Gold price today, Tuesday, March 24: Gold moves back over $4,400

Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure. Gold (GC=F) April futures opened at $4,335 per troy ounce on Tuesday, 1.6% lower than Monday’s closing price of $4,407.30. The gold price recovered slightly in early trading to surpass $4,400. The Iran war continues to drive volatility in gold. The conflict and its effect on oil prices threaten to spark inflation, which could lead to higher interest rates. Additionally, the war has introduced uncertainty to the stock market. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) is currently down 3.8% over the past month, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) has declined 5.3% over the same period. Falling stock prices and high oil prices can encourage traders to sell gold — a high-performing asset over the past year — to increase liquidity and fund margin calls. The timeline for the Iran war is still unknown. The longer the war lasts, the more likely it is to prompt an inflation resurgence and, in turn, higher interest rates. Higher interest rates typically reduce demand for gold, which does not generate income other than its appreciating value. Learn more: Who decides what gold is worth? How gold prices are determined. Current price of gold The opening price of gold futures on Tuesday was 1.6% lower than Monday’s close. Here’s a look at how the opening gold price has changed versus last week, month, and year: - One week ago: -13.6% - One month ago: -16% - One year ago: +43.3% Outside of the last week, gold’s one-month price differential has not been negative since November. The precious metal’s one-year gain was 95.6% on Jan. 29. 24/7 gold price tracking: Don't forget you can monitor the current price of gold on Yahoo Finance 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Want to learn more about the current top-performing companies in the gold industry? Explore a list of the top-performing companies in the gold industry using the Yahoo Finance Screener. You can create your own screeners with over 150 different screening criteria. Risks and considerations for gold investors Gold has the same high-level risk as any investment: You could lose money. And, as with other investments, a loss on gold can materialize in different ways. Understanding the potential outcomes is the first step to managing your risk when investing in gold. According to gold experts, would-be gold investors should understand these four risks: - Price - Speculation - Opportunity cost - Fraud Today, we’ll focus on the first two: price and speculation. Learn more: How to invest in gold in 4 steps Price risk There is a price risk for investors who buy gold when the metal is nearing record high prices. “Buying high to hope for short-term higher is a tough strategy,” said Darrell Fletcher, managing director, commodities at Bannockburn Capital Markets. Despite the high prices, there are positive dynamics in play for the precious metal. Fletcher pointed out that gold is recovering from decades of low prices, and it’s an increasingly popular diversification asset for central banks and individual investors. The right expectations, a long timeline, and an appropriate allocation can limit your pricing risk. “Gold should not be seen as a driver of supercharged returns — it’s there to act primarily as a stabilizer in a diversified portfolio,” explained Alex Tsepaev, chief strategy officer of B2PRIME Group. If you are interested in learning more about gold’s historical value, Yahoo Finance has been tracking the historical price of gold since 2000. Speculation risk Thomas Winmill, portfolio manager at Midas Funds, encourages investors to view positions in gold bullion, coins, and ETFs as speculative. Gold is a commodity, and “commodity prices are dependent on macroeconomic, political, industrial, and financial factors that are unpredictable, and in some cases, unknowable.” Despite its recent performance, gold is an unpredictable asset. Keeping that in mind when making trading decisions could protect you from over-exposure and unrealistic expectations. Learn more: Thinking of buying gold? Here's what investors should watch for. Price-of-gold chart Whether you’re tracking the price of gold since last month or last year, the price-of-gold chart below shows the precious metal’s steady upward climb in value. Learn more: Gold alternatives? How to invest in silver, platinum, and palladium.