The price of gold has surpassed the $5,000 per ounce threshold for the first time, amid investors’ fears that the foreign policy and domestic decisions of US President Donald Trump are destabilizing global relations and financial markets.
Investors have heavily turned to safe-haven assets, amid increasingly heightened uncertainties, writes CNN.
In the first 26 days of the year, gold has appreciated by 15%, continuing the trend from 2025, when prices increased by 65% - the highest annual growth since 1979. Gold is traditionally considered a barometer of market anxiety and a shelter in times of volatility.
Trump's Decisions, Key Factor
The sharp rise in 2026 is attributed to a series of decisions considered destabilizing for the markets: from tariff threats - later withdrawn - against NATO allies, in a context related to Greenland, to the military operation to capture the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.
Another factor that increased investors' nervousness was the opening of a criminal investigation against Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
The demand for gold was also supported by the weakening US dollar, higher-than-expected inflation, and expectations that the Federal Reserve will further cut interest rates this year.
On Sunday evening, gold rose by 1.4%, reaching $5,058 per troy ounce. Silver, another safe-haven asset, recorded a strong increase of 4.5%, reaching $107.8 per ounce, after appreciating by 141% in 2025 - the best annual performance in over four decades.