Gold has surged nearly 50% this year to an unprecedented $3,930 per ounce, driven by a fundamental shift in how investors view the precious metal’s role in their portfolios, said the Financial Times on Monday. The rally, gold’s strongest since the 1970s, accelerated through September with a 12% monthly gain despite easing market volatility, as asset managers report growing interest in permanent allocations to bullion alongside traditional equities and bonds. Michael Widmer, head of metals research at Bank of America, told the newspaper client enquiries about long-term gold holdings have increased significantly. “For ... (full story)