The gold price, at $1,542.50 per ounce

The gold price, at $1,542.50 per ounce, traded near unchanged Monday morning despite modest strength in the U.S. dollar. Global equity prices have been under pressure over the past month with the S&P 500 falling for five consecutive weeks. Weak data points in housing, manufacturing, and labor have all combined to heighten worries over the prospect of a double-dip recession. Precious metals, notably gold, have benefited from their safe haven qualities as investors seek to lower their risk profiles.

The strong performance of the gold price in recent years has led to a growing collection of calls for the United States to return to a gold standard. Steve Forbes, the billionaire CEO of Forbes Inc., wrote a piece in Forbes Magazine urging candidates for the 2012 U.S. presidential election to consider returning to some form of gold standard to support the value of the U.S. dollar.