Like eager prospectors in a B western, many investors believe there’s gold in them hills — and that’s where they’re heading.

Gold has often been a haven for investors, and there are plenty of reasons to seek safety now. They include the trade war with China, weakness in Europe, central bankers looking at subzero interest rates, turmoil in the Middle East, the looming Brexit and uncertainty heading into the 2020 United States elections, and fears of a possible recession.

By mid-September, investors had poured nearly $8 billion this year into exchange-traded funds that hold gold.

This growing gold rush has pushed the price of the precious metal up nearly 27 percent since October 2017, to more than $1,500 an ounce. The last time gold was as expensive was April 2013, after it had declined from its August 2011 recession high of $1,917.90. Last month, analysts at Citigroup predicted that gold could hit $2,000 an ounce.