Is gold the best investment return option in 2021? : Whether it is the tensions in the Middle East, Africa or elsewhere, it is becoming increasingly obvious that political and economic uncertainty is another reality of our modern economic environment. For this reason, investors typically look at gold as a safe haven during times of political and economic uncertainty. Why is this? Well, history is full of collapsing empires, political coups, and the collapse of currencies. During such times, investors who held gold were able to successfully protect their wealth and, in some cases, even use the commodity to escape from all of the turmoil. Consequently, whenever there are news events that hint at some type of global economic uncertainty, investors will often buy gold as a safe haven.
Return rates of physical gold are never profitable if you invest in the gold jewellery. The reason being that the price of jewellery is not only determined by the gold rates but it also includes the making charges and this is the just the half story i.e. when you purchase the gold. Now, when you sell the gold, the story is totally different, the making charges are not considered and you get the money only for the pure gold based on the gold rates of that particular day. Take for example; the gold rate in Mumbai during December 2015 was 27000 Indian rupees for ten grams of 24 karat gold and assuming that you bought a gold necklace of 20 grams for about 60,000 Indian rupees which include the making charges too. Now, due to some reason you want to sell it and you go to a shop who quotes the price only for the gold that necklace contains and not for the stones it has or the copper which weighs it down to only 13grams and the cost of 13 grams of pure gold in 2020 is only 40000 Indian rupees in 2020, obviously, it is a loss deal for you and thus, poor return rates are one of the downsides to keep in mind while investing in physical gold.
Rosenberg, the former Merrill Lynch North American Economist and current Chief Economist and Strategist for Gluskin Sheff, an independent investment firm for high net worth individuals, believes that “$3000 an ounce on gold may yet prove to be a conservative forecast.” He went on to say: “if the gold price to world GDP ratio were to ever scale up to the peak three decades ago, it would imply an ultimate peak for gold of $5,300 an ounce. if the relationship between gold and the M3 money measure where to revert to the 1990 high, then gold would move to $5,700 an ounce. if gold were merely put on the same footing as the CPI, and head back to the previous peaks in this ratio, it would suggest $2,300 as the peak in gold — only a double from here. if the gold price-M1 ratio was used then gold would go to $3,100 per ounce under the proviso that prior highs get re-established.”
The idea that gold preserves wealth is even more important in an economic environment where investors are faced with a declining U.S. dollar and rising inflation. Historically, gold has served as a hedge against both of these scenarios. With rising inflation, gold typically appreciates. When investors realize that their money is losing value, they will start positioning their investments in a hard asset that has traditionally maintained its value. The 1970s present a prime example of rising gold prices in the midst of rising inflation. The reason gold benefits from a declining U.S. dollar is because gold is priced in U.S. dollars globally. There are two reasons for this relationship. First, investors who are looking at buying gold (i.e., central banks) must sell their U.S. dollars to make this transaction. This ultimately drives the U.S. dollar lower as global investors seek to diversify out of the dollar. The second reason has to do with the fact that a weakening dollar makes gold cheaper for investors who hold other currencies. This results in greater demand from investors who hold currencies that have appreciated relative to the U.S. dollar. Discover even more info on return on investment.
Gold has historically been an excellent hedge against inflation, because its price tends to rise when the cost of living increases. Over the past 50 years investors have seen gold prices soar and the stock market plunge during high-inflation years. This is because when fiat currency loses its purchasing power to inflation, gold tends to be priced in those currency units and thus tends to arise along with everything else. Moreover, gold is seen as a good store of value so people may be encouraged to buy gold when they believe that their local currency is losing value.
Why Is Gold Valuable? Gold is valuable largely because of its historic attachment to the value of our currency. In ancient times, gold was used for coins and jewelry because of its malleability. As paper currencies were developed, the notes were designed to correspond with a specific amount of gold. While this is no longer the case, gold’s historic importance in our financial system keeps this commodity valuable. According to The Motley Fool, about half of the world’s current demand for gold comes from jewelry. With another 40 percent being the demand for physical gold investments, such as coins and gold bars. Both investors and financial institutions purchase physical gold for these purposes, and most recently exchange-traded funds that buy gold on behalf of investors. The leftover demand for gold typically comes from the technology and medical industries.