Gold prices rose to hit a lifetime high on Thursday while the focus was also on a crucial inflation report for clues on the Fed's policy path.

Gold is on track for its best monthly performance since March last year as sentiment remains strong and participants consider the possible influence of American politics. Both it and the dollar remained strong this week as the Federal Reserve (‘the Fed’) held rates and the European Central Bank (‘the ECB’) cut as expected.

Investors should put faith in stalwart commodities such as gold and oil if they want to shield their portfolios from tail-risk scenarios such as tariff escalation. That’s according to Goldman Sachs strategists led by Samantha Dart,