After a successful run in December, precious metal traders and investors may be wondering if 2026 would be another exceptional year.
This year, despite a significant decline in early April, traders and investors who patiently kept onto precious metals have reaped rewards.
Silver accelerated in December for a year-to-date gain of 154% early on December 26. Precious metals have had an amazing run in 2025.
With a baseline of 100 at the end of 2024, the above chart displays price movement for continuous front-month contracts for copper (HG00), gold (GC00), and silver (SI00) on the New York Mercantile Exchange. As of early Friday, copper was up 42% and gold was up 72% for 2025, while silver was up 154%.
So, where do metals stand in 2026? Even if prices keep rising, metals investors should anticipate significant volatility given what transpired in April.
The following are differing forecasts for the price movement of precious metals in 2026:
One of the most popular trades of 2025 is silver. Why is this seasoned investor aiming for $300 during the upcoming “mania” phase?
— According to this strategy, the so-called great debasement trade has resumed as gold sets new records.
The pre-holiday market for precious metals has been booming. Why is that strategist referring to it as “unhinged”?
— By year’s end, gold would surpass $4,000, according to this expert. He was correct. Here are his predictions for 2026.
Oil prices decreased as metal prices increased.
Oil prices have dropped this year to nearly a five-year low due to a number of factors.
The second half of 2025 has seen a decline in oil prices. Myra P. Saefong examined every aspect that contributed to the drop this year and how the market seems to be changing in order to prepare for an oil price recovery in 2026.
Additional information from Myra P. Saefong: Why investors should begin considering copper as a valuable metal
What does the future hold for stocks of semiconductors?
Let’s examine the performance of the 11 S&P 500 SPX sectors with dividends reinvested this year. By Wednesday, the entire index had returned 19.4% for the year.
Given how dominant technology stocks have been this year, you might be surprised to find the communications sector leading. However, a number of significant tech companies are included in the communications category, including Meta Platforms Inc. (META), which was up 14.4% year to date, and Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), which returned 66.6% for 2025 through Wednesday.
According to LSEG, the S&P 500 semiconductor group has returned 45.5% so far this year. Like the entire S&P 500 and its sectors, that return is weighed by the market capitalization of the companies.
Tomi Kilgore described how the PHLX Semiconductor Index SOX’s technical price-movement pattern seemed to be preparing for another surge in the equities of chip makers.
In the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY, which replicates the S&P 500 by holding all of its equities, weighted by market capitalization, Nvidia Inc. (NVDA) is weighted 7.8%. Through Wednesday, Nvidia’s stock had returned 40.5% for 2025; however, it was down 9% from its closing high of $207.04 on October 29 when it closed Wednesday at $188.61.
As the business works to keep ahead of its rivals for graphics processing units installed in data centers to fuel the rollout of generative artificial intelligence, Britney Nguyen gave investors a glimpse of what to anticipate from Nvidia in 2026.
A 2026 Tesla sneak peek
Tesla’s stock is expected to close out 2025 strongly.
Through Wednesday, Tesla Inc.’s (TSLA) stock showed a 20.2% rise for the year after falling sharply for the majority of 2025.
An AI-themed sneak peek at what Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, have in store for investors in 2026 was given by William Gavin.
Continue reading: Cheaper housing, more downtime, less traffic? How a completely new world is promised by robotaxis.
Bitcoin’s price dropped as virtual currencies gained even more traction.
Despite growing backing from lawmakers and authorities, investors in bitcoin might have been perplexed by the virtual currency’s price drop.
According to data from CoinDesk, bitcoin (BTCUSD) was down 31% from its peak of $125,482 on October 6 and down 7% from the end of 2024 at noon Eastern time on Friday.
Frances Yue examined the developments surrounding bitcoin in 2025, including fresh backing from authorities and President Trump. She outlined the reasons behind the decline in virtual currency prices as well as the prospects for investors in 2026.
Retirees: Avoid this year-end blunder
This column, Fix My Portfolio, is written by Beth Pinsker. This week, she brought attention to a regrettable phenomenon: according to Vanguard’s estimates, 7% of its clients failed to withdraw the mandatory minimum distributions from their retirement accounts by the deadline in 2024. Approximately 400,000 of Vanguard’s retirement-account clients were obliged to do RMDs, so that 7% resulted in a significant amount of IRS fines.
According to a current IRS regulation, individuals who have retirement funds are obligated to start taking minimum needed distributions at age 73. You should contact the firm (or companies) managing your retirement accounts right away to create a strategy if you are unsure about when to start taking RMDs, how to handle being late, or how to prepare ahead of time. RMDs can be handled in a variety of ways.
A chance to save for retirement
Some people deposit as much money as they can into tax-deferred retirement accounts each year in order to prepare for retirement. The maximum amount you can contribute to an individual retirement plan in 2026 is $7,500; if you are 50 years of age or older, you can also make a catch-up contribution of $1,100.
If your employer offers a 401(k) or similar account, the 2026 contribution cap is $24,500. If you are at least 50 years old, you can also make a $7,500 catch-up contribution.
However, individuals between the ages of 60 and 63 are also eligible to make a “super catch-up” contribution, and there are new restrictions on the percentage of catch-up or super catch-up payments that can be tax-deferred. Beth Pinsker investigated all the new tax regulations and contribution caps for retirement accounts.
You have the chance to save significantly more for retirement if you work for yourself, own your own business, or even have a side gig. Beth also explained how you can fund your own retirement account with up to $70,000 a year.
More assistance with retirement planning
Alessandra Malito responded to a reader’s inquiry on divorced couples’ access to spousal Social Security payments in the Help Me Retire column. Those who stay married are subject to many of the same regulations. Knowing the requirements well in advance is essential because deciding when to start receiving spousal Social Security benefits can be difficult.
More: To complete my Roth conversions, financial advisors want $5K. Will they actually assist me in avoiding taxes?
“One big beautiful” collection of tax-saving strategies for the end of the year
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s tax law modifications could result in a larger IRS refund the following tax season. Learning about the changes before the end of 2025 could be beneficial.
In July, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law by President Trump. Your IRS refunds during the upcoming tax season may increase as a result of the legislation’s tax reforms. Andrew Keshner discussed the actions you may take—or not take—before the end of 2025 to increase your tax refund and showed how the new regulations can help you.
More from Andrew Keshner: Americans are being forced to make dangerous trade-offs due to skyrocketing auto insurance costs
Do you want to sell your house to your child for a lower price or give it to them?
The Moneyist is Quentin Fottrell.
The Moneyist, Quentin Fottrell, provided an intriguing response to a reader who was debating whether to sell her house to her daughter for less than market value or give it to her. This situation is more complex than it first appears. The mother’s Medicaid eligibility may be impacted, there could be significant tax repercussions, and there are other things to take into account, such as the low interest rate on the mother’s house loan.
The advantages and disadvantages of each option for the mother to give the house to her daughter are explained here by the Moneyist.
Additional information from the Moneyist
— I would like to give stocks to my five and ten-year-old granddaughters. How can I ensure that when they turn 18, they receive the same amount?
— “Is it our fault or theirs?” We are in our forties. Do we save for our children’s schooling or retire early in our 50s?
