3 Stocks to Buy as the Fed's Dovish Stance Sends Gold to New Heights

Gold has long been considered a safe-haven asset, and its price often moves inversely to interest rates. When the Fed lowers rates, it tends to create an environment that supports higher gold prices. So, in a backdrop where markets expect the Fed to deliver further rate cuts in 2025, gold has been on a strong upward trajectory. The precious metal recently broke record highs above $3,800 per ounce and is showing momentum toward $4,000 amid safe-haven demand and dovish rate expectations. On Wednesday, Oct. 1, the price of gold hit an all-time high of $3,891.9.

Unlike stocks or bonds, gold does not generate income, and it pays no interest or dividends. Therefore, when interest rates are high, investors can earn better returns by holding fixed-income assets, making gold less appealing. Conversely, when rates fall, the opportunity cost of holding gold declines. With bond yields and savings returns offering less reward, investors are more willing to allocate money into non-yielding assets like gold, driving up demand and prices. Gold Fields Limited GFI, Alamos Gold Inc. AGI and NovaGold Resources Inc. NG are three stocks that emerge as good investment options.

Lower interest rates also have a significant impact on the U.S. dollar, the currency in which gold is priced globally. As rates decline, the dollar typically weakens because foreign investors find U.S. assets less attractive. A weaker dollar makes gold cheaper for buyers using other currencies, increasing international demand and providing further upward pressure on prices. This relationship has been evident during several past rate-cut cycles, where declining yields coincided with rallies in gold.

In essence, gold thrives in a low-rate world. When borrowing costs fall, the appeal of holding cash or bonds diminishes, currencies often lose strength, and investors look for stability amid uncertainty. These forces combine to make gold more attractive, reinforcing its enduring role as a store of value during times of monetary easing. Hence, in the current scenario, where interest rates are on the verge of falling even further than the September cut, gold has emerged as an extremely viable investment option.

Our Choices

The stocks below flaunt a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Gold Fields is a gold mining company with operations spanning Chile, South Africa, Ghana, Canada, Australia and Peru. GFI’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 106.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has improved 6.3% over the past 60 days. GFI is a Zacks Rank #1 company.

Alamos Gold is a gold producer with operations spanning Canada, Mexico and the United States. AGI’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 76.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has improved 2.9% over the past 60 days. AGI is a Zacks Rank #1 company.

NovaGold Resources is a gold mineral properties developer based in the United States. NG’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 21.4%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has improved 57.8% over the past 60 days. NG is a Zacks Rank #2 company.

Bottom Line

In summary, the central bank has ushered gold back into the spotlight as a modern bulwark against financial volatility. Whether this marks the beginning of a prolonged era for bullion as a central reserve asset or a temporary pivot will depend on how effectively confidence can be restored in traditional instruments like U.S. Treasuries.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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