Gold price Nov 10, 2025

Gold could be a suitable investment if you're seeking something not directly linked to inflation's fluctuations. Gold is generally anticipated to appreciate in worth as an investment over the long term. A frequent method for acquiring and overseeing gold involves a gold IRA, acting as a stabilizing element within an investment portfolio during turbulent market conditions. Investors seeking to acquire gold without the hassle of managing physical gold bullion storage might find this option appealing.

Historical gold price chart 

Investing in gold doesn't guarantee exceptional returns. In a robust economy, equities often show improved performance both in the immediate and extended future. Between 1971 and 2024, the stock market yielded an average yearly return of 10.7%. Over the same timeframe, gold yielded an average yearly return of 7.9%.

When the economy is shaky, gold stands out as a safe bet for those looking to avoid risk. Consequently, some might view it as a store of value rather than an investment like stocks and bonds.

What does “spot gold” mean? 

The immediate price for buying or selling gold in an over-the-counter transaction is known as the spot gold price. Investors can effectively track gold investment demand and prevailing trends using this method. Simply stated, a higher spot gold price means there is higher demand for gold in the marketplace. In contrast to futures agreements, the spot price pertains to an immediate transaction.  

When the future price is higher than the spot price, it is called contango. This often occurs with investments in commodities that incur significant storage expenses. When the futures price is lower than the spot price, it is called backwardation.

Numerous elements can influence the spot price, leading to its continuous fluctuation. Investors interested in gold must be prepared for this degree of price volatility.

What is price spread in gold trading?

A price spread is the difference between an asset’s offered purchase price vs. The price offered to sell it. 

In gold investing, the two crucial terms are the ask price and the bid price. The asking price represents the cost to acquire gold, whereas the bidding price signifies the amount for which it can be sold. Bid prices are always lower than ask prices.

The lower the spread between these two prices, the more liquid the market is. If there is a relatively small spread, that means the demand for gold is on the rise.

How to invest in gold 

If investing in gold immediately leads to an image of Scrooge McDuck olympic diving into a pile of coins, that’s only half right. While there are opportunities to buy physical gold bars, coins or jewelry, gold is often traded as exchange-traded funds (ETF).

James Taska, a fee-based financial advisor, said, “There is a great debate as to whether paper gold is as useful as the physical. From a financial advisor’s viewpoint, it is much easier to rebalance a client’s allocation of gold if it is owned as an exchange-traded fund (ETF), and the spread when attempting to buy/sell gold can be quite variable and wide.” 

Some of the most common ways to invest in gold include:

• Gold bars: Often referred to as bullion, this is a popular gold investing method. Offered on a per gram or ounce basis, other qualities including purity, weight, and manufacturer are typically stamped on the face of the bar. Similarly, you may encounter gold rounds.
• Gold coins: These are collectible coins, such as the American Gold Eagle coin. These often are sold at a higher price than bars of the same weight because they are viewed as collectibles with limited availability in the marketplace.
• Gold jewelry: Jewelry typically comes with aesthetic, external and subjective value, so the price may be significantly higher than the standard weight value. 
• Gold futures contracts: A futures contract states that the investor will buy a specified amount of gold for a defined price at a future date. Futures allow investors to speculate on the price of gold in the future without needing to handle the actual physical product. 
• Gold funds: These are mutual funds or ETFs that own gold assets. Like other ETFs in a stock portfolio, you can purchase shares in gold funds or any other mutual fund investment, and their value fluctuates based on the changes in the underlying portfolio of assets.

Is it a good time to invest in gold?

Ultimately, there is a relative subjectivity in determining if now is a better time to invest in gold compared to other periods. However, using gold as a way to diversify your existing portfolio can mitigate the impact of market volatility.

In the current economy, gold continues to offer stability in a highly volatile period for the stock market. Prices have risen to all-time highs, with the price rising over 25% since the start of 2025, fueled by ongoing inflation and economic uncertainty. Many experts agree this is a good time to diversify your portfolio with gold.

Current precious metals prices 9:10 ET today

Silver, platinum, and palladium are popular precious metals that investors can hold in portfolios in addition to gold. Gold is typically less volatile than silver, which can have a large price range even within a 24-hour period. Additionally, because silver is a more common resource used across different industries, it is more sensitive to external economic changes.

Platinum and palladium are in the same boat as silver. Investors can use these rare metals as a way to diversify a portfolio, but be wary that there is typically much more fluctuation than with gold.

The takeaway 

The U.S. Economy has been in flux for several years now, and the current period of extended inflation has had a major impact. Gold can serve as an inflationary hedge in an investor’s portfolio. Additionally, because of the variance of acquisition methods, gold can be a relatively easy asset to accumulate based on an investor’s comfort level and interest. Whether you purchase gold as an IRA or as a more active investment account, investing in gold may help achieve both short- and long-term investment objectives.

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