
Featured Report
A sharp upsurge in gold ETF investment, along with elevated bar and coin buying, drove total Q1 gold demand to 1,206t - its highest for a first quarter since 2016. Jewellery consumption was contrastingly weak as the gold price hit successive new record highs during the quarter.
Gold hit new highs in February, supported by a weaker US dollar and extending its y-t-d gains to 9%. Rising inflation expectations, lower rates, and continued geoeconomic uncertainty are playing in gold’s favour.
Gold gave back less than expected due to a strong dollar and profit-taking, as a positive outlook and higher risk constrained outflows.
August has typically been kind to gold, but seasonal winds are up against strong cross currents, that on balance look much more supportive than not.
Gold has performed remarkably well in 2024, rising by 12% y-t-d and outperforming other major asset classes. As we look ahead, the key question remains: will gold’s momentum continue or is it running out of steam?
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) waved goodbye to its negative interest rate policy on 18 March 2024, lifting its interest rate to a range of zero to 0.1%, the first rate hike since 2007.
While gold investments have been gaining popularity among Japanese households, both life, and property and casualty (P&C) insurers have made limited gold investments, despite the sheer size of the Japanese insurance market in terms of premiums and assets.