marți, 19 februarie 2013

Forces At Play In Determination Of Spot Price Of Gold

By Mitch Knutsen


Gold has been for long the most valuable metal on the face of the earth. This means that it is the best product that people can use as a store of value and measure of wealth. Financial markets in places around the world depend on this product since its prices have shown a relative sense of stability in times of economic difficulty. The spot price of gold is the price that dealers in financial markets have to pay for the commodity. This price is determined when various factors are put into consideration. These are also the factors that determine the prices of many other commodities in financial markets.

Most people know that in liberal markets, the forces of demand and supply determine prices. However, other factors come into play when determining gold spot price. One of these factors is the US price level. The USA is the largest economy in the world and therefore it has a lot of effect on the trends and movements of other economies. The US price level displays a significant positive relationship with the price of gold in the end. This is the reason why people rely on this precious metal as a measure against the effects of inflation.

Conversely, the changes in the US price level have an important impact on the gold spot price. Research has shown that this impact is usually positive which explains the reason why it is relied upon as a guard against inflation in most economies.

This increases demand from investors who want to take advantage of this low price to amass as much of the product as they can. Subsequently, it will force the US dollar to increase in price counteracting the depreciation effect.

When there is depreciation in the value of the dollar, the amount to be paid for gold also goes down. This causes an rush among investors who want to take advantage of the low cost of the product. Due to the increased demand, the price of the dollar will go up bringing up the price for gold.

People commonly purchase reserves of large amounts of gold. This is also common for investors outside of the USA. However, it will have varying effects depending on the time at which they purchase the commodity, the length of time over which they keep it in their reserves. The nominal amount to be paid for the products will be among the major determinants of the price.

Another major use of the product is in securing investments people make. When the residents of different countries make investments in various sectors of the economy, they want to secure them. Therefore, when the level of entrepreneurship and investment increases, the prices of this commodity will change in that economy.

Politicians have a major impact on the development of the countries they live in.

World politics also have an impact on determination of these prices. Political leaders are responsible for formulation and implementation of various policies affecting economic performance of different states. Political instability has a major impact on performance of various economies around the world. The policies also determine the amount of gold deposits that central banks of different nations will hold in their reserves.

Environmental factors also have their effects on the prices and changes seen concerning this product. This is especially clear in countries that depend on agriculture as the major economic activity. Using various methods, professionals can be able to forecast the future conditions in the weather and if they will be favorable for investment. These forecasts will determine the changes in demand and supply of this commodity on the market and the amount that people will have to pay to acquire it.

Investors expect to earn interest when they hold onto this asset. The rate of return of the asset goes a long way in determining the spot price of gold. What most people are used to is that the amount they pay for the product is inversely proportional to the rate of return on their investment. The main reason for this trend is that what people earn from the reserves is influenced by inflation and the current values of the dollar.




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