Gold rose more than one percent today, while other precious metals also gained after the United States arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro early last week, escalating geopolitical tensions and boosting demand for safe-haven assets. By 01:19 GMT, spot gold was up about 1.5% at $4,395.35 per ounce, hitting a high for more than a week. The precious metal had set a record high of $4,549.71 per ounce on December 26, 2025. U.S. gold futures for February delivery rose 1.8% to $4,405.40. Gold saw a significant rise in 2025, ending the year up 64%, its biggest annual gain since 1979, driven by interest rate cuts, safe-haven demand, and inflows into exchange-traded funds. Investors currently expect the U.S. Federal Reserve to cut interest rates at least twice this year. The United States had arrested Maduro last Saturday in an operation that reportedly killed civilians, while U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would take control of the country. However, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez took over as interim president with the backing of Venezuela's Supreme Court, stating that Maduro remains the country's leader. Non-yielding assets like gold tend to perform well in a low-interest-rate environment and during times of geopolitical or economic uncertainty. As for other precious metals, spot silver jumped 4.5% to $75.86 per ounce after hitting an all-time high of $83.62 on December 29. Silver ended the year up 147%, far outperforming gold, marking its best year ever. Silver reached new all-time highs thanks to its classification as a vital American metal, supply constraints amid rising industrial and investment demand. Spot platinum rose 1.5% to $2,175.15 per ounce after climbing to an all-time high of $2,478.50 on Monday. It had risen more than five percent earlier in the session to a one-week high. Palladium gained 0.4% to $1,645.0 per ounce.
