Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) shares ended the day in the red on Tuesday afternoon. At the close of the ASX the shares had declined 0.15% to $13.51 a piece.
The decline has barely dented the huge run that the gold miner's shares have had over the past year, though. For the year-to-date, Evolution Mining shares are already 6.55% higher. And they're currently trading a huge 143.86% above this time last year.
What has pushed the stock higher so far in 2026?
The gold price rose 1% to over $4,720 per ounce on Tuesday, setting a new record high. The latest increase follows renewed US-EU trade tensions, which have strengthened demand for safe-haven assets, according to Trading Economics.
Gold's strong performance this year builds on exceptional gains in 2025, underpinned by tensions in Venezuela and Iran, as well as lingering concerns about the Fed's independence.
Gold is now more than 6% higher than last month and more than 70% higher than just a year ago.
These impressive gains pushed Evolution Mining shares to an all-time high on Monday this week. Investors rotated their interest to precious metal miners to benefit from the gold price upside.
While this has benefited Evolution Mining recently, I think the window to buy has now passed.
Evolution Mining's share price gains and financial performance over the past year have shown incredible growth. However, I'm concerned that the stock has run it course. I'm also wary that the ASX 200 gold miner is heavily reliant on higher-than-ever gold prices and any pullback could send the shares tumbling.
What do the analysts think?
It looks like many analysts agree that the ASX 200 gold miner's share price may have run its course. After an explosive rally in 2025, which has continued into 2026, analysts think the stock is now beyond fair value.
TradingView data shows that 8 out of 19 analysts have a sell or strong sell rating. Another 8 have a hold rating on the miner's shares.
The average target price is $11.52, which at the time of writing, implies a potential 14.59% downside over the next 12 months. But some analysts think the price plummet could be even bigger. The minimum price target is $7.10 which implies a huge 47.45% downside at the time of writing.
The team at Goldman Sachs reiterated its sell rating on Evolution Mining shares just last week. The broker raised its share price target from $9.95 to $12.40 but this still implies a potential 8.21% downside ahead, at the time of writing.
