Lately, watching the gold price trend, it's really a bit crazy. Last year, gold increased by over 64% for the entire year, and at the beginning of this year, it even surged to $5,600 per ounce. Now, although there's been a pullback, it still remains above $5,000, which is very rare in history. The gold price in Malaysia has also risen along with it, with local 999 pure gold approaching RM750 per gram, more than doubling since the start of the year.

Recently, I've noticed that the quotes from local gold shops change very quickly, with some even adopting a "half-day price" strategy, claiming it's due to the extreme volatility of international gold prices. It seems that safe-haven funds are still flowing in continuously, especially influenced by geopolitical factors, with many large sums still buying gold bars at high levels as hedges. At the same time, some physical gold holders are cashing out at high prices, putting significant pressure on buyback prices from gold shops.

If you want to trade gold, you need to understand the trading hours. International spot gold is basically traded 24 hours a day, opening at 7 a.m. Malaysia time on Monday, closing at 6 a.m. on Saturday, with a short break from 6 to 7 a.m. every day. If you're trading FGLD contracts on the Malaysian exchange, the schedule is different: morning session from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., afternoon from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and after-hours trading from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., with the most active period being the night session linked to the New York market.

Currently, the key variables are the US-Iran situation and US employment data. If geopolitical tensions continue to escalate, the premium of Malaysian gold prices might widen further. Conversely, if diplomatic breakthroughs occur, be cautious of profit-taking at high levels. In any case, the gold price during this period is definitely worth continuous attention.