Gold and silver prices today, Tuesday, May 19: Prices holding after president calls off planned attacks on Iran

Gold (GC=F) June futures opened at $4,570.60 per troy ounce on Tuesday, up 0.3% from Monday’s closing price of $4,558. The price of gold moved lower in early trading, shifting to $4,543.80 per troy ounce as of 6:43 a.m. ET.

Silver (SI=F) July futures opened at $78.05 per ounce on Tuesday, 0.8% higher than Monday’s closing price of $77.44. The price of silver slid lower in early trading as well, moving to $76.35 per ounce by 6:43 a.m. ET.

Gold and silver prices opened relatively steady this morning compared to yesterday as traders wait out the latest developments between the U.S. and Iran. President Trump announced yesterday on Truth Social that “serious negotiations are now taking place.” The president said leaders of several Middle Eastern countries asked him to hold off on planned and renewed attacks against Iran that were scheduled for today.

“We will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached,” wrote President Trump yesterday.

Calling off the latest planned airstrikes did relieve some pressure in the markets, but Brent crude (BZ=F) remains over $110 a barrel this morning, and Treasury yields continue to rise, meaning inflation is still running at a high enough level to suggest rate hikes could happen in the months ahead — all headwinds for the price of gold.

Learn more: Who decides what gold is worth? How gold prices are determined.

Current price of gold

The opening price of gold futures on Tuesday was 0.3% higher than Monday’s closing price. Here’s a look at how the opening gold price has changed versus last week, month, and year:

• One week ago: -4%

• One month ago: -4.2%

• One year ago: +41.3%

The precious metal’s one-year gain was 95.6% on Jan. 29.

24/7 gold price tracking: Don't forget you can monitor the current price of gold on Yahoo Finance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Want to learn more about the current top-performing companies in the gold industry? Explore a list of the top-performing companies in the gold industry using the Yahoo Finance Screener. You can create your own screeners with over 150 different screening criteria.

Current price of silver

Silver (SI=F) July futures opened 0.8% higher than Monday’s opening price. Here’s a look at how the opening silver price has changed versus last week, month, and year:

• One week ago: -9.8%

• One month ago: -5.3%

• One year ago: +140.6%

Learn more: How to invest in silver: A beginner’s guide

Risks and considerations for gold investors

Gold has the same high-level risk as any investment: You could lose money. And, as with other investments, a loss on gold can materialize in different ways. Understanding the potential outcomes is the first step to managing your risk when investing in gold.

According to gold experts, would-be gold investors should understand these four risks:

1. Price

2. Speculation

3. Opportunity cost

4. Fraud

Today, we’ll focus on the first two: price and speculation.

Learn more: How to invest in gold in 7 steps

Price risk

There is a price risk for investors who buy gold when the metal is nearing record high prices. “Buying high to hope for short-term higher is a tough strategy,” said Darrell Fletcher, managing director, commodities at Bannockburn Capital Markets.

Despite the high prices, there are positive dynamics in play for the precious metal. Fletcher pointed out that gold is recovering from decades of low prices, and it’s an increasingly popular diversification asset for central banks and individual investors.

The right expectations, a long timeline, and an appropriate allocation can limit your pricing risk. “Gold should not be seen as a driver of supercharged returns — it’s there to act primarily as a stabilizer in a diversified portfolio,” explained Alex Tsepaev, chief strategy officer of B2PRIME Group.

If you are interested in learning more about gold’s historical value, Yahoo Finance has been tracking the historical price of gold since 2000.

Speculation risk

Thomas Winmill, portfolio manager at Midas Funds, encourages investors to view positions in gold bullion, coins, and ETFs as speculative. Gold is a commodity, and “commodity prices are dependent on macroeconomic, political, industrial, and financial factors that are unpredictable, and in some cases, unknowable.”

Despite its recent performance, gold is an unpredictable asset. Keeping that in mind when making trading decisions could protect you from over-exposure and unrealistic expectations.

Learn more: Thinking of buying gold? Here's what investors should watch for.

Price of gold and price of silver charts

Whether you’re tracking the price of gold and silver since last month or last year, the price of gold and silver charts below show the precious metals’ change in value.

More silver coverage from the Yahoo Finance team: 

• Silver price volatility: What to know and how to invest in 2026

• Silver vs. gold: Which metal made investors more money in the last 50 years?

• ​​Gold alternatives? How to invest in silver, platinum, and palladium.

• Why is silver outperforming gold? What to know before you invest.

• 3 predictions about silver prices in the next decade

• How to invest in silver in 5 steps