Not only Trump, the Fed also played its part in dulling the yellow metal. A Fed rate hike is not favorable for gold bugs as the move means dollar strength which in turn will weigh on commodity prices including gold. Already, the U.S. dollar has hit a 13-year high and had a role in hurting commodity investing (read: ETF Winners & Losers as Dollar Hits 13-Year High).
With the U.S. economy on the mend, several economic readings coming in sound and inflation expectations growing, the central bank is quite likely to raise interest rates in its December meeting. At the time of writing, federal funds futures contracts indicated a 100.2% probability of a December rate hike.
The Fed is now expected to hike in the range of a half-point and three-quarters of a point, up from the ongoing range of 25 bps to 50 bps. Investors should note that the additional 0.2% to 100% hints at negligible chances of the Fed being more hawkish, as per MarketWatch.
Yellen specifically indicated that a prolonged low-interest policy may goad unnecessary risk-on sentiments, create a bubble in markets and weaken the financial strength of the economy. After December, traders now see one or two more hikes by September 2017.
India – the second largest consumer of bullion – is yet another factorthat hit gold prices hard. First, India’s recent demonetization led to cash crunch in the peak of a wedding season and weighed on gold purchase. The withdrawal of high denomination Indian currency was an attempt to eradicate unaccounted money (read: India ETFs Tangled Between Note Demonetization & Trump Win).
Gold transactions in India is mostly done by cash, making it a fitting way of using ‘black money.’ With such a clampdown, investments in gold are likely to go down in the coming days.
Also, India imports about 700 tons of gold every year on average. Now speculation is rife that the Indian government may enact curbs on gold import. “If this happens, there is a high probability of a one-day drop in gold that could reach $200’, as per MarketWatch.
Follow George Soros
No doubt, warning bells are ringing over gold investments. Billionaire investor George Soros is washing his hands of gold. In the second quarter, Soros Fund Management offloaded its “position in SPDR Gold Shares worth $30.4 million as of June 30, according to a regulatory filing.” Soros left gold following the metal’s enormous 25% gains in the first half. Gold price is presently trading at $1,186 an ounce and may experience further weakness on Fed and Trump (read: Reversal Ahead for Gold? ETFs in Focus).
Anything Can Save Gold?
The killer ‘Trumpflation’ may turn out to be a savior. If inflation picks up with a recovery in energy prices (as lower oil price is one of the main causes of subdued global inflation) and on Trump’s policies, like a boost in infrastructure spending and tax cut, there will be no threat to gold (read: Gold ETF Investing: 10 Facts Investors Need to Know).
Gold is often viewed as a hedge against inflation. One of the pre-requisites of the Fed hike is higher inflation. So, if the Fed makes faster moves going forward, there has to be some noticeable uptick in inflation, which in turn is likely to boost demand for inflation-protected assets like gold.
Falling supplies can also offer some support. As per the source, mining analysts cut down gold supply projection from the 30 tons once forecast to 20 tons by 2025. Due to about 30% decline in gold prices in the last five years, gold companies curtailed investments. And this shrinkage in capacity may translate into price stabilization.
Bottom Line
So, it is clear that gold investing is not that favorable with a short-tern view, but may make a long-term bet. It all depends on how fast the Fed turns hawkish and how aptly Trump delivers on his promises.
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