Stock market volatility has given investors gold fever. If you chase the rally, don’t overdo it.
Gold, which did little except glitter for most of the past five years, has seen price gains this year that rival Standard & Poor’s 500stock index. Gold began the year at $ 1,279 an ounce, and it is currently trading at $1,498, a 17.1% gain. The S&P 500 is up just a shade more. (Returns and other data are through August 9.)
Gold is trading at its highest price since April 2013. The price could continue to rise if stock market volatility and global growth concerns persist, says Wells Fargo strategist John LaForge. Or it might need to rest before rising again. Nonetheless, says Joe Foster, portfolio manager at the VanEck funds, “If a recession is on the horizon, then gold could hit new highs.”
If you’re thinking of chasing the rally in gold, be sure you’re buying for the right reasons. Speculators in gold are often disappointed, but the metal does have some uses, in small amounts, as a portfolio diversifier, an inflation hedge and insurance against financial catastrophe.
Gold has been used as money since King Croesus of Lydia minted the first gold coins in the sixth century B.C. But no country makes gold coins for circulation anymore. Although jewelry is now the primary use for the metal, investor demand is what drives the price of gold, and fear is what drives investor demand—fear of inflation, war, a government coup or some apocalyptic event.
You don’t need a catastrophe for gold to rise in price. Gold rose from $712 per ounce in October 2008 to more than $1,800 an ounce in August 2011 as the U.S. reeled and recovered from the largest recession—and bear market in stocks— since the Great Depression.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2019 من Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2019 من Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
FREE HELP FOR COLLEGEBOUND STUDENTS
This program’s mentors assist applicants as they fill out the FAFSA, write essays and more.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SPOUSAL IRAS
You typically need earned income to contribute to an individual retirement account, but a spousal IRA provides an important exception to this rule.
SELLING SHARES? HERE'S HOW TO MINIMIZE TAXES ON YOUR GAINS
ET'S say you've been regularly buying shares in a booming tech company over the past few years, but now you want to start taking some of those profits, perhaps to rebalance your portfolio.
Strategies for Novice Investors
AS part of a lifes kills program for young, single mothers, I was asked to teach a class on how to get on top of your finances.
ANSWERS TO YOUR 529 PLAN QUESTIONS
Thanks to recent policy changes, families have more options for what to do with money sitting in these tax-advantaged accounts.
Rate-Cut Winners and Losers
NOW that the Federal Reserve has cracked the interest rate ice, the next development will be to separate winners from losers.
SHOULD YOU BUY THESE RED-HOT FUNDS?
Covered-call ETFs are popular but come with plenty of caveats.
DIVIDEND STOCKS ARE READY TO REBOUND
Our favorite dividend payers are poised to benefit as falling interest rates lure investors back.
IS A 55+ COMMUNITY RIGHT FOR YOU?
These age-restricted developments appeal to older adults seeking abundant amenities and an active lifestyle.
AT LONG LAST, RATES ARE DROPPING
Consider these portfolio moves now that the Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rate.