As stocks climb to record highs heading into the year’s final stretch, gold continues to surge, powering above $4,500 an ounce on Wednesday to cap one of its strongest years in modern history. The run-up is striking not just for its scale — gold is up roughly 70% in 2025 — but also because it’s happening alongside a rally in stocks. Why gold prices and stock prices are rising at the same time On the optimistic side, investors are betting that the U.S. economy will remain strong into 2026, corporate ear ...