Gold price today, Tuesday, February 17: Gold opens below $5,000 again

Core Insights - Gold futures opened at $4,899.10 per troy ounce, down 2.9% from the previous closing price of $5,046.30, marking the second consecutive opening below $5,000 after a period above that threshold [1][4]. Economic Indicators - Positive reports on the U.S. labor market and inflation contributed to gold's pullback, with nonfarm payrolls rising by 130,000 in January, significantly exceeding the expected 55,000 [2]. - The Consumer Price Index showed a 0.2% increase in January, leading to an annual inflation rate of 2.4%, slightly below the anticipated 2.5% [2]. - The likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates this year has decreased, with current predictions showing only a 7.8% chance for a quarter-point reduction in February, down from 20.1% the previous week [2]. Gold Price Trends - The opening price of gold futures on Tuesday was 2.9% lower than the previous Friday's close, with a one-week change of -2.3%, a one-month change of +6.3%, and a one-year change of +66.8% [4][8]. - Gold's one-year gain was reported at 95.6% as of January 29 [4]. Market Dynamics - Lingering high interest rates tend to support a stronger dollar, which can limit demand for gold [3]. - Despite high prices, gold is seen as a recovering asset from decades of low prices and is increasingly popular among central banks and individual investors for diversification [10]. Investment Considerations - Investors are advised to view gold as a stabilizer in a diversified portfolio rather than a driver of high returns, with appropriate expectations and timelines to manage pricing risk [11]. - Gold is characterized as a speculative asset, influenced by unpredictable macroeconomic, political, and financial factors [12].