The price of Gold (XAUUSD) surged past the $4,300 per troy ounce mark during trading on Thursday. The precious metal received a significant boost from fresh concerns regarding bad debt affecting banks in the United States.
Gold concluded Thursday’s trading at $4,325.69 per troy ounce, jumping nearly $118, or 1,180 pips. In Friday’s trading (October 17, 2025), Gold continued its upward trend, reaching $4,379.13 per troy ounce, setting a new record and approaching the crucial psychological threshold of $4,400 per troy ounce.
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Two regional banks in the US, Zions and Western Alliance, reported substantial issues related to bad debt. This sparked market participants’ fears that the problem might widen due to lax lending practices. Shares of both banks plummeted by more than 10% during Thursday’s trading session.
Concerns about the health of the banking sector in the United States began to arise last month when automotive parts company First Brands filed for bankruptcy. This week, First Brands’ founder Patrick James stepped down from his position as CEO.
First Brands is now reportedly under investigation for criminal activities by the US Department of Justice. This has caused the shares of major investment bank Jefferies, which has exposure to First Brands, to also drop by 10% yesterday.
The decline in bank stocks led to a downturn on Wall Street, while Gold, being a safe haven asset, has again become a prime target for investors, causing its price to continue to rise.
