A precious metal that has functioned as a currency or served as a long-
standing investment since the early days of civilization. Gold is a safe haven investment, which means that investors will put their money in gold during times of extreme uncertainty such as war, terrorist attacks, or financial uncertainty such as a sell-off in the stock market, or during times of high inflation.

Investors can invest in gold by purchasing gold bullion, which is a precious metal that is in a tradable form, typically a bar or wafer. Gold coins also are minted by governments or by a private company as an investment piece. Popular gold coins issued by governments include the American Eagle, the Canadian Maple Leaf, the South African Krugerrand, the Isle of Man Gold Cat, the Australian Kangaroo, and the China Mint Panda Bear.

Gold future and options also provide a way to invest in gold. They trade on Comex, a division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. They trade in a unit that is based on 100 troy ounces. Price quotations are in dollars, such as $360.70. Trade occurs from 8:20 a.m. ET until 1:30 p.m. ET. Trade after hours occurs on NYMEXÂ’s Internet-based electronic trading platform, ACCESS. Gold futures and options also are traded on other exchanges throughout the world.