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Showing posts with label DEMAND. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DEMAND. Show all posts

Sunday 22 February 2015

PRE-BUDGET VIEWS AND SUGGESTIONS



    FDI in Indian Bullion Industry is the key to Growth 


                                                                        by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari, MD – RiddiSiddhi Bullions Ltd.
 






The most discussed topic of this month is the "Budget" and how it will affect the commodities  business. Lately, I have been asked about my views and expectations from this year budget. I would like to put forward the following points-

Expectations are high for a massively reformist Union Budget that would give the somnolent economy the jolt it badly needs.

There are quite a lot of aspects that need immediate consideration for action as the bullion industry has been suffering a lot due to the current norms and practices.

Research & development is the key to the future of Indian bullion industry. Data by China Gold Association (CGA) shows China produced 451.8 tons of gold in 2014, up 5.52% year on year. It has been the eighth consecutive year for China to become the biggest gold producer globally.

Primarily, there is a need for R&D to be carried out in an efficient way in the country, which will increase production of the metal. This will reduce dependency on imports and in turn help the government to increase the forex reserve. As the metal will be extracted locally, customers will be benefitted pricewise, due to local production.
R&D is costly which requires huge investment, but with the help of FDI we can surely work out the way to get the most out of it. In turn, FDI would help in strengthening our rupee and in turn reduce the depreciation of our currency.
We expect the following to be executed immediately and in a short period of time.

a.    GST implementation is a must: If implemented, it is expected to provide a significant boost to investment and growth of the economy. GST will have a significant impact on almost all aspects of businesses operating in the country, including the supply chain, sourcing and distribution decisions, inventory costs and cash flows, pricing policy, accounting systems and transactions management.
We expect a flat 1% GST across India to be levied by the government, which would replace most indirect taxes currently in place. 

b.    Introduction of Option product for Commodity exchange is must: Those who have the exposure should be given an opportunity. It will be a boon for a bullion trader and jeweler. By using this instrument they can hedge their future position and in a way provide the necessary risk cover. An investor will also highly benefit through this instrument. He/she will get a chance to invest in a larger quantity of metal with a lower investment and reap benefits till the expiry date.

Commodity Transaction Tax (CTT) reduces market participation and lowers liquidity.

c.    Allow Depository schemes for bullion industry corporate: Gold Deposit Schemes are offered by banks in which investors deposit gold for a period of certain 3 years earning a fixed rate of interest.  Currently that has been reduced to 6 months. The depository scheme that the banks and MFs are enjoying should also be allowed to corporate, working for bullion industry. It will help to increase the gold reserves and in turn benefit the customers willing to deposit their idle gold. The government should instead harness the existing reserve of gold in our country rather than turning towards imports and implementing alarming hike on custom duty. Hike in the duty on imports will in no way; curtail the demand, as the precious metal has always been regarded as one of the best investment options for social security.

d.    Introduce schemes to convert unaccounted gold to accounted one: Indian households have nearly 25,000 to 30,000 tonnes of Gold. I expect that this budget would show an effective way to gain revenue by exporting it. I would suggest Government of India to introduce schemes like minimum tax scheme wherein an investor is charged minimum tax to convert his/her unaccounted gold into an accounted one. By this the government treasury will also increase and the idle gold can be put to use. The other scheme can be a VDS scheme (voluntary disclosure scheme) by which the Gold /Silver can be brought to the market.

e.    Extend Gold Loan scheme period and LC Tenure: We expect an increase in Gold loan scheme period to extend from 180 days to 360 days and LC tenure from 90 to 180 days. As of now Gold Loan is allowed up to 180 days which implies, a jeweler has to rollover his/her position twice in a year and that in turns leads to increase in imports. If the loan period is extended to 360 days, one cycle of loan will be reduced. A direct effect will be reduction in imports.

f.    NRI’s to be allowed to bring more Gold in India: Currently NRI’s are allowed 1 Kilo of Gold while arriving in India. Earlier this was 10 Kilos. We feel this cap should be raised back to the earlier levels or even more which would help in import reduction and lower the Forex pressure.


“The primary purpose of this blog by Prithviraj Kothari - MD, RSBL, is to educate the masses of the current happenings in the Bullion world.”

- Previous blog -
"Gold Perplexed"
http://riddisiddhibullionsltd.blogspot.in/2015/02/gold-perplxed.html

Sunday 15 February 2015

GOLD PERPLEXED

 - By Mr. Prithviraj Kothari,MD,RSBL





Gold this week was giving confused or rather mixed behavioral patterns as it was being pulled between the bullish and bearish forces.

On Thursday, gold ended at $1,220.70 an ounce, up $1.10 or 0.1 percent, on a weak dollar and some disappointing economic data from the U.S. with retail sales dropping more than expected in January and first-time unemployment benefit claims rising more than anticipated last week.
Though gold was up on Friday, followed by weak US economic data, for the week gold was down 0.6%.

Let’s analyze the bullish and bearish factors that were responsible for this wavelike movement in gold-

BULLISH

Weak US Economic data-  Following Thursday’s reaction, gold was up for a second straight session in Friday.
Gold displayed the behavior post the release of some key reports from US. In some soft economic news from the U.S., a University of Michigan report on Friday showed an unexpected, sharp pullback on its U.S. consumer sentiment index in February, after having reported the index at an eleven-year high in the previous month.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department released a report on Friday showing another steep drop in U.S. import prices in the month of January, attributed largely to falling energy prices.
Additionally, the Labor Department said export prices slumped by 2.0 percent in January following a revised 1.0 percent decrease in December. Export prices had been expected to fall by 0.8 percent compared to the 1.2 percent decline that had been reported for the previous month.

Greece issues- Equity markets were hit by the uncertainty prevailing over Greece’s debt negotiations with its European lenders and its future in the euro zone. This has benefited the bullion markets that were up on Friday as safe haven demand for gold increased.

Greece agreed on Thursday to talk to its creditors about the way out of its international bailout in a political climb-down that could prevent its new leftist-led government running out of money as early as next month.

Increasing gold purchases by official bodies worldwide- Central banks were net buyers of gold for the fifth straight year in 2014, with purchases nearing a 50-year high, in the face of growing geopolitical risk. According to a report released Thursday by the World Gold Council in London, central banks' net purchases of gold came to 477 tons in 2014, up 17% on the year and the second-highest figure ( after 2012) since data were first kept 50 years ago.
.
Other official bodies worldwide namely Russia's Central Bank (purchases exceeding sales by 173 tons ), Iraq’s Central Bank (added 48 tons to its stocks)  also hoarded gold. Official bodies have been net buyers of gold since 2010, when the euro crisis struck. Increasing volatility in the foreign exchange market is stimulating worldwide demand for gold.

India's consumer demand slid 14% to 842.7 tons, as the country raised import duties on gold in hopes of closing its growing current account deficit. In spite of the decline, India returned to the top spot as the world's biggest consumer as the former leader China’s demand for gold slide 38%.

USD-  Gold was firmly supported this week by a frail US dollar. The dollar trended lower against some select currencies after some soft economic data from the U.S. A weakening dollar supported gold by making the commodity priced in the greenback cheaper for holders of other currencies.


French Economic Report- The statistical office Insee reported on Friday that the French economic growth slowed as expected in the 4th quarter. France's gross domestic product rose 0.1 percent sequentially, in line with forecast, but slower than third quarter's 0.3 percent expansion



BEARISH

US interest Rate Hike-  Gold held above a five-week low on Friday amid a weaker dollar and uncertainty over debt-laden Greece, but the safe-haven metal was set to close down for a third straight week on expectations of higher U.S. interest rates.

Euro zone Data- Apart from the Fed’s anticipated interest rate hike, upbeat economic news from the Eurozone has weighed on gold prices all week. Helped by growth in Germany, the combined gross domestic product of the Eurozone was up 0.3% sequentially in the fourth quarter.

Germany’s Economic Data
- Germany's economic growth accelerated more-than-expected on domestic spending and exports in the fourth quarter, while investment dragged expansion in France.
German gross domestic product advanced 0.7 percent sequentially- this was the fastest growth in three quarters and also exceeded a 0.3 percent rise forecast by economists.

 SPDR Gold trust-
Holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, edged down to 771.51 tons on Friday, from its previous close of 773.31 tons.


 Summing it up, markets worldwide await the interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve which is expected to happen sometime this year. Reacting to this, the outlook for dollar remains upbeat despite the recent losses.

Any hike by the Fed, which has kept rates near zero since 2008 to stimulate the U.S. economy, could hurt demand for bullion, a non-interest-bearing asset.

TRADE RANGE-

METAL
INTERNATIONAL
DOMESTIC
GOLD
$1211- 1245 an ounce
Rs.26,500- Rs.28,000 per 10gm
SILVER
$16.55- $18.00 an ounce
Rs.37,000- Rs.40,000 per kg


“The primary purpose of this blog by Prithviraj Kothari - MD, RSBL, is to educate the masses of the current happenings in the Bullion world.”

- Previous blog -
"Trade Range For Gold Remains Tight"
http://riddisiddhibullionsltd.blogspot.in/2015/02/trade-range-for-gold-remains-tight.html

Sunday 2 November 2014

FED SETS THE RULES FOR GOLD


by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari, MD, RSBL






Since December 2008 to June 2011, gold rose 70 % as the Fed bought debt and held borrowing costs near zero percent. 

Last year being the worst performing year for gold, as prices slumped 28 per cent as the markets had expected that the central bank would taper its monthly stimulus program which was the main reason for the spark rise in gold in 2011. 

After spending much of the month bouncing off a triple-bottom low around $1,180 made on Oct. 6, and previously in December and June 2013, gold prices turned weaker and spent the last week and a half drifting lower.  

The U.S. Federal Reserve had dismissed financial market volatility, a slowdown in Europe and a weak inflation outlook as factors that might undercut progress towards its unemployment and inflation goals.

The hawkish comments and the strong economic data dulled gold’s appeal as a hedge. This continued to put pressure on gold. 

Post FOMC, gold dropped more than $20. The market recouped some losses edging back up to $1215, but early London were aggressive sellers, pressuring the market another $20 lower to a low of $1196.50.

Moreover, on Wednesday, The Fed ended its monthly bond purchase program and dropped a characterization of U.S. labour market slack as "significant" in a show of confidence in the economy's prospects. As the Federal Reserve ended its asset purchase program amidst signs of a growing and improving US economy, gold lost its appeal as a safe haven asset and demand to won gold declined. 

Gold is 0.6 % lower in October after losing 6.2 % last month, and the metal during the last session erased the year’s advance as Dollar Spot Index rose to a three-week high. Gold traded USD 1160.85 while Silver and Platinum tested respective support levels of 15.80 and 1220. Gold support for the short term is expected at $1150.

Apart from this, there were few other reasons responsible for the crash in gold and silver prices.

Central Bank Interest Rate - The central bank, which has held its key rate at zero to 0.25 percent since 2008, this week cited an improving job market in deciding to end bond buying, while maintaining a commitment to keep rates low for a considerable time. It also said inflation is running below its 2 percent target.

SDPR Gold Trust- Reflecting bearish sentiment, SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.16 percent to 741.20 tons on Thursday, the least since Oct. 2008.

US DataPrecious metals cratered, hit by a double-whammy of the rather hawkish Fed policy statement, coupled with a stronger-than-expected US GDP report. Fed officials this week cited an improving job market in deciding to end bond-buying, while maintaining a commitment to keep interest rates low for a considerable time. 

Dollar- Gold and silver were hit hard after the dollar rose to a near four-week high against a basket of major currencies on Friday, Reuters reported. The greenback got a boost from strong US gross domestic product data and the Bank of Japan’s surprise move to expand its massive monetary easing that weakened the yen.

Bond Buying Program- Gold was languishing near a three-week low on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve ended its bond-buying stimulus program and expressed confidence in the economic recovery, dimming bullion's safe-haven appeal.

Lack Of Support From Asian markets- Gold failed to get any support from the Asian physical markets, a factor that could likely push it to further lows. Physical demand usually provides a floor to dropping prices.

China's factory activity unexpectedly fell to a five month low in October as firms fought slowing orders and rising costs in the slow moving economy.

Buyers in top consumer China failed to emerge despite the drop below $1,200. Gold of 99.99 percent purity on the Shanghai Gold Exchange - the main platform for physical trades in the country - sank as much as 3.1 percent to 230.05 Yuan per gram ($1,172.35 an ounce), the lowest level this year, Bloomberg reported. Volumes tumbled to a one-month low on Friday.
    
For the coming week, gold is expected to be influenced by any comments coming in from the ECB and also any important data cropping from the October U.S nonfarm payroll report. Following Thursdays GDP growth reports news, the Federal Reserve is more upbeat on the labour markets and the Federal Open Market Committee meeting to be held on Wednesday expects a strong data report. This may make the bearish sentiments strong for gold.


TRADE RANGE

METAL
INTERNATIONAL
Gold/Silver price range
DOMESTIC
Gold/Silver price range
GOLD
$1150 - $1200 
an ounce
Rs.25,500 - Rs.26,750 
per 10gm
SILVER
$15.00 - $17.00 
an ounce
Rs.34,000 - Rs.37,500 
per kg



The primary purpose of this article by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari is to educate the masses of the current happenings in the Bullion world.

- Previous blog - "Gold Once Again Surrenders In Front Of Gold"
http://riddisiddhibullionsltd.blogspot.in/2014/10/gold-once-again-surrenders-in-front-of.html

Sunday 26 October 2014

GOLD ONCE AGAIN SURRENDERS IN FRONT OF THE DOLLAR


by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari, MD, RSBL




Firstly, on behalf of RSBL, I would like to wish you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. We hope that this new Hindu Year brings in optimism in your life along with the precious metals market industry, other investment assets and the world economy.

Gold prices reached to three session highs by Monday lunchtime in London. Gold prices touched $1246 an ounce which is considered to be a crucial trading range for gold. Thanks to last week stock rally, gold prices gained as European stock markets reversed half of Friday's big bounce.

Let's have a look at some market making news that happened over the week:
  • The U.S. dollar is up  5 % this year against a basket of 10 leading currencies. 
  • The country’s unemployment rate is at a six-year low, suggesting the world’s biggest economy will survive slowdowns in Europe and ⦁ Asia. 
  • The European Central Bank plans to stimulate growth by buying asset-backed debt, aimed at boosting the ECB's own balance-sheet by €1 trillion in a bid to avoid deflation for the 18-nation currency zone through monetary stimulus.
  • Economists cut estimates for Chinese growth after disappointing data on industrial profits, factory output and credit. Chinese central bank will inject short-term loans into major banks this week drove Beijing's 1-year money market rate down to 2.99% – its lowest level in 25 months .
  • The global economy was further threatened over the spreading Ebola virus threatens the global economy further.
Gold prices recovered on Thursday, and was seen trading around $1232-$1233. Post the US data release, investors once again were confused between gold and equities as the dollar rose and safe haven demand for gold declined. Gold prices fell to a one-week low at $1232.55 per ounce on Friday in London as safe haven demand was eroded after a rebound in US equities and a strengthening dollar.

Even when the US economy is showing signs of strengthening, Investors have plenty to be concerned about: Russian-inspired insurrection in Ukraine, Occupy Central protests in Hong Kong, the spread of Ebola from Africa to Europe and the U.S., war in the Middle. One thing they can leave off the list: inflation.

Whereas FED shall ponder on the below 2 points:

1) QE (Quantitative Easing): The Fed has bought $3.95 trillion of securities since 2008, a program called quantitative easing, or QE. The Fed official are worried about prices remaining too low as the cash that is currently there in the financial system has raised worries about incipient inflation.
The Fed’s bond-buying program, which the central bank plans to end this month, appears to have succeeded in stimulating the economy without debasing the currency because banks are holding onto reserves instead of lending. Falling prices, or deflation, can create a vicious circle of less spending and declining wages.

2) Consumer Spending: Low wages and low spending on consumer products will also keep a lid on inflation.

This was a snapshot of the world scenario. 

But where domestic markets are concerned, this year too gold sales shot up during the 5 day festive season. Tuesday being Dhanteras, gold demand was quite high as it is considered auspicious to buy gold on this day. Gold purchases in India gathered pace since Tuesday as consumers took advantage of a year-on-year drop in the price of the metal at the most-auspicious time to buy it. The prices seem to have dropped at the right time and markets saw people rush to buy gold at dips.

Now the international and domestic markets will have their eyes glued on the Fed policy makers meet scheduled on October 28-29.


TRADE RANGE


METAL
INTERNATIONAL
Gold/Silver price range
DOMESTIC 
Gold/Silver price range
GOLD
$1208- $1247
an ounce
Rs. 26,750- Rs. 27,800
per 10gm
SILVER
$16.85- $17.64
an ounce
Rs. 38,000- Rs.40,000
per kg






The primary purpose of this article by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari is to educate the masses of the current happenings in the Bullion world.
- Previous blog - "Gold Tend to Move Side-Ways"
http://riddisiddhibullionsltd.blogspot.in/2014/10/gold-tend-to-move-side-ways.html

Sunday 19 October 2014

GOLD TEND TO MOVE SIDE-WAYS

by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari, MD, RSBL



As we just thought gold was acting positive and making a comeback, it proves us wrong by the end of Friday.

Gold erased this year’s gains earlier this month on the outlook for higher borrowing costs as the U.S. economy improves. Bullion has since rebounded as the Fed signalled a worldwide economic slowdown may delay interest-rate increases and as equities to commodities slid.

The week was decent enough for gold in the domestic markets, but then internationally showed a sideways performance.

Internationally, gold prices declined after the U.S data reports were in. The better than expected consumer sentiment data lowered gold's safe haven appeal while on the other hand the ongoing concerns over global economic growth and a recovery in global stock markets gave the yellow-metal some support.

Equities and bond yields dropped sharply and the uncertainty over the Fed's hike in interest rates have changed the sentiment for gold from bearish to neutral. Gold showed mixed trends in the week over various economic figures coming in from US

  • U.S retail sales and inflation numbers slumped
  • Core Retail Sales dipped 0.2%, its first decline since April 2013.
  • This indicated to a decline in consumer spending which one of the key indicators of economic growth
  • PPI fell by 0.1%, after a reading of 0.0% a month earlier
  • US Unemployment Claims dropped to 264 thousand, marking a 14 -year low. 
  • Manufacturing numbers were a mix, as Industrial Production gained 1.0%, its best showing since November. 
  • The Philly Fed Manufacturing Index dipped to 20.7 points, but this beat the estimate of 19.9 points.
So it was quite a volatile market for gold and there were several factors responsible for this volatility.


DISAPPOINTING GLOBAL GROWTH AND MIXED US DATA REPORTS-
The global equity drop was induced by the European equities sell-off, which was prompted by the negative August industrial production data from Germany and the market's disappointment with the lack of further monetary announcements by the ECB to fight deflation and a likely recession in Europe. The September U.S. retail sales of -0.3%, an inflation expectation of 1.5% in 2019, and foreign growth slowdown have fuelled growth recovery concerns in the U.S. The September manufacturing output climbed 0.5% compared to -0.5% in August, which can signal that the U.S. recovery is holding up.


GOLD DEMAND
The global equity tumult and the ongoing geopolitical concerns have raised the appetite for gold even though the inflationary pressure has created a negative attitude for gold.
The U.S. SPDR gold trust holdings have risen 0.20% this week after declining for four consecutive weeks. 

Moreover demand for gold from India has risen ahead of the biggest festive season of Diwali and many have made their purchases at dips. India's September gold imports jumped sharply to $3.75 billion ahead of the wedding and festival season, data from the trade ministry showed.

Meanwhile in China, the world's largest consumer for gold, has witnessed a significant drop in demand for gold even though price are running low but demand here is also expected to pick up. Growth in Gold mine output from China is set to slow significantly in coming years in the face of declining ore grades and waning profitability, an analyst at Business Monitor International said on Friday.

Now we need to see what's in basket for gold in the coming week. Gold could trade sideways next week and multiple factors are expected to influence the price of the precious metal.

FED- markets will keep an eye in the Fed Chair's speech this Friday

US- Traders will be tracking news coming in from the equity markets, alongside news about a likely global slowdown, the future pace of US stimulus, US interest rates, the Ebola scare in the US , the U.S leading indicators index , the U.S September new home sales, the U.S September CPI, September US leading indicators index and geopolitical tensions the world over.

CHINA-Next week, we will monitor the September China industrial production data, the Q3 China real GDP growth.






The primary purpose of this article by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari is to educate the masses of the current happenings in the Bullion world.

- Previous blog -
"Is Gold Making A  Comeback?"
http://riddisiddhibullionsltd.blogspot.in/2014/10/is-gold-making-comeback.html

Sunday 5 October 2014

GOLD'S FUTURE AT STAKE!!

by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari, MD, RSBL






As 2014 began, it was all green for gold. Investors thought that gold has once again entered the bull market. But this week gold shunned all its gains in 2014 and fell 0.7 per cent.


On the other hand the dollar reached a four year high this week as there were high expectations in the market that more jobs were added in three months. This further added to the speculation the Fed may raise interest rates next year.

When the dollar gets strong and the U.S. yields are higher than gold is counted as one of the least attractive investments. 
The feeling that investors had about gold in 2008, they are feeling the same for dollar now as all investors are bullish about the dollars prospects. 

Now gold has been abandoned by many as this metal is not paying interest and  Gold was also depressed by a rebound in European shares, which had slumped on Thursday on disappointment the European Central Bank wasn't more aggressive at its meeting. 
Dollar has strengthened more than a per cent against a basket of other currencies and is on a straight track of gains for the 12th week. 

The non-farm report. US non-farm payrolls rose by 248,000 jobs, and the jobless rate fell to 5.9 percent last month, the lowest since July 2008,as stated by the Labour Department. 
The change in total non-farm payroll employment for July was revised from 212,000 to 243,000, and the change for August was revised from 142,000 to 180,000. With these revisions, employment gains in July and August combined were 69,000 more than previously reported.

Post this report spot gold fell as much as 1.4 percent to its lowest since Dec. 31 at $1,195.38 an ounce and was down 1.3 percent at $1,197. It was for the first time in 2014 that gold fell below $1200 on Friday as the dollar strengthen over the positive US non-farm payroll data. Gold fell even further when the markets agreed that the interest rate hike could happen by mid-2015 or even earlier.

Rising interest rates reduce gold’s allure because the metal generally only offers investors returns through price gains, while a stronger dollar typically cuts demand for a store of value.

Moreover, SPDR Gold Trust, the top gold-backed exchange-traded fund and a good proxy for investor sentiment, said its holdings fell 1.19 tonnes to 767.47 tonnes on Thursday - a new low since December 2008. This declined gold prices further. 

Apart from the data reports released during the week, it was weak physical demand that could not provide support to gold prices.


Demand from China was low as the Chinese markets remain closed for a week long holiday. Though gold prices did get some support from the Pro-democracy rallies in Hong Kong but it was not enough to reverse all the losses from a stronger dollar.


Now the markets await for the Chinese and Indian markets come back next week, they may see lower prices as a good buying opportunity, so possibly some support will come from physical demand in Asia and in the U.S. the Fed policymakers will scrutinize the data as they prepare for a policy meeting on Oct. 28-29


METAL
INTERNATIONAL
DOMESTIC
GOLD
$1180- $1207 an ounce
Rs. 26,000- Rs. 27,500 per 10gm
SIILVER
$16.40- $17.50 an ounce
Rs. 37,000- Rs. 40,000 per kg


The primary purpose of this article by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari is to educate the masses of the current happenings in the Bullion world.

- Previous blog -

"Dollar Drawing Directions For Gold" - http://riddisiddhibullionsltd.blogspot.in/2014/09/dollar-drawing-directions-for-gold.html

Monday 29 September 2014

DOLLAR DRAWING DIRECTIONS FOR GOLD

by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari, MD, RSBL

                                                     

During the financial crisis in September 2008, gold price rose $50 in a single trading day on 18th September. Investors adapted gold as they perceived this asset to be a safe haven in terms of liquidity and security.  This day was marked in history as it was after February 1980 that gold had made such a huge jump in one single day. in 1979 and 1980, the world witnessed global uncertainty. At that time the key influencers for gold were the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and the Iranian hostage crisis. Most of these factors were geopolitical. 

Even today gold has been hovering around the geo political uncertainties. In fact during 1980 it as just geo political tension but today its lots more. Terrorism along with financial uncertainties have had a great impact on gold prices.

The key driver of the gold price at the moment is perceived to be the relative strength of the US dollar, yet the US dollar is only stronger compared to the other main currencies because these currencies, such as the Euro, are weak due to their economies remaining weak and their money supplies having been debased.

Gold is falling on concerns over strengthening US economy and the stronger dollar. Dollar gained ahead of the data to be released next week which includes the monthly employment numbers that the Fed will be watching. Currently it appears that while the rest of the world is in the doldrums, The US economy is performing comparatively well. The Dollar index hit a high of 85.68 and closed at 85.64 for the week on strong economic data from the US.

U.S. economy has grown in fastest pace in 2 and a half years in the second quarter. The Commerce department raised its estimate of growth in gross domestic product to a 4.6% annual rate from the 4.2% pace reported last month.

During the week, gold traded near the lowest level in almost nine months as the dollar rose to a four-year high amid prospects of higher borrowing costs as the U.S economy improves. 

Though September is considered as one the best performing months for gold, this year the yellow metal has declined 5.3 percent in this month itself. After dropping to $1207.04 on September 25, it has touched the lowest level since 2nd January. 

Gold prices continued their downhill ride to touch a low of $1,207/ounce last week. However, they bounced from that point and closed the week at $1,218/ounce, up from $1,215.7/ounce in the previous week. The fear of gold  miners cutting down on production if prices plunge below $1,200 is holding prices. The cost of production of major gold miners is about $1,350/ounce now, according to estimates of analysts.

Despite the news of US-led strikes against militants in Syria, gold prices didn't move up much as expected as metal continues to loose its safe haven appeal to investors. The US SPDR Gold Trust, the largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, saw its holdings are at 772.25 tonnes on Friday - the lowest since December 2008.

Gold is also heading towards its first quarterly loss this year as strong data coming from US has made the metal weak. Data last week showed the world’s largest economy grew the most since 2011 in the second quarter. Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of gross domestic product. In the US, data showed that sale of new homes surged in August and hit its highest level in more than six years. Also, the final estimate of the second quarter (April-June) GDP that was released on Friday showed that the US economy expanded by 4.6 per cent.

Hence I still feel that The dollar remains the driver of gold direction.

Though geopolitical worries may not give that push or support to gold prices, there are chances that gold may witnessed recovery and not fall significantly from current levels. 
with the mining costs of most gold producers at $1,330-1,350/ounce, they can shut mines and stop new explorations. In such a case, supply will fall and curtail prices from slipping lower.

Moreover, if the dollar continues to rally, there may soon come a point when it will turn a concern for exporters in the country.

Demand has always been a supportive factor for Gold prices and it shall continue to do so in the near future:

World's largest bullion consumer- China- has been importing more gold in September than in the previous month due to demand from retailers who are stocking up gold for the upcoming National Day Holiday. From 1st October, Chinese markets will closed for a week and during this period retail sales are expected to rise. Data on Thursday showed that China's net gold imports from Hong Kong rose in August from a three year low in July. Moreover, imports are expected to remain high due to seasonal demand

Apart from this , one interesting trend that we witnessed was the rising demand for gold from India. After nearly 5 months, we saw some positive news coming from the bullion markets in India as buyers appear to be taking advantage of the relatively low gold prices. Gold demand has picked up across the country, according to traders, despite it being the `shradh' period, which many in India consider inauspicious for buying not just gold, but even other commodities such as cars, there has been some buying reported across retail outlets. As we all know that active market players usually buy at dips. But this time apart from the market player we also saw retail demand for gold rising. 

Russia added to its Gold holdings for a fifth month in a row in August, while Kazakhstan raised its holdings by nearly 800,000 ounces, data from the International Monetary Fund showed on Thursday.

Summing it up, I would like to say that the Middle East is a powder keg that seems likely to explode. The U.S. and western nations have taken a hard stance against an increasingly powerful Russia. This is effecting an already fragile Euro zone and other economies.

Gold has protected wealth throughout history from financial crises and war. We believe it will continue to do so in the coming years.

TRADE RANGE:


METAL
INTERNATIONAL price
DOMESTIC price
GOLD
$1206- $1237 an ounce
Rs.26,000-Rs.27,500 per 10 gm
SILVER
$17.15- $18.00 an ounce
Rs. 38,500 - Rs. 40,000 per kg


The primary purpose of this article by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari is to educate the masses of the current happenings in the Bullion world.
- Previous blog -
"Investors losing interest in gold over interest rate rise"
http://riddisiddhibullionsltd.blogspot.in/2014/09/investors-losing-interest-in-gold-over.html