Featured Report
Recession concerns sustain gold ETF inflows in April
Global gold ETFs continued to see positive demand in April: net inflows totalled US$824mn while holdings increased 15t. North American funds led global inflows, adding nearly US$1bn. Fund flows in Europe turned negative again in the month (-US$223mn), led by Germany.
Gold Demand Trends Q1 2023
Continued momentum in central bank buying and resurgent Chinese consumer demand contrasted with a negative contribution from ETFs and weakness in India.
Gold Market Primer: Market size and structure
Gold is an attractive means of helping investors diversify their portfolios. Its relative scarcity supports its long-term investment appeal. But its market size is large enough to make it relevant for a wide variety of investors, from individuals to institutions and central banks.
The banking crisis fuelled gold ETF inflows in March
Global physically backed gold ETFs saw net inflows of US$1.9bn in March - the first inflows for ten months - as the banking crisis fuelled demand. But the recent inflows were not enough to prevent a net quarterly outflow of US$1.5bn. Regionally, European funds accounted for the bulk of the global outflows in Q1.
The relevance of gold for Australian investors in 2023
Gold, in Australian dollars (AUD), delivered positive returns in 2022 and so far in 2023. And it has attracted attention: while global central banks bought a record level of gold in 2022, Australia’s sovereign wealth fund also added gold to its portfolio.
Gold ETF outflows continued in February amid weak gold prices
Global physical gold ETFs saw another outflow of US$1.7bn (-34t, 1.0%), their tenth consecutive monthly loss. Outflows were widespread, with the exception of funds in the Other region.
Gold ETF outflows in Europe and Asia outweighed North American inflows in January
Global physically backed gold ETFs kicked off 2023 with net outflows of US$1.6bn in January and a 26t (-0.8%) decline in total holdings to 3,446t. While the gold price witnessed its strongest January in a decade, registering a gain of 6.1%, gold ETF outflows in Europe and Asia dwarfed positive demand in North America and the Other region.
Gold Market Commentary
A falling US dollar was a significant contributor to gold’s 6.1% return in January and another positive ‘unexplained’ factor could be continued central bank buying or expectations thereof. Gold futures have also helped support the rally and, looking forward, we expect North American gold ETFs to continue seeing positive demand in coming weeks as historical analysis shows that positioning in futures tends to lead ETFs flows by two weeks.
Gold Demand Trends Full Year 2022
Colossal central bank purchases, aided by vigorous retail investor buying and slower ETF outflows, lifted annual demand to an 11-year high. Annual gold demand (excluding OTC) jumped 18% to 4,741t, almost on a par with 2011 – a time of exceptional investment demand. The strong full-year total was aided by record Q4 demand of 1,337t.
Jewellery demand and trade: India gold market series
India, the world’s second-largest consumer of gold jewellery, has experienced rapid change over the last few years due to evolving demographics. Weddings and festivals remain the most important drivers of Indian gold jewellery demand: bridal jewellery alone accounts for at least half of the market share. Over the long term, gold jewellery demand in India will be driven by developments in economic growth, income growth and wealth distribution, as well as the rate of urbanisation.
