Gold futures have soared above $4,000 US per troy ounce for the first time, as many investors seek a safe place to park their money as the U.S. government shutdown continues.

The commodity jumped on Tuesday morning to reach a record high. The New York spot gold price had previously closed at $3,960.60 per troy ounce — the standard for measuring precious metals — on Monday.

Gold sales can rise sharply when anxious investors seek secure investments for their money.

Even before the shutdown, the asset — and other metals, like silver — had seen wide gains over the last year, as President Donald Trump's barrage of tariffs cause uncertainty around the outlook for the global economy.

More recently, the prospect of lower interest rates has also made gold a more attractive investment than inter

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