 23 tonnes of gold in September 2026, its largest monthly addition since October 2023. That brought China’s purchases in the third quarter to 63 tonnes, according to the council. These figures provide background on the central bank’s purchases during the quarter, but do not link them to the alleged gold price move in early November. The council reported the monthly addition in its update on China’s gold market in the third quarter, identifying September as the purchase period and the third quarter as the total period. The data also show that September’s purchases were part of a quarterly total of 63 tonnes.
Publication dates for gold-reserve data differ from the periods covered by the figures. The World Gold Council page dated October 6, 2026, presents central-bank reserve data through June 30, 2026. The page therefore is not a real-time record of central-bank purchases in November, while the China update provides separate figures for September and the third quarter. The council’s report dated October 7 says its data are updated through September 30 and gives $5,405 an ounce as the record price reached on January 29. These dates help distinguish when information was published from the period it describes.
An upcoming date related to U.S. monetary policy is the publication of the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on November 18, 2026. The Federal Reserve said the meeting in question was held on October 27 and 28. The schedule sets November 18 as the publication date for the minutes, making them forthcoming information after the article’s date. The available evidence does not include the meeting’s outcome or the minutes’ contents, nor does it report a market reaction to the publication date. September’s figures and reserve data through the end of that month remain the market background specified in the sources.