Gold tops $4K per ounce, signaling financial unease

What happened

Gold prices rose above $4,000 per troy ounce for the first time Tuesday, as investors rush to invest in safe assets amid financial and geopolitical tumult.

Interest in gold and other precious metals “typically spikes when investors become anxious,” The Associated Press said, and gold has jumped more than 50% this year while silver futures are “up nearly 60%.”

Who said what

Gold’s sharp rise echoes a similar surge that occurred in 1979 amid a period of “high inflation...