What's the price of gold
Executive summary
The spot price of gold on or around January 17, 2026, sits in the mid‑$4,500s per troy ounce, with quoted values in major price feeds ranging roughly from $4,595 to $4,630 per ounce depending on the provider and timestamp (LiteFinance $4,595.62; JM Bullion $4,610.12; Reuters session high $4,629.94) [1][2][3]. Market commentary and intraday feeds show small differences driven by timing, trading hours and whether a site reports live spot or a contract/CFD level [4][5].
1. What the numbers say — current quotes and recent highs
Multiple market trackers on January 17, 2026, put gold in the mid‑four‑thousand dollar range: LiteFinance reports $4,595.62 as the current price (and repeats that figure in its daily commentary) [1][4]; JM Bullion’s live chart showed $4,610.12 per ounce at 02:51 PM ET on January 17, 2026 [2]; Reuters noted a session high of $4,629.94 on January 13 as the market pushed to fresh records early in 2026 [3]. TradingEconomics’ CFD feed recorded $4,595.42 on January 16, underscoring that small intraday gaps exist across data sources [5].
2. Why quotes differ — timing, venue and what “spot” means
Discrepancies of $10–$35 between providers are explained by differences in timestamps, whether the platform is quoting a continuously updated spot price or a CFD/contract market, and by thin liquidity on certain non‑trading days; LiteFinance flags January 17–18 as non‑trading days and provides expected ranges for reopening, which can leave static published figures on those dates [4]. Retail vendors and dealers (e.g., JM Bullion, Money Metals) publish live or near‑live spot charts meant for bullion buyers, while news wires and CFD aggregators may show session highs or contract values that diverge slightly from dealer screens [2][6][5].
3. Context — the surge behind the numbers
The current mid‑$4,500s level follows a massive run in 2025 that saw spot gold rally roughly 64–65% during the year and multiple record highs, a move analysts attribute to elevated geopolitical risk, central bank buying and heavy ETF inflows [3][7]. Reuters and CNBC reporting note central banks — notably China — extending purchases and physically backed ETF inflows reaching record levels in 2025, factors that have supported the recent record highs and the market’s push into the current price zone [3][7].
4. What analysts and forecasts are saying
Market commentators remain broadly bullish: LiteFinance publishes scenarios for 2026 ranging from stabilization around $4,500 to upside targets as high as $7,700 (and some extreme decade‑end forecasts above $10,000), while other outlets highlight short‑term technical ranges and the potential for central bank purchases to sustain bids [1][4]. Reuters and mainstream outlets caution that macro drivers — inflation, Fed policy timing and geopolitical shifts — will determine whether gold consolidates in the mid‑$4,000s or pushes toward a $5,000 psychological level [3][5].
5. Limitations and how to interpret the single‑figure answer
A single “price of gold” is inherently approximate without a precise timestamp and quote venue: the most defensible characterization for mid‑January 17, 2026 is “about $4,600 per ounce,” with reported feeds clustered between roughly $4,595 and $4,630 (LiteFinance $4,595.62; JM Bullion $4,610.12; Reuters session high $4,629.94; TradingEconomics $4,595.42) [1][2][3][5]. This summary reflects available published feeds; live trading screens, dealer premiums, coin or bar quotes and later intraday moves will produce different numbers, and the sources provided do not allow real‑time verification beyond their published timestamps [6][4].