Gold (GC=F) August futures opened at $4,102.40 per troy ounce on Friday, July 31, 2026, up 0.1% from Thursday’s closing price. The gold price moved higher this morning to $4,112.90 at 8:22 a.m. ET.
The price of gold finally opened above $4,100 this morning as the U.S. paused airstrikes in Iran overnight. It has been about a month since gold prices have stayed above $4,100 for any considerble amount of time.
The pause in fighting and the Fed decision to leave interest rates unchanged earlier this week have given gold some breathing room as investors cautiously assess the Fed’s messaging following their two-day meeting on Wednesday and any improvement in diplomatic negotions with Iran.
Current price of gold
The opening price of August gold futures on Friday, July 31, 2026, was 0.1% higher compared to Thursday’s opening price. Here’s a look at how the gold price has changed versus last week, month, and year:
One week ago: +0.9%
One month ago: +2.5%
One year ago: +25.3%
On Jan. 29, gold’s one-year gain was 95.6%.
24/7 gold price tracking: Don’t forget you can monitor the current price of gold on Yahoo Finance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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How much gold should you own?
A gold investment can add stability and inflation protection to your portfolio. But it can also dilute your gains when stock prices are rising quickly. Finding the right balance between gold’s diversification benefits and profiting from growth potential in other assets can be challenging.
Even the experts are divided on how to achieve the correct balance. Below, five experts explain their recommended gold allocations, which range from 0% to 20%.
Learn more: How to invest in gold in 4 steps
No gold: Trade-off is too high
Robert R. Johnson, professor at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business, does not advocate gold investing. In his words, “while having a small position in precious metals may dampen portfolio volatility in the short-run, the tradeoff between slightly dampened volatility and the lost long-term return is certainly not a prudent one, particularly for Gen Z/millennials with long investing time horizons.”
2% to 5% allocation, depending on the situation
Brett Elliott, director of content and SEO at American Precious Metals Exchange (APMEX), recommends setting an allocation that aligns with your investing goals.
Growth-oriented investors may be comfortable with an allocation of 10% or 15%, according to Elliott. But income investors will prefer a smaller position, because gold provides no yield….
Source: finance.yahoo.com
