Gold prices hit a new record high Monday, with futures briefly topping $2,427 a troy ounce. It’s still around that level. More broadly speaking, it is 17.1% more expensive now than it was at the start of the year. That’s a better performance than the S&P 500, which is only up 11.6% since the end of 2023. CNBC reports that the rise is a combination of things, including good inflation readings that have investors on Wall Street and in other financial capitals feeling better about the future of interest rate cuts.