What can you trade?
The difference between stocks, forex, gold and crypto. Learn the symbols too.
Gold: what is XAU/USD?
XAU is the code for gold; USD is the US dollar. XAU/USD usually shows the USD price of 1 troy ounce of gold. Buying gold online does not always mean you get physical gold. The product may be an ETF (a fund bought and sold on an exchange), a CFD (a contract on the price difference), Futures (a contract settled on a later date) or another form.
Say XAU/USD is 2,400: the quote is 2,400 USD per troy ounce. A lot is a unit of quantity. How much gold “1 lot” is, you must check in the broker’s contract specification. This is not today’s price.
RememberGold jewellery and an online contract are not the same thing. Check the product to see what you are buying and when it trades.
Sources and further reading
Sources in English · Content reviewed on 28 September 2026. We made the examples for learning; they are not broker recommendations.
Investor.gov · Stocks (opens in a new tab)OANDA · What XAU/USD means (opens in a new tab)CFTC · Forex and risk (opens in a new tab)Investor.gov · Crypto risks (opens in a new tab)Nepal Rastra Bank · Cryptocurrency FAQ (opens in a new tab)