Gold Claims Six-Year High as Trade Worries Deepen

Author: Rachel Koning Beals

Haven metal benefits as dollar eases, yields retreat and stocks sink in wake of China-U.S. trade tensions.

Gold’s haven appeal boosted the metal to a more than six-year high on Monday, as an escalating U.S.-China trade fight sparked a selloff in assets perceived as risky.

Gold, now up about 15% from its low of 2019, has surged over recent sessions after President Donald Trump intensified a trade fight with China by announcing additional tariffs on Chinese goods and China pledged retaliation.

China’s yuan currency on Monday fell to its lowest level in more than a decade, breaching the key 7-to-the-dollar level. Investors took that as a sign Beijing could allow further weakness, with the potential to further intensify trade tensions.

Gold for December delivery on Comex rose $19, or 1.3%, to $1,464.60 an ounce. That was the highest most-active contract finish since May 9, 2013, according to Dow Jones market data. Prices ended about 2.7% higher for last week.

“The yellow metal is on the verge of a making for a run towards the $1,500 an ounce level and after that there is not much resistance until the $1,650 region,” said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at Oanda. “The trade war, a negative global interest-rate environment and weak corporate earnings are all positive catalysts for the remainder of the summer for gold.”
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