Gold prices have been steadily increasing over the past few weeks, and this week, they reached a new record high of $2,471 an ounce on the futures market. During Tuesday’s trading session, spot gold surged by 1.8% to nearly $2,466 an ounce.
The surge in gold prices can be attributed to the growing belief among traders that the era of higher interest rates is coming to an end. Typically, when interest rates are high, investors tend to allocate their funds to assets like bonds and CDs that offer substantial returns.
As Wall Street increasingly anticipates a rate cut by the Federal Reserve at its September meeting, more capital is flowing back into gold. However, other factors may also be contributing to this trend.
The weakening of the U.S. dollar in 2024 has had an impact on gold prices. While the dollar has experienced recent rallies, it hit a five-week low in early July, further enhancing the attractiveness of gold as an investment.
In a recent note, UBS analyst Joni Teves highlighted that gold’s pullback during the spring has enticed “buy-the-dip” investors back into the market.
Insight into Gold Investment
There are various methods to invest in gold, such as purchasing ETFs backed by physical gold through online trading platforms. The prices of these shares correlate with the price of physical gold.
Investing in physical gold can be more complex, but some investors choose this option to diversify their portfolios and safeguard their investments during uncertain times.
“Gold has maintained its status as a store of value for millennia, and it continues to be highly valued today,” noted Drew Rathgeber, owner of ProGoldTrader, a gold trading firm in Berlin, Maryland. “The value of gold tends to be more stable than that of other assets like stocks and bonds, which can be prone to fluctuations.”
The ConsumerAffairs research team has evaluated 25 companies that specialize in selling gold and identified the top six in the market.