Gold's price is plunging. Here's why (and what investors should do next).

There are a range of factors driving down the price of gold, and a few different ways investors should react right now. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Gold has had an extraordinary run over the past year. The precious metal has climbed steadily in price since the start of 2025 and recently surpassed both expert and analyst expectations when the price closed in on $4,380 per ounce — marking an uptick of over 60% in less than 10 months. That particular gold price rally was driven by familiar forces: inflation concerns , geopolitical uncertainty and robust buying from central banks worldwide.

This week, though, the price momentum took a sharp turn in the opposite direction. On October 21, gold experienced its steepest single-day decline in over 12 years, falling by over 6% and l