World gold prices on January 12 at one point reached 4,600 USD/ounce - the highest level ever. In general, from the beginning of 2026 to now, gold prices have increased by about 6%, reflecting increased shelter demand in the context of strong fluctuations in the global financial market.
Faced with this development, a series of Chinese banks have posted warnings about risks related to gold trading and investment on official channels.
China Joint Stock Commercial Bank (ICBC) - one of the state-owned "giants" - announced raising the participation threshold for investment products related to gold. According to the Securities Times, since the beginning of this week, individual investors who want to open accounts for gold accumulation products are required to go through a bank's risk assessment process.
Along with that, ICBC also adjusted the starting balance of the "Ruyi Gold Accumulation Plan" product. Since January 8, the minimum amount to participate in this product has been raised from 1,000 yuan to 1,100 yuan (equivalent to about 143 USD). This move makes ICBC the first large state-owned bank in China to announce an increase in the threshold for gold accumulation products in 2026.
Not only ICBC, other banks also continuously issued warnings. The Shenzhen Branch of the Bank of China (BOC) warned investors about illegal platforms taking advantage of the name of gold investment to illegally raise capital.
According to BOC, some subjects have disguised themselves as gold investors, promoting slogans such as "low threshold, high profit, quick capital recovery" to attract participants, while in fact they are online gambling or fraud activities.
This bank emphasized that the above actions show signs of violating the law and participants may also be jointly responsible.
BOC also warned that if gold-related businesses participate in illegal gold futures trading, this will be considered illegal and may face severe sanctions from authorities.
According to analysts, the continuous warnings from banks reflect growing concerns about speculative risks as gold prices rise sharply.
Mr. Tian Lihui, professor of finance at Nankai University, said that the business of precious metals of Chinese commercial banks is undergoing an important strategic shift.
Previously, many banks mainly considered precious metals as tools to attract customers and expand asset size. Currently, the focus is gradually shifting to more streamlined and risk-separated management" - Mr. Tian said.
According to this expert, that change shows that gold and precious metals are no longer seen as a mass investment product for all subjects. Instead, they are being positioned as a specialized asset, only suitable for customers with clear risk appetites and great volatility.
This reflects that commercial banks are prioritizing stability and sustainability in their business structure, rather than chasing hot growth," Mr. Tian emphasized.
World gold price at 9:17 am on January 13 Vietnam time traded at 4,584.63 USD/ounce, up 75.43 USD, equivalent to an increase of 1.67%.
Regarding domestic gold prices, SJC gold bar prices are traded at 160 - 162 million VND/tael (buying - selling). 9999 Bao Tin Minh Chau gold ring prices are traded at 158 - 161 million VND/tael (buying - selling).
