CommoditiesDemand appears to be sluggish in China and India, the two major marketsMore retail investors in Asia are seeing gold as an investment opportunity rather than a safe-haven asset. (Photo by Miki Kamiyama)AKANE OKUTSUJuly 3, 2026 15:35 JSTTOKYO -- Gold prices have been falling as expectations build for U.S. interest rate hikes and investor attention turns toward stocks, and as Asian investors who were previously purchasing gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) become more bearish.