Gold (GC=F) December futures opened at $4,577 per troy ounce on Friday, August 21, 2026, up 0.1% from Thursday’s closing price. The price of gold is up this morning at $4,633.90 per troy ounce as of 9 a.m. ET.
Gold continued to rise Friday morning amid concerns about U.S. debt. Earlier in the week, the national debt hit a record high of $40 trillion, five months after eclipsing $39 trillion.
For context, the U.S. debt balance was $28.4 trillion in late 2021. Fast-rising national debt erodes trust in the U.S. dollar and raises borrowing costs. As the debt balance grows, higher yields are required to compensate investors for the risk the government will take inflationary measures, like printing money, to service the debt. At the current debt level, interest costs exceed defense spending.
These dynamics can prompt higher demand for gold as a safe haven from the dollar, both for investors and central banks around the world.
Current price of gold
The opening price of gold futures on Friday, August 21, 2026, was up 0.1% from Thursday’s closing price. Here’s a look at how the opening gold price has changed versus last week, month, and year:
One week ago: +5.9%
One month ago: +14.4%
One year ago: +36.7%
For context, the one-year gain for gold was 95.6% on Jan. 29.
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),…
Source: finance.yahoo.com
