Gold price near $5,000: China keeps buying as CME margin hikes raise the stakes
China’s central bank raised gold reserves for a 15th month in January, reaching 74.19 million ounces worth $369.58 billion. Gold prices swung sharply, hitting a record near $5,600 before dropping to $4,403.24. CME Group hiked COMEX gold futures margins to 9% after recent volatility. U.S. jobs and inflation data are due next week after a delay.