Gold December (GC=F) futures opened at $4,133.80 on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, down 0.5% from Tuesday's close. By 7:54 a.m. ET, the price of gold had moved higher to $4,245.80.

Gold prices have remained in a holding pattern above $4,100 this week, and they climbed further Wednesday after President Trump said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come as early as the same day.

There have been several positive signals this week around a possible reopening of the strait, including reports that Iran has been discussing a Hormuz deal directly with Oman and has allowed certain European countries to help clear mines from the strait. It remains unclear, however, how much direct negotiating has taken place between the U.S. and Iran.

Gold investors are also watching the July employment report, due Friday. The Middle East negotiations and the labor-market data are both expected to factor into future Federal Reserve decisions on whether to raise interest rates after the Fed's September meeting. For traders following gold, that keeps attention on two familiar drivers at once: geopolitical developments that can shift demand for haven assets and labor-market data that can influence rate expectations.

Current price of gold

The opening price of gold futures on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, was down 0.5% from Tuesday's closing price. Compared with other time periods, the opening price was:

• 2.9% higher than one week ago
• 1.6% higher than one month ago
• 22.4% higher than one year ago

For context, on Jan. 29, gold's one-year gain was 95.6%.

You can monitor the current price of gold on Yahoo Finance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you want to follow companies in the gold sector, Yahoo Finance also offers a screener for the top-performing companies in the industry.

Considering alternatives to gold?

Yahoo Finance also tracks daily prices for silver (SI=F), bitcoin (BTC-USD), and ethereum (ETH-USD).

Ways to invest in gold

There are several ways to invest in gold, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Four common options are physical gold, gold mining stocks, gold ETFs, and gold futures.

Physical gold

Physical gold includes jewelry, gold bars, and gold coins. Some investors prefer physical gold because it is tangible and relatively easy to buy. For example, a person can purchase a gold necklace at a mall or buy gold bars at Costco (COST).

Advantages of physical gold include:

• Readily accessible for use: If kept at home, physical gold can be used as a medium of exchange in an economic emergency.
• No added volatility or ongoing fees: If you hold the gold yourself, you eliminate counterparty risk and storage fees or expense ratios, according to Brett Elliott, director of content and SEO at American Precious Metals Exchange (APMEX). You also avoid the added business volatility associated with gold mining stocks.

Disadvantages of physical gold include:

• Risk of theft or loss: Physical gold must be secured properly. It can be stored at home at no cost, or in third-party storage with insurance, but those fees can reduce returns.
• Lower liquidity: Physical gold is less liquid than stocks or ETFs and is harder to sell quickly. If it is not being used as a medium of exchange, a seller must find a dealer and pay a markup.

Gold mining stocks

Gold mining stocks are equity positions in gold miners. They can be volatile because profits are tied to gold prices, and the companies are also exposed to geopolitical risks and management risks, according to Vince Stanzione, CEO and founder of financial publisher First Information. To reduce volatility, many investors choose diversified gold mining funds rather than individual mining stocks.

Advantages of gold mining stocks include:

• Greater liquidity: Large-cap gold mining stocks such as Barrick Gold Corporation (B) and Franco-Nevada Corporation (FNV) generally have narrow bid-ask spreads, which indicates liquidity.
• No storage requirements: Stocks are held in a brokerage account and do not take up physical space.

Disadvantages of gold mining stocks include:

• Greater volatility: Thomas Winmill, portfolio manager at mutual fund company Midas Funds, said gold investing through mining companies adds another layer of risk. From 2000 to 2020, gold mining stocks rose and fell faster than gold spot prices. In recent years, gold mining stocks have trended down even as gold spot prices have gained value.
• No utility as a medium of exchange: Gold mining stocks can increase in value, but they cannot be used directly as money in an emergency.

Gold ETFs

Gold ETFs are funds that track the price of gold. They may invest in physical gold stored in vaults, gold mining stocks, gold futures, or a combination of those assets. The largest gold ETF by total assets is SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), which is backed by physical gold.

Advantages of gold ETFs include:

• Easy to store: ETF shares are digital assets with no storage requirements.
• Greater liquidity: Popular funds such as SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU) are heavily traded and generally easy to sell.
• Tied directly to gold prices: ETFs backed by physical gold track the spot price of gold, which is usually less volatile than gold mining stocks or gold mining ETFs.

Disadvantages of gold ETFs include:

• Fund fees: ETFs charge fees that reduce returns over time. SPDR Gold Shares has an expense ratio of 0.40%, equal to $4 annually for every $1,000 invested.
• No utility as a medium of exchange: ETF shares cannot normally be used to buy food or other necessities in an economic emergency.

Gold futures

Gold futures are standardized contracts to buy gold on a future date at a specific price. The contracts often represent 100 troy ounces. According to Stanzione, gold futures carry "the highest risk and are best left to professional traders" among gold investing options.

Advantages of gold futures include:

• Leverage: Investors can control a large amount of gold with a relatively small capital outlay.
• Convenience: There is no need to store physical gold to profit from price changes.

Disadvantages of gold futures include:

• Risk: Leverage amplifies both gains and losses, which is especially risky with an unpredictable asset like gold.
• Complexity: Futures contracts can be difficult for many retail investors to understand.

Price of gold chart

Whether you are tracking gold over the past month or the past year, the price chart below shows the precious metal's performance so far in 2026.

(GC=F)

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