Gold's recent reverses illustrate how quickly a sentiment flip can erode value. The yellow metal experienced one of its worst performances in decades, dropping 10.5% last week. The Middle East war, along with geopolitical tension, central bank demand, and retail momentum, caused this drop. Citigroup noted that this behavior was particularly extreme given the surge in retail participation and momentum buying over the past six months. The World Gold Council predicts that central banks will continue to be net buyers of gold, despite the recent setback.