ICBC(SH:601398) Mei Ri Shang Bao·2026-01-07 23:08Group 1 - The core point of the article is that Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has announced an increase in the risk assessment level for personal customers' accumulation gold business, raising the threshold to C3-balanced type and above, marking it as the first state-owned bank to do so this year [1][2][3] - Starting from January 12, 2026, personal customers must achieve a C3-balanced type risk assessment result to engage in accumulation gold business, which includes account opening, active accumulation, or new investment plans [2][3] - The adjustment by ICBC is expected to have a demonstration effect, prompting more banks to follow suit in raising risk assessment levels for accumulation gold business, especially given the ongoing volatility in gold prices [3] Group 2 - Analysts remain optimistic about the potential for gold prices to rise, with forecasts suggesting an average price of $4,538 per ounce in 2026, and a possibility of reaching $5,000 in an optimistic scenario [4][5] - Several institutions, including UBS and Goldman Sachs, predict that gold prices will continue to perform well, with UBS forecasting a price of $5,000 per ounce by September 2026, and Goldman Sachs suggesting a rise to $4,900 by December 2026 [5]