Gold bars stacked beside a tablet showing a rising price chart and “$5,000” with a green upward arrow, with trading screens blurred in the background. Key Points Gold prices are approaching the $5,000 level in 2026, driven by inflation concerns, currency devaluation, and supportive monetary policy. Investors must decide between physical gold exposure through ETFs or higher-risk, higher-reward opportunities in gold mining stocks. Large-cap miners and diversified ETFs like GDX and GDXJ offer operating le ...