#gold

#gold

Whilst gold prices have many drivers, one is the perception that it operates as a haven that investors buy in times of fear. After all, it doesn't pay a dividend or a coupon, and over the very long term, it's struggled to compete with other asset returns. This September, gold prices exceeded their previous inflation-adjusted peak from January 1980. That was a time when the US was heading into recession, driven by a huge monetary tightening by the Fed under Paul Volcker, aiming to get inflation down. So historically, high gold prices haven't exactly been associated with rampant optimism," Allen told clients in a note this morning.

Gold surged to another record high on Tuesday, lifted by a softer dollar and firm expectations of the Federal Reserve easing. Traders are now fully pricing in a 25-basis-point cut at next week's policy meeting, with a slim chance of a larger 50-basis-point move, reinforcing demand for the non-yielding asset. Markets are also awaiting the Fed's quarterly projections and Chair Jerome Powell's press conference for signals on the pace of future cuts.

Inflows of new money, though strong, are well below the surges of the financial crisis or Covid pandemic, and they're being matched by existing investors choosing to sell at gold's new record highs. With the Dollar gold price last month setting its 7th month-average record in 2025 so far, the number of new account openings on BullionVault beat August 2024 by 77.4%, marking the 4th strongest August in the West London fintech's 2-decade history.

At its annual jamboree at Jackson Hole, Chair Powell signalled his apparent support for a rate cut later this month, stating that the softening labour market could offset the inflation risks from Trump's tariffs. The market had already been anticipating a 0.25% cut on 17 September but this cemented expectations and last week's crop of US data did little to change things.

Shares of Apple are still exploding higher on earnings and tariff news. Just days ago, Apple's EPS of $1.57 beat estimates by 14 cents. Revenue of $94.04 billion, up 9.6% year over year, beat by $4.88 billion. According to analysts at Wedbush, Apple's $100 billion investment in the U.S. is a "good strategic poker move for Cook". According to Wells Fargo, Apple's $100 billion investment is all about tariff exemption.

Alternative payment mechanisms are being actively employed, including gold, cryptocurrencies, and, more recently, netting arrangements: clearing operations, which we are currently implementing.

Costco has tightened its transaction limits on precious metals, now allowing just one gold bar per purchase, as demand surges amid record gold prices.

The price of gold soared to an all-time high on Wednesday, breaching the $3,300 mark for the first time as growing global trade tensions sent investors scrambling for safe-haven assets.