Barrick Gold Shares Tumble Amid Sharp Decline in Precious Metal Prices

Shares of Barrick Gold Corporation came under significant selling pressure on Friday, closing the session with a loss of 10.9 percent. The sharp downturn was precipitated by a substantial correction in the price of gold, which had spent much of January 2026 setting successive record highs above $5,500 per ounce. Market sentiment shifted following the nomination of Kevin Warsh to become the next Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Investors interpreted Warsh’s nomination as a signal for a more stable monetary policy outlook, significantly easing near-term inflation concerns. This shift in perspective diminished gold’s immediate appeal as both a traditional safe-haven asset and an inflation hedge, triggering a wave of profit-taking across the sector.