Gold will regain its shine

The dash for gold suggests that investors see rising risks in markets and are seeking out an asset traditionally seen as the ultimate safe haven.

By
published
in Features

"The gold bugs are out in force," says Garry White in The Daily Telegraph. The dash for this "financial teddy bear" suggests that investors see rising risks in markets and are seeking out an asset traditionally seen as the ultimate safe haven. Soft Chinese data and rising tensions in the Middle East have sent gold prices towards 14-month highs around $1,340 an ounce.

The main drawback of holding gold is that it pays no interest, but with government bond yields continuing to plumb the depths, reflecting fears over global growth, gold is looking more attractive on a relative basis. Interest-rate cuts by the Federal Reserve would also help gold by weakening the dollar. They would make the currency less appealing and gold more attractive since it is priced in dollars.

Then there's inflation. MoneyWeek has been pointing out for some time that markets may be underestimating the risks of an inflationary scare in an era of ultra-loose monetary policy. Peter Schiff of Euro Pacific Capital tells Barron's that if the economy slides into a "severe recession" then we could be in for another round of quantitative easing that is "much larger than prior ones". That will stoke fears of inflation too. "Gold does well in periods of dollar weakness, inflation, and economic uncertainty," concludes Schiff. "We are about to get all three."

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
Alex Rankine
Markets editor

Alex is an investment writer who has been contributing to MoneyWeek since 2015. He has been the magazine’s markets editor since 2019. 

Alex has a passion for demystifying the often arcane world of finance for a general readership. While financial media tends to focus compulsively on the latest trend, the best opportunities can lie forgotten elsewhere. 

He is especially interested in European equities – where his fluent French helps him to cover the continent’s largest bourse – and emerging markets, where his experience living in Beijing, and conversational Chinese, prove useful. 

Hailing from Leeds, he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford. He also holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Manchester.

Latest