Gold extended its rally for a fourth consecutive session on Monday, building on last week’s advance as new global tariff measures from U.S. President Donald Trump and softer U.S. economic data boosted demand for safe-haven assets.
Spot gold climbed 0.8% to $5,143.55 an ounce by 19:53 ET (00:53 GMT), while U.S. gold futures jumped 1.7% to $5,165.86.
Bullion gained more than 1% last week as escalating geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran encouraged a risk-off tone across markets.
Late last week, Trump announced a 10% tariff on global imports for 150 days under Section 122 of U.S. trade law, following a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to strike down a broader tariff framework. The administration subsequently increased the levy to 15%—the maximum permitted under the statute—heightening fears of retaliatory actions and disruptions to global supply chains.
The tariff move dampened investor sentiment, driving flows into traditional safe havens such as gold and U.S. Treasuries. Ongoing uncertainty about how long the tariffs will remain in place, along with potential legal and congressional challenges, added to market volatility.
Gold also found support in recent U.S. data. The economy expanded at an annualized 1.4% pace in the fourth quarter, a notable slowdown from the prior quarter. Meanwhile, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index—the inflation measure favored by the Federal Reserve—rose 2.9% year-on-year in December, with core inflation near 3.0%, still above the central bank’s 2% target.
The mix of moderating growth and persistently elevated inflation strengthened gold’s role as both a hedge against economic uncertainty and a store of value.
Sources: Ayushman Ojha
THE ETERNAL SOVEREIGN 
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