Gold hits new record as Trump ramps up pressure on Venezuela

Group 1: Gold Market Dynamics - Gold prices surged to $4,420 per troy ounce, benefiting from a nearly 2% gain amid rising tensions in Venezuela and expectations of US interest rate cuts [1] - Gold has almost doubled in the past two years, with a 68% increase this year, marking the fastest annual pace since 1979 [2] - Analysts predict gold prices could reach $5,000 next year, indicating strong market performance [3][8] Group 2: Silver Market Trends - Silver prices reached $69.45 per ounce, reflecting a 140% increase this year, also the fastest pace in 40 years [4] - The previous record price for silver was $37.72 in March 2011, indicating significant growth potential [5] Group 3: Investment Behavior - Ordinary investors are increasingly bullish on gold, with $5.3 billion flowing into physically-backed gold ETFs in November, raising total ETF gold stocks to a record 3,932 tonnes valued at $530 billion [9]