U.S. Money Reserve Reviews Highlight Central Banks’ Gold Rush: What It Means for Investors
Central Banks Shift from Sellers to Buyers of Gold
More and more central banks have become net buyers of gold. This means they are, at this point in history, buying more gold than they are selling. According to the “Global Gold Forecast”, prepared by the U.S. Money Reserve, governments and their central banks have been “breaking records” in both “2022 and 2023” with regards to their gold purchasing.
What’s this mean for consumers? It depends. But, due to the growing demand for gold, it might mean that it’s a good time to invest. “Overall, central bank purchases of physical gold increased by 80% between 2013 and 2022, a trend that shows no sign of stopping.”
Geopolitical Tensions Fuel the Gold Rush
What’s causing this rise of interest in gold? It’s hard to pin it down to one specific thing. Ultimately, it’s a combination of natural market fluctuations in addition to the influence of rising geopolitical tensions, conflicts globally, and nations that form the basis of the global market that have begun to seek gold as a hedge against economic and political instability. Interestingly, this is not an uncommon strategy for governments to employ in times of political strife.
For example, countries like China and Russia have been engaging in a long-term effort to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar in global trade. These nations have invested more in gold because it is “nationless”, a source of value external to any government. This supports their interests as it allows them to engage in international market strategies more freely. According to the U.S. Mint Directors and other experts cited in the “Global Gold Forecast”, “this process … has contributed to the U.S. dollar falling significantly as a source of global foreign exchange reserves.”
The World is Running Out of Gold
With 80% of gold that can be mined already unearthed, the world is rapidly approaching a point where accessing new sources of gold will become harder and harder, driving the cost to attain that gold higher and higher. As Edmund C. Moy, former U.S. Mint Director, says: “When Sir Isaac Newton was Mint Master in the Royal Mint in England, he tried to make gold and concluded gold is a limited resource.” Central banks are very aware of the impending scarcity, so they’ve developed the strategy to stockpile gold at higher rates. The finite nature of gold (you can’t make it yourself) makes it a reliable hedge, especially as inflation hangs heavily in everyone’s mind.
As U.S. Money Reserve notes, “If production continues at this rate, every ounce of gold left in the ground will be mined in less than 20 years.” The urgency to get in on the market while it’s still possible is increasing. Unlike fiat currencies or digital assets that can be created and manipulated and don’t engender as much trust, gold is a finite resource. Gold does not become more or less valuable based on economic or political policies. This intrinsic value, rooted in scarcity, explains its history as an assurance within central banks.
Former U.S. Mint Directors Offer Unique Expertise:
At U.S. Money Reserve, the expertise of former U.S. Mint directors is leveraged to help understand the global gold market and to strategize investment policy. Having been responsible for supporting the execution of national monetary policy, their insights go beyond market trends and can help us understand the contextual implications for the rising interest in gold.
For example, former U.S. Mint director Philip N. Diehl says that it’s essential we monitor the investment in gold of nations like China, Russia, and Brazil, among others. As they increase their investment and the natural sources of gold are drained, the value will increase, but it will also become harder and harder to buy into the gold market, especially for individuals. These are the kinds of insights that help customers at the U.S. Money Reserve understand the “gold rush” that is playing out globally.
The Decision to Join the Gold Rush
In a chaotic world where scams abound and the future of the economy seems to be getting harder and harder to predict, gold remains a reliably stable safeguard. It’s clear that the nations of the world understand this. So, the remaining question is simple: how many consumers will decide to join the gold rush and how many will simply miss out?