GOLD HITS RECORD HIGH

old has shattered previous price records in a dazzling rally, propelled by a mix of economic and political anxieties that have convinced a growing number of investors and governments to place faith in its time-tested "safe haven" status. The price of gold topped $3,500 per troy ounce for the first time in history on Tuesday, the latest milestone in an especially strong 2025 that has seen the metal gain some 35 percent while outpacing both stock indexes and major cryptocurrencies. What Does the Price of Gold Say About the U.S. Economy? Gold has historically been considered a refuge during times of economic volatility, with investors flocking to the metal during stretches of inflation, fiat currency risks and political crises. Speaking to Newsweek, experts cited several reasons behind gold's recent rise, but "uncertainty" and "caution" were the prevailing themes when it came to the U.S. economy.

"A cocktail of factors has fueled gold's rally, particularly as the price drivers have shifted, heightened geopolitical, economic and trade uncertainty," said Suki Cooper, precious metals analyst at Standard Chartered. "Investor appetite has grown both in the U.S. and on a global basis." Adrian Ash, director of research at gold-trading platform BullionVault, attributed this to both long-term corrosives on the economy, as well as the "immediate headlines." "It's not like April, where the stock market was plunging after Liberation Day—the tariff turmoil, what that was going to mean for global trade and so on," he told Newsweek. "There's nothing really specific you can hang it on here." Ash said the manner in which [President Donald] Trump's trade and foreign policy is "upending so much of the past three, four decades of world order" were a significant tailwind and motivating factor for crises-conscious buyers. However, he added that gold's surging price could also be tied to growing questions about the sustainability of U.S. government debt—now over $37 trillion according to Treasury calculations. HON .BRIAN SCAVO