A troubled summer has sent investors piling into gold, the traditional safe haven in times of trouble, sending the yellow stuff to record trading highs of over $1,800 per ounce. When we asked FN readers to tell us where they thought it would be by the end of next year, however, they could not decide whether to stick or twist.

A quarter of respondents to our poll reflected the bearish view held by George Soros, who continued his retreat from gold by selling off the mining company, NovaGold Resources, in the second quarter. They predicted a fall in the gold price to $1,500 per troy ounce.