Gold (XAU/USD) heads into the new trading week around $4,011 after one of its most unusual weeks of 2026. Despite escalating tensions in the Middle East, the metal lost around 2.6% over the week, proving that investors are focusing less on traditional safe-haven demand and more on the inflation risks created by surging oil prices. Instead of benefiting from geopolitical uncertainty, gold spent most of the week under pressure as rising crude prices lifted Treasury yields, strengthened the US dollar and increased expectations that the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates higher for longer. The week started ... (full story)