Costco shoppers have been clearing shelves of the retailer's one-ounce gold bars. U.S. investors have poured almost $2 billion over the past 12 months into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that hold gold bullion. And central bankers around the world have been snapping up 67% more gold bricks so far this year than they did as recently as 2021.
There are plenty of reasons investors should include at least a little gold in their portfolios. Although gold prices can be volatile, over the long sweep of history, the precious metal has maintained value.
