Gold's image may be changing as its price settles in above 1,000 dollars an ounce and continues to set records. The conventional view sees the shiny metal as often-reliable protection in tough economic times and a long-term hedge against inflation and a weakening dollar, since its price tends to rise at the same time. Lately it's been a lot more. The price has tripled since 2003 and doubled since 2005, trouncing stocks this decade. The Standard & Poor's 500 index, a barometer of the stock market, is down 27 percent since 1999 while gold is up 266 percent. No wonder ads portray gold as hugely profitable.
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