COVID, precautionary savings and gold in China
The resurgence of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns in major Chinese cities since late February have made headlines. These lockdowns are leading to households spending less – especially for discretionary items – as well as saving more due to limited spending opportunities and cautious behaviour.
Gold ETF inflows slowed but remained healthy in April
Global gold ETFs registered healthy net inflows of 43t (US$3bn) in April. While this is 77% lower than the previous month, which was the strongest since February 2016, it is the fourth consecutive month of inflows, maintaining the momentum of flight-to-quality flows we have witnessed this year.
Gold Demand Trends Q1 2022
Gold market sees solid start to 2022
Q1 gold demand was 34% above Q1 2021, driven by strong ETF inflows. In a quarter that saw the US dollar gold price rise by 8%, gold demand (excluding OTC) increased 34% y-o-y to 1,234t – the highest since Q4 2018 and 19% above the five-year average of 1,039t.
India’s gold market in March: retail demand sluggish and imports tumbled
Gold prices extended their gain in March, led by higher inflationary pressures and rising geo-political risks. The LBMA Gold Price AM in USD and the MCX Gold Spot in rupees (INR) rose by 1.1% and 1.7% respectively over the month.
China’s gold market in March: the COVID-19 resurgence weighed on local demand
Gold prices extended their strength last month. The SHAUPM in RMB and the LBMA Gold Price AM in USD rose further in March, ending Q1 with a 5.2% and 5.7% gain respectively, the largest since Q2 2020.
Gold ETF assets surge to near record highs in March
Global gold ETFs had net inflows of 187.3t (US$11.8bn, 5.3% of AUM) in March, with assets just below the record of US$240.3bn, set in August 2020. March inflows were the strongest since February 2016, despite a significant rebound in equities and a strong US dollar performance.
Gold mining AISC remained flat in Q4’21, but significantly higher in 2021
Global average All-in Sustaining Costs (AISC) in the gold mining industry were US$1,129/oz in Q4’21, almost unchanged from the previous quarter.
Gold mining: India gold market series
India has a long history of mining gold, but at a low level: 2020 gold mine production was just 1.6 tonnes. Legacy processes are in part to blame: investment in the sector has been discouraged by unwieldy processes.
