Are the good times over for gold?

This could be the year that marks the first decline in the gold price in 13 years.

Gold has fallen back from its three-month high of around $1,400 an ounce, with hopes that military action in Syria could be averted causing the latest price drop. But other factors influencing gold also point to a subdued performance over the next few months, reckons Fxpro.com's Simon Smith.

For starters, real interest rates have been rising globally over the past six months. Investors will be more reluctant to hold gold, which pays no interest, if they can get a real return on other assets. Higher interest rates are also a sign of a gradual return to economic normality, which is not good news for an asset that thrives in bad times.

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