Investments get golden edge as new frontier beckons

When 52-year-old Ma Aiju invested 100,000 ($15,150) yuan in gold futures online in late August, her hands trembled while tapping the laptop's keyboard to enter her details.

Until that point, gold bars and jewelry were the preferred investment option for the Shanghai-based Ma. She had invested bigger sums in the past; but, somehow, futures was a new frontier and appeared "scary".

"I don't see one bit of gold (in futures), and money flows in and out, and when you look at the price index's surges and dives, your heartbeats accelerate and you can't sleep well," she said, laughing, resting her palms on her heart.