Central Banks Panic Buy Gold

Central banks have begun panic buying gold as statistics show that the cost of gold has risen by 19% in the last 15 months.  The price of gold recently crossed the $1,300 per ounce price for the first time, due to the sudden surge of demand from banks. Businessinsider.com reports: Buyers have come back into the market in India, the world’s largest buyer of gold, after a strike by the country’s jewelers associations brought business to standstill. In the US, demand for bullion is the strongest it’s been in 30 years. But it’s not just everyday people who are scrambling to get their hands on gold: Central banks are loading up as well. Data from the World Gold Council showed that central banks scooped up a net 45 tonnes of gold during the first quarter. According to Capital Economics’ commodities economist, Simona Gambarini, central-bank demand in the first quarter climbed 28% versus a year ago. Of the buyers, Russia (+46 tonnes), China (+35 tonnes), and Kazakhstan (+7 tonnes) were the most active in the market, Capital Economics says. As for why the central banks are buying, here’s the research firm: The primary driver of central banks’ gold buying continues to be [...]