Is gold the safe investment commodity option in 2021? : Investing in gold mining stocks is similar to investing in the stock market and the difference is just that gold mining stocks are related to the companies that are attached to gold mining. The performance of these stocks is more or less governed by the gold rates while other factors that should be considered are production cost, effective management, hedging activities etc. Investing in physical gold is the oldest method of making the gold investment. Whenever you buy gold, it is basically a gold investment. But, since we are speaking strictly on investment grounds, then there are two ways by which you can invest in gold i.e. Jewellery and Bars and coins.
A company’s ability to sustain healthy dividend payouts is greatly enhanced if it has consistently low debt levels and strong cash flows, and the historical trend of the company’s performance shows steadily improving debt and cash flow figures. Since any company goes through growth and expansion cycles when it takes on more debt and has a lower cash on hand balance, it’s imperative to analyze their long-term figures rather than a shorter financial picture timeframe. In order to ascertain the investment merits of gold, let’s check its performance against that of the S&P 500 for the past 10 years. Gold has underperformed compared to the S&P 500 in the 10-year period ending Jan. 26, 2018, with the S&P GSCI index generating 3.27% compared to the The S&P 500, which has returned 10.36% over the same period.
von Gruyerz, Managing Director of Zurich Switzerland based Matterhorn Asset Management and founder of precious metals investment and storage company GoldSwitzerland.com, commented in an interview with CNBC Europe’s Squawk Box recently that the nominal high of $850 per ounce gold price, when adjusted for “real inflation” as per shadowstats.com, is equivalent to approximately $7,200 in today’s prices. Accordingly, “gold could easily go up 6 times from the current price of $1,220 and still be within normal parameters.” He went on to say that at current prices, “There will be nowhere near sufficient gold to satisfy demand.” As a result, his firm is expecting the gold price ascent to be “relentless during the remainder of 2010, with very few major corrections but with high volatility. Moves of $100 in one day could easily happen. So gold is likely to make a top in the next few years between $5,000 and $10,000.”
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. See even more information on investing in gold.
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.
Simply put, gold futures are contracts to buy and sell gold at a certain point in time. Each contract represents a certain amount of gold, and depending on the specifications can pay out in either a dollar amount or the physical gold. Gold futures can be very large, making this a strategy best suited to investors with the capital to purchase high-valued contracts. There are also options on gold futures to consider. This provides investors the option to purchase a futures contract for a preset price at a certain point in time. Options can help buyers leverage their initial investment, though they are required to pay the underlying value of the gold to fully own the option. Both gold futures and options are considered to be volatile — making them more difficult to break into and manage when compared to other forms of gold investments.