A sharp retreat in European and US equities, a resurgent gold price and a softening bitcoin tell a story of investor nerves that Parisian savers cannot afford to ignore.
As gold surges past US$4,030 an ounce and equity markets retreat, copper's quiet underperformance is telling a more uncomfortable story about the world economy.
A bruising session on US and European bourses handed Australian equities a weak lead, with gold the standout refuge as risk appetite retreated sharply.
