GOLD futures pushed to record highs today as concerns about a slowdown in global growth and Europe's debt crisis spurred investor demand for the metal as a refuge.
US leaders today gave final approval to legislation raising the country's debt limit, averting a default. But the deal wasn't enough to stem the tide of investment in perceived safe-haven assets, as investors remain cautious on the chance that US could see its credit rating downgraded and as growth stumbles across much of the developed world.
The most actively traded gold contract, for December delivery, climbed $US22.80, or 1.4 per cent, to settle at a record $US1644.50 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract climbed as high as $US1646.80 an ounce, a record intraday high.
"There's still concern about the weak economy, growth generally, weak (purchasing managers' indices) in a range of countries," said David Jollie, strategic analyst at Mitsui Global Precious Metals. US debt was only part of the story behind gold's recent rise, he added.
Gold futures rose further into record territory during electronic trading after the New York trading-floor settlement, climbing as high as $US1661.90 a troy ounce as US equities indices slumped to their session lows at the end of their trading day.
"It's the fear trade," said Charles Nedoss, a senior market strategist with Olympus Futures. The US debt deal "is obviously not the panacea people had hoped it would be. You're just seeing safe-haven money moving in" to gold as equities slide, he added.
Gold's rise after the settlement was also fuelled as Fitch Ratings said it could still place a negative outlook on the US government's credit rating. The firm, which hasn't put the US on review for a possible downgrade, is expected to complete a regular review by the end of the month.
Weaker-than-expected US and European manufacturing data earlier in the week dampened investors' appetite for risky assets. And currency markets today were rattled as worries about Europe's debt crisis sent Italian and Spanish bond yields to their widest levels since the adoption of the euro.
Some investors turn to gold as a refuge from turmoil in other markets, and the yellow metal has reached all-time highs for four consecutive weeks. The Swiss franc hit record highs against the US dollar and euro today and US Treasury prices rose, highlighting the demand for a safe place to park cash.
"People are concerned about what currencies they hold," said Sterling Smith, a market analyst with Country Hedging. "Risk aversion is growing stronger."
Sentiment in the gold market also received a boost from the news that South Korea's central bank made its first gold purchases in 13 years. The bank acquired 25 tonnes of gold during June and July, bringing its total reserves to 39.4 tonnes at the end of last month. Central banks have been moving to reduce their dependence on the US dollar, the world's chief reserve currency.
The central banks of Russia, Mexico and Thailand have also announced substantial gold purchases this year.
The US Senate and President Barack Obama earlier today, as expected, approved a measure raising the debt ceiling and cutting government spending, ending the risk of a default in the near term. The Treasury Department had said that the borrowing limit must be raised today for it to be able to meet all of its commitments.
Wall Street Journal
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