Displaying items by tag: gold

(New York)

Societe Generale, famed European investment bank, has just told investors they should load up on gold. Gold is seeing several value drivers at the moment. These include the economic cycle and fears over the trade war, a lack of other safe haven assets, and importantly (and much less known), central bank purchases. Global central banks (like China’s) are trying to diverse away from the Dollar, and gold is an attractive way for them to do so.

FINSUM: There are a lot of tailwinds for the yellow metal right now. The Fed is less dovish than most expected and there does not seem to be much risk of a huge risk-on shift that would leave gold forgotten.

(New York)

Gold has had an extraordinary run over the last few months. It is the first time it has really broken out of its funk since just after the Crisis. However, both JP Morgan and Barclays are saying it is probably time to cash out. Both argue that gold’s recent rise has been driven by speculation and not real fundamentals, such as the direction of the Dollar and interest rates. As such, these prices look vulnerable.

FINSUM: This is good analysis, but we also have another reason for you—if the Fed cuts and investors switch to risk-on assets, where does that leave gold?

(New York)

Gold has been stuck in a bear market for a long time. However, it is getting close to completely breaking out of its funk, as the yellow metal is at a 6-year high. Gold is being driven by worries over the economy, falling yields, and a potentially weaker Dollar, as well as geopolitical fears. UBS summed up gold’s position this way, saying “[Due to the] declining cost of holding gold as rates remain low or continue to fall, gold’s appeal as a diversifier and alternative asset amid the current macro environment is increasing”.

FINSUM: Our only worry about gold is if rate cuts cause a risk-on move by investors that will leave gold in the dust.

(New York)

Falling yields are having a very positive effect on gold. The metal is already enjoying its best first half in years, and the fundamentals for gold look solid. Potential weakness in equities and worries about growth are both stoking gold demand, while lower yields and a weaker Dollar are also supportive. Gold is now being used as a hedge against equities in a way that bonds have traditionally been employed. “The bond market is not acting as a reliable hedge against equity weakness in the way that everyone expected it to and it hasn’t operated that way since 2008. Gold is providing better protection against potential equity weakness right now than bonds are”, says the head of gold strategy at State Street Global Advisors.

FINSUM: Gold seems like it has a nice path to keep its performance going. That said, we are worried rate cuts might spark a more risk-on equity market, which would pull money out of the metal.

(New York)

Gold is having a good year, up almost 10% after a very long bear market. But where might it be headed now that the Fed is likely going to start a cutting cycle? The answer is probably significantly higher. The macro backdrop is perfect for gold—geopolitical tensions are high, there are worries over the domestic and global economy, the Fed is going to be cutting (lower rates are better for zero-yielding gold), and the Dollar is likely to weaken, making gold cheaper for overseas buyers.

FINSUM: We agree all the ingredients are there, but if the Fed starts cutting, it may alleviate a lot of worries about the economy and make risk assets look more favorable.