According to online reports, Dean Smith, an analyst at FolioBeyond, said that the rise in gold prices reflects investors 'growing uneasiness about U.S. assets. After climbing almost steadily over the past two months, gold futures in New York topped $4000 an ounce for the first time in history. Smith said the rise reflects investors looking for safe-haven assets other than the U.S. dollar or U.S. Treasurys. "Global markets are hedging their bets," he said. He said investors were no longer sure if they wanted to tie "(their) prosperity and economic future so much" to dollar assets. He pointed out that the uncertainty and risk reassessment behind the value of gold "will take years to resolve." (Jin Shi)