With the next global crisis rapidly approaching, how will gold perform during the next round of worldwide carnage?
“What’s the difference between a liquidity and a solvency event?
Usually about an hour and a half.” — Russell Napier
How Will Gold Perform During Next Financial Crisis?
By Ronald-Peter Stoeferle, Incrementum AG Liechtenstein
June 27 (King World News) – The analysis of gold in a portfolio context is a well-worn tradition in our annual gold studies. We presented an extensive discussion of the extraordinary portfolio characteristics of gold, the relationship between gold and interest rates, as well as the opportunity cost of holding gold in the 2015 In Gold We Trust report, while in 2016 we examined to what extent gold is suitable as a hedging instrument, i.e., as portfolio insurance. In this context we considered gold as a fundamental component of a permanent portfolio and thereafter discussed its anti-fragility properties…
IMPORTANT:
KWN receives so many emails from its global readers and listeners about which high-quality mining companies they should invest in, and as a result we have added another remarkable company to the list. This is one of the greatest gold opportunities in U.S. history and you can take a look at this remarkable company and listen to the just-released fantastic interview with the man who runs it by CLICKING HERE OR BELOW
… First, we will examine the relationship between gold and the US dollar. This relationship is particularly important in crisis situations. In the subsequent section we will delve more deeply into the relationship between gold and real interest rates, and in the last section we will take a closer look at the relationship between gold and stocks. In this context, we are focusing particularly on the performance of gold during severe bear markets in stocks.
Gold and the US Dollar
Despite the structural problems of the US economy, the US dollar remains the undisputed senior international fiat currency and with that a mirror image of global events. The following chart shows the thirty-month rate of change of the USD Index.
As one might suspect, the USD Index is very useful as a coincident indicator of economic and political events and crisis situations, as it regularly mirrors local crises. Crisis situations abroad that don’t impact the US economy directly – such as the Latin American debt crisis, or the Asian & Russian crisis – traditionally lead to flight into the dollar. A rising USD Index reflect these developments. Particularly in such stress situations many investors still have confidence in the US dollar and regard it as a safe haven from external threats – a quality frequently attributed to gold as well. In line with this, one might be inclined to expect a positive correlation between gold and the US dollar.
As the chart above illustrates, this is not the case though. In reality there is a significant negative correlation between the USD Index and gold. How does that mesh?
A possible explanation for the negative correlation between gold and the dollar may be found in the attribute as a safe asset in crisis situations. Although the dollar and gold may superficially be considered substitutable, a closer examination reveals a different picture. In local crises, the US dollar is seen as a desirable asset by many market participants because the survival of the fiat money system as such is not questioned.
It Is Different In A Systemic Crises
It is different in the case of systemic crises. In these situations, confidence in fiat currencies and the banking system is shaken and many market participants pay heed to gold’s historical function as money. Particularly in systemic crises, gold is perceived to maintain its value, while paper money is in danger of becoming completely worthless.
In general, the traditional inverse correlation between gold and the US dollar is very helpful in a portfolio context to reduce volatility. That applies specifically to the current market environment, since the US dollar has already appreciated significantly against other fiat currencies in recent years. Over the medium to long term not only the instability of the monetary system, but the US dollar’s high valuation should provide significant upward potential for gold.
***To listen to the remarkable audio interview with Madoff whistleblower Harry Markopolos that has just been released CLICK HERE OR ON THE IMAGE BELOW.
***ALSO JUST RELEASED: Legendary Short Seller Warns “Gold Could Very Easily Get Crazy” CLICK HERE.
© 2017 by King World News®. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. However, linking directly to the articles is permitted and encouraged.
