Data from Capital.com revealed a sharp and immediate shift in the trading behavior of individual investors following escalating events in the Middle East. These moves were primarily driven by two instruments: oil, where traders rushed to reprice regional supply risks, and gold, which continued to solidify its status as a preferred safe haven for individual investors in a geopolitical environment characterized by increasing uncertainty. Oil jumped to become the second most traded instrument on the platform during a single session, while gold trading volumes more than doubled in a single night amid accelerating demand for safe havens. However, the exceptional uncertainty surrounding global geopolitics, trade, and economic policies led to a marked increase in interest, and the Middle East crisis exacerbated this trend. Commenting on the behavior of individual traders, Capital.com's lead market analyst, Kyle Roder, said: "Precious metals, particularly gold, have traditionally been a favorite option for individual investors, who often tend to have a net long position in these commodities." On Monday, March 2, Capital.com recorded a 49% increase in the number of active traders compared to the previous Friday (February 27), with total trading volumes increasing by 73% and the number of executed trades rising by 82% in just one day.
