Are Central Banks Still In Love With Gold?

The recent price action of gold may lead some to believe the precious metal has fallen out of favor with the market, but central banks across the globe continue to love the safe-haven metal.

While some central banks print money in historic amounts, others are buying gold. According to the World Gold Council’s latest report, central banks purchased 145 tonnes of gold in the fourth quarter of 2012, the highest quarterly haul since the sector became net buyers in 2009. For the entire year, central bank buying surged 17 percent to 534.6 tonnes, the highest annual total since 1964. In comparison, central banks bought 456.8 tonnes in 2011.

Nations like Russia and China continue to find gold attractive. According to the WGC, Russia added approximately 75 tonnes to its reserve holdings last year by purchasing domestically produced gold. This echoes recently released IMF data that shows Russia added 570.1 metric tons of gold to its stash over the past decade, more than any other nation in the world. According to data from the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong government, gold imports into mainland China from Hong Kong nearly doubled to an all-time high last year. China, the world’s second-largest economy and gold consumer, imported a record 834,502 kilograms (834.5 metric tons), including scrap and coins, in 2012.

Diversifying with gold…

If you would like to receive professional analysis on miners and other precious metal investments, we invite you to try our premium service free for 14 days.