Many who offer up their analysis on the gold market will attribute today’s sharp rise to the geopolitical environment, which is fraught with danger to say the least and certainly a contributor. But that’s not the whole of what is driving the gold market in recent days. A second, and not-to-be-underplayed, factor is the prevailing and publicly well-cultivated policy of the Federal Reserve toward interest rates, up to and including Janet Yellen’s most recent comments.* The first provides momentum to the second – license.
* “Looking forward, I think the economy is going to continue to grow at a moderate pace. Our job is going to be to try to set monetary policy to sustain what we have achieved.” Janet Yellen as quoted in New York Times/4-10-2017
The markets will read “accommodation” in those words meaning the Fed will do what it can to make sure the interest rate tracks behind the inflation rate and creates a negative real rate of return on yield bearing assets. That latter, a negative real rate of return, has underscored, driven and sustained bull markets for gold in the past.
MK
