Gold - Worth buying?

Gold - Worth buying?

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Discussion

dvs_dave

Original Poster:

8,979 posts

231 months

Friday 4th September 2009
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In these uncertain times, is gold worth buying? I know gold is at an all time high right now and appears to be at the top of a spike, but when it comes back down to sensible levels, is it pretty recession proof?

Looking at gold prices over the last 30 years, aside from a spike in the 70's and one now, it looks to be a pretty safe long term appreciating asset and more importantly from what I can see immune to exchange rate fluctuations. Gold is gold, no matter what currency you buy or sell it in.

Anyone here dabble in the gold markets?

Vlad.

1,086 posts

223 months

Friday 4th September 2009
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How do you go about buying gold in any quantity? I'd be interested to know too.

Edited by Vlad. on Friday 4th September 18:33

wiggy001

6,561 posts

277 months

Friday 4th September 2009
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Advert on TV, envelopes in the post... must be working given the number of times a day I see that friggin ad!

matsmith

1,166 posts

215 months

Friday 4th September 2009
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Gold is priced in USD so by buying gold one is buying an asset priced in dollars and is therefore exposed to to movements of the dollar as well as the asset

When you say "when it comes back down to sensible levels, is it pretty recession proof?" what do you see as sensible levels? are you waiting for it to get back to $600 before buying or $950?

i cant make up my mind on the direction i think gold is headed, but if it were to go down to $600 you would still be at break even if the USD hits parity with the GBP. on the other hand if gold went to $1350 and the dollar took a tumble, then there would be no profit. of course you could always hedge against currency movement and just take the full bore of the asset price movement


Vlad the easiest way to buy gold is with ETF's through any good stockbroker, or by spread betting

dvs_dave

Original Poster:

8,979 posts

231 months

Sunday 6th September 2009
quotequote all
matsmith said:
Gold is priced in USD so by buying gold one is buying an asset priced in dollars and is therefore exposed to to movements of the dollar as well as the asset

When you say "when it comes back down to sensible levels, is it pretty recession proof?" what do you see as sensible levels? are you waiting for it to get back to $600 before buying or $950?

i cant make up my mind on the direction i think gold is headed, but if it were to go down to $600 you would still be at break even if the USD hits parity with the GBP. on the other hand if gold went to $1350 and the dollar took a tumble, then there would be no profit. of course you could always hedge against currency movement and just take the full bore of the asset price movement


Vlad the easiest way to buy gold is with ETF's through any good stockbroker, or by spread betting
Over the next few years when the western economies get back on track, gold prices will surely fall, no? Don't people buy gold as a safe haven when economies/currencies start faltering?

Fittster

20,120 posts

219 months

Sunday 6th September 2009
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dvs_dave said:
Over the next few years when the western economies get back on track, gold prices will surely fall, no? Don't people buy gold as a safe haven when economies/currencies start faltering?
Traditionally it's seen as a hedge against inflation.

And if your a gold bug stories like this are good for the soul.

"Cheng Siwei, former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee and now head of China's green energy drive, said Beijing was dismayed by the Fed's recourse to "credit easing".

"We hope there will be a change in monetary policy as soon as they have positive growth again," he said at the Ambrosetti Workshop, a policy gathering on Lake Como.

"If they keep printing money to buy bonds it will lead to inflation, and after a year or two the dollar will fall hard. Most of our foreign reserves are in US bonds and this is very difficult to change, so we will diversify incremental reserves into euros, yen, and other currencies," he said"

And the important bit:

""Gold is definitely an alternative, but when we buy, the price goes up. We have to do it carefully so as not to stimulate the markets," he added.

The comments suggest that China has become the driving force in the gold market and can be counted on to
buy whenever there is a price dip, putting a floor under any correction."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/61469...

So the OP and China wanting to buy on the dips. Who do you thinks got the most cash??

Edited by Fittster on Sunday 6th September 23:29

Bluebarge

4,519 posts

184 months

Monday 7th September 2009
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Vlad. said:
How do you go about buying gold in any quantity? I'd be interested to know too.

Edited by Vlad. on Friday 4th September 18:33
Try this lot - http://www.goldline.co.uk/bullionCoinsPage.page
ETFs etc are just a contract, and therefore suffer from counterparty risk. If you buy UK coins (eg Britannias and sovereigns) they are regarded as legal tender, and therefore not subject to CGT. Krugerands etc would attract CGT on any gains. Try www.kitco.com for some more varied views on the bullion market.

toppstuff

13,698 posts

253 months

Monday 7th September 2009
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Gold is at a six month high at the moment.

More room to keep going up? Are you bullish or bearish on the wider economy?

Goughie

616 posts

195 months

Wednesday 9th September 2009
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Gold is the best metal to start investing in. No VAT for purchasng physical investment gold - unlike silver, platinum and palladium.

Would I buy it now? Not over $1000/tr.oz I wouldn't - I think there's more value in Palladium at the moment.

Mclovin

1,679 posts

204 months

Wednesday 18th November 2009
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i keep wanting to hold gold long term but then i think when enough people take it up in this country the lovely government will slap VAT on for selling it....

wong

1,314 posts

222 months

Friday 20th November 2009
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I am positive on gold.

For more info.
www.kitco.com (as above)
www.goldseek.com

For back ground in gold (and general investing) - www.zealllc.com

Personally, I think gold will go to 1400 US$ by mid 2010, consolidate for 2 - 4 months, then reach a blow off top in early 2011. A bold claim ? well I've put my money where my mouth is. It'll be interesting to go back to this thread in ~ 1 year to see how I did.

ringram

14,700 posts

254 months

Friday 20th November 2009
quotequote all
Gold is a store of value not an investment. Look at the returns over the centuries.
Basically you get your money back inflation adjusted and no more on average.

Of course if you time it right you can do ok. You can also blow out.

On that basis inflation protected bonds are probably just as good.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/174101-fed-sends-g...

"Grice’s chart shows that, over the long run, gold is likely to do no better than protect your purchasing power. An ounce of gold today buys a good men’s suit; in 100 years, it is likely to buy the same.

So gold won’t make you rich. But it may protect you from becoming poor."

slipstream 1985

12,732 posts

185 months

Friday 20th November 2009
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too late imo. buy pallets of baked beans and a shot gun!

munky

5,328 posts

254 months

Thursday 3rd December 2009
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matsmith said:
Gold is priced in USD so by buying gold one is buying an asset priced in dollars and is therefore exposed to to movements of the dollar as well as the asset

When you say "when it comes back down to sensible levels, is it pretty recession proof?" what do you see as sensible levels? are you waiting for it to get back to $600 before buying or $950?

i cant make up my mind on the direction i think gold is headed, but if it were to go down to $600 you would still be at break even if the USD hits parity with the GBP. on the other hand if gold went to $1350 and the dollar took a tumble, then there would be no profit. of course you could always hedge against currency movement and just take the full bore of the asset price movement


Vlad the easiest way to buy gold is with ETF's through any good stockbroker, or by spread betting
In total agreement with that. And add that generally as the dollar falls, gold rallies - as many if not most buyers are not based in USD. So as the USD falls relative to their currency, gold becomes cheaper (in non-USD terms) so they buy more.

So, many pundits are saying that a lot (not all) of the recent gold rally is due to nothing more than dollar weakness.

ShadownINja

77,366 posts

288 months

Thursday 3rd December 2009
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slipstream 1985 said:
too late imo. buy pallets of baked beans and a shot gun!
You won't need a shot gun after eating a few tins...