On May 12, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) announced that, effective one week later on May 19, the risk rating for its Ruyi Gold Accumulation product will be lowered from R3 (Medium Risk) to R2 (Medium-Low Risk). Concurrently, the minimum required client risk tolerance level will be adjusted downward from C3 (Balanced) to C2 (Conservative and above). It is noted that this adjustment comes just four months after the bank's previous change to the eligibility criteria for similar products. In early January of this year, citing increased market volatility at the time, ICBC had issued an announcement raising the risk tolerance requirement for personal gold accumulation business to C3. The current reversion to a C2 requirement means some conservative investors who were restricted from trading earlier this year due to the heightened threshold will regain eligibility to participate. Banks' dynamic assessment of the risk ratings for products they distribute or manage is a standard practice in fulfilling investor suitability obligations. Since last year, several institutions, including ICBC, Bank of China, China Construction Bank, China CITIC Bank, and Bank of Ningbo, have adjusted the eligibility thresholds for precious metals-related businesses in response to market conditions. ICBC's recent downgrade is based on a reassessment of current market risk exposure following a period of significant price fluctuations in gold. At the beginning of the year, international gold price volatility notably increased, briefly nearing a high of $5,600 per ounce in late January before experiencing a pullback exceeding 10% in a short period. Recently, as the market gradually digested external premium factors such as geopolitical tensions, gold price movements have entered a relatively stable range, with spot prices mostly consolidating around $4,700 per ounce. The profit and loss volatility for gold accumulation products has consequently normalized. This period of consolidation following wide swings has led to a noticeable divergence in institutional outlooks for gold. In an April report, Morgan Stanley revised its gold price target for the second half of 2026 downward to $5,200 per ounce from $5,700, suggesting the liquidity-driven rally has concluded and subsequent pricing will rely more on macroeconomic data. Institutions like HSBC have also highlighted potential selling pressure on related assets in the face of a strong US dollar. In contrast, firms such as Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo maintain an optimistic forecast based on geopolitical factors and long-term monetary logic. The external pricing discrepancies and volatility objectively increase the trading difficulty for domestic retail investors. To mitigate the trading passivity investors face due to time zone differences, extending trading service hours is becoming common practice among domestic commercial banks, alongside dynamic risk rating adjustments. Significant price movements for precious metals often concentrate during European and US trading sessions. Previously, domestic banks typically halted their gold accumulation business early overnight, making it difficult for investors to respond promptly to sudden overnight risks. Currently, Industrial Bank has launched an overnight trading session. Institutions including China Construction Bank, China Merchants Bank, Bank of Jiangsu, and China Minsheng Bank have also extended trading hours for this business to 2:00 AM or later the following day to cover major active international quotation periods. Whether adjusting risk ratings up or down or extending trading hours, these are adaptive measures by banks in response to high volatility in asset prices. For investors participating in the market, beyond focusing on the changes in eligibility thresholds themselves, it is a necessary prerequisite to re-examine the actual volatility level of gold accumulation products and ensure it aligns with their genuine risk appetite before engaging in transactions.