
Featured Report
Global gold ETFs registered outflows of 51t (US$2.9bn, 1.4%) in August, in line with price performance. This was the fourth consecutive month of outflows. Funds have now given back two-thirds of the inflows accumulated through April; y-t-d global inflows are 102t (US$7.5bn), with total holdings at 3,651t (US$202bn), up 3.6% on the year.
Global gold ETFs registered outflows of 81t (-US$4.5bn) in July. This was the third consecutive month of outflows and the worst since March 2021. A stronger US dollar and COMEX net long positioning – the lowest since April 2019 – helped push the gold price down through the US$1,800/oz support level.
Gold demand softened in Q2. Despite Q2 weakness, strong first quarter ETF inflows fuelled a notable H1 recovery Gold demand (excluding OTC) was 8% lower y-o-y at 948t. Combined with Q1 this took H1 demand to 2,189t, up 12% y-o-y.
Global gold ETFs registered 28t (US$1.7bn) of outflows in June. This was the second consecutive month of outflows, following the 53t (US$3.1bn) that left these funds in May. While the recent flows were enough to push Q2 into net outflows of 39t (US$2bn), year-to-date net inflows remained positive at 234t (US$14.8bn). Total holdings at the end of June stood at 3,792t (US$221.7bn), up 6% y-t-d.
Investors face a challenging environment during the second half of 2022, needing to navigate rising interest rates, high inflation and resurfacing geopolitical risks. In the near term, gold will likely remain reactive to real rates, which in turn will respond to the speed at which global central banks tighten monetary policy and their effectiveness in controlling inflation.
As India’s demand for gold outpaces its domestic mine supply, demand is fulfilled by imports as well as gold recycled locally. Recycling in India is a Rs440bn industry making up 11% of the average local annual supply.
Weaker investor interest weighed on gold in May
Global gold ETFs ended their four-month run of positive inflows in May, with outflows of 53t (US$3.1bn). While this was the largest monthly outflow since March 2021, total holdings remain 8% higher year-to-date at 3,823t (US$226bn).
Global gold ETFs registered healthy net inflows of 43t (US$3bn) in April. While this is 77% lower than the previous month, which was the strongest since February 2016, it is the fourth consecutive month of inflows, maintaining the momentum of flight-to-quality flows we have witnessed this year.
Gold market sees solid start to 2022
Q1 gold demand was 34% above Q1 2021, driven by strong ETF inflows. In a quarter that saw the US dollar gold price rise by 8%, gold demand (excluding OTC) increased 34% y-o-y to 1,234t – the highest since Q4 2018 and 19% above the five-year average of 1,039t.