CITIC Securities says ETF inflows and central-bank buying may already have
lifted gold's floor. The firm views the medium-term outlook as constructive: if
US‑Iran tensions ease before the US midterms, improved oil-price expectations
could create a predictable window for easing market tightening expectations and
slow the rise in US Treasury yields. That dynamic, together with reduced futures
selling and continued ETF buying, would support gold price repair. On the
sector, using a $4,000/oz 2026 floor estimate CITIC calculates a gold-sector PE
trough around 15x; under a $4,200/oz assumption the sector's 2026/2027 PEs are
about 15x/12x, implying the valuation bottom could be re‑tested. Gold equities
typically lead bullion on the upside; CITIC's gold index has already rallied
over 20% from its trough, so a stabilizing gold price would be a key signal for
a broader sector rebound.