Core Insights - There is a significant increase in demand for specialist gold traders as interest in gold surges, leading to heightened competition for talent and rising pay packages in the sector [1][4] Industry Trends - Major commodity traders such as Trafigura Group and Gunvor Group have expanded their teams of precious-metals traders this year, with other firms like IXM and Mercuria Energy Group also seeking to hire in this area [2] - The precious metals market, particularly gold, has historically been dominated by a few banks like JPMorgan Chase, HSBC, and UBS, but the recent price increases have attracted new market participants [3] Market Opportunities - The precious metals markets have presented various profit opportunities this year, including a significant arbitrage trade that brought tens of billions of dollars' worth of metal into the US and a notable silver squeeze in the London market [5] - The leading banks collectively earned $500 million from precious metals in Q1 2025, which is approximately double the average quarterly earnings over the past decade [6]