Gold Hits $4,000 as Investors Flee Risky Assets

Gold rose 0.9% to $4,004.61 per ounce on July 16, 2026, topping $4,000 for the first time. Think of gold as a safe deposit box people rush to when markets scare them. Government bond returns also dipped slightly to 4.54% on July 17. Why the flight to safety? Gulf tensions, oil-driven inflation fears, and a semiconductor sell-off shaking global stocks.