Advertisement
Singapore markets closed
  • Straits Times Index

    3,367.90
    +29.33 (+0.88%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,475.09
    +14.61 (+0.27%)
     
  • Dow

    39,169.52
    +50.66 (+0.13%)
     
  • Nasdaq

    17,879.30
    +146.70 (+0.83%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    62,670.66
    +37.12 (+0.06%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,341.59
    -2.92 (-0.22%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    8,119.66
    -47.10 (-0.58%)
     
  • Gold

    2,330.90
    -8.00 (-0.34%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    84.05
    +0.67 (+0.80%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.4790
    +0.1360 (+3.13%)
     
  • Nikkei

    40,074.69
    +443.63 (+1.12%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    17,769.14
    +50.53 (+0.29%)
     
  • FTSE Bursa Malaysia

    1,597.96
    -0.24 (-0.02%)
     
  • Jakarta Composite Index

    7,125.14
    -14.48 (-0.20%)
     
  • PSE Index

    6,358.96
    -39.81 (-0.62%)
     

Can Gold ETFs Continue Their Winning Run?

After wild swings, gold showed a strong rebound last week. SPDR Gold Shares GLD added more than 4% last week and 7.3% past month. The subdued U.S. dollar and a decline in U.S. treasury bond yields bolstered the demand for the yellow metal. Additionally, the demand for inflation hedge and growing recession fears are driving investors toward gold, as it is considered a safe haven.

As such, gold ETF rallied over the last week with GraniteShares Gold Trust BAR, iShares Gold Trust IAU, SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), iShares Gold Strategy ETF IAUF, and Aberdeen Standard Physical Swiss Gold Shares ETF SGOL gaining about 5% each.

Factors Driving Gold Price

The combination of factors is acting as a catalyst for gold price. Wall Street has been witnessing high volatility lately due to failures of regional banks like Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and Silvergate Bank. While First Republic Bank secured a $30 billion rescue package from other big banks, its fate is still unclear.

ADVERTISEMENT

The crisis spread to the global market. And European banking behemoth Credit Suisse is also operating at the edge. The flagship Swiss lender's shares nosedived on fears of a debt default. Finally, UBS has purchased the struggling Credit Suisse for more than $3 billion in a historic deal. Such crisis has every reason for a flight to safety, which has bolstered the demand for safe haven asset gold.

In fact, other safe assets like U.S. treasuries gained too, dragging down bond yields. As U.S. treasury yields dropped last week, the greenback has lost its strength. The U.S. benchmark treasury yield started the month at 4.01%, hit a high of 4.08% and ended last week at 3.39%. Traders expect the Fed to raise its benchmark lending rate this week but by a smaller margin of a 25 bps. A decline in bond yields went in favor of non-interest-paying assets like gold.

If the pace of Fed rate hike slows, the U.S. dollar is likely to decline ahead. If the greenback falls, gold prices will gain as the metal is priced in the U.S. dollar. Moreover, ongoing geopolitical tensions in the East Europe and tensed relationship between United States and China may boost the safe-haven status of gold.

Bottom Line

The gold’s rally from here depends on the Fed’s behavior and the government’s ability to tackle the banking crisis. If the U.S. economic growth slows materially, jobs market suffers and the banking crisis deepens, the Fed will likely be staying put in the coming months. This would be a good new for gold investing. Gold investors should closely watch the economic and market events before taking any decision.


Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

SPDR Gold Shares (GLD): ETF Research Reports

iShares Gold Trust (IAU): ETF Research Reports

abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL): ETF Research Reports

GraniteShares Gold Trust (BAR): ETF Research Reports

iShares Gold Strategy ETF (IAUF): ETF Research Reports

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research