Gold has been trading with whipsaw volatility this week as two powerful and competing forces collide: a fast-escalating military conflict in the Middle East and a string of pivotal U.S. economic reports that could reshape the Federal Reserve’s rate path for the remainder of the year. Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and targeted nuclear facilities and military command centers, sent gold surging to an all-time high of $5,594.82 on January 29. This week alone, spot gold has swung from a session high above $5,400 on Monday to a sharp 4% sell-off on Tuesday before ... (full story)