Gold! The word, the glitter and the prospect of unfathomable
wealth have been the causes of murder and mayhem, wars and unrelenting
fascination for as long as history has been recorded.
Gold is so important that it is synonymous for wealth. But having gold nuggets, coins, or futures contracts does not mean your portfolio value is rising - or safe. This article will explore the past, present and futures of gold and the relationship to currency for perspective on how it can be part of a growing portfolio.
Somewhere Over the Horizon Most of the gold supplied to the market each year goes into manufactured products; the remainder goes to private investors and to monetary reserves. Gold has a long history of use as currency or as a reserve backing for other forms of money; however, the gold standard is not currently used by any government, having been replaced completely by fiat currency. (To learn more see, The Gold Standard Revisited.)
Investing in the financial markets demands the ability to change perspectives over time. If gold bars or Krugerrands (a one-ounce South African gold coin) are purchased, then the physical possession of that gold remains the same regardless of the market price. Investment is a choice to risk capital with the hope of gain; however, ownership is for the sake of ownership regardless of whether there is a gain.
Diversification of a portfolio means varying the asset classes. Stocks are one asset class. Gold is another. Owning stock is an equity stake in a company. The value goes up or down, changes with the market and the paper certificates can be worth nothing. The value of gold goes up and down and changes with the market but is never worth nothing. Therein lays the major difference. You may not profit from owning gold, but at least you will own a desirable tangible asset, whatever the monetary value.
Portfolio planning also takes into consideration
intent. Is the intent to increase wealth or to have gold, which can at
any time be traded for food or shelter? Both goals can be accomplished
with knowledge of the markets. Gold held for an emergency is different
than buying a futures contract or stock
in a gold industry company. Holding gold against an emergency does not
necessarily increase wealth; it can be part of one's wealth, but it can
decrease in value too.
Let's compare buying gold Krugerrands to buying another physical asset: a home. Whether the price of the home goes up or down, you still have a home to live in and it is part of your estate. Whether the price of gold Krugerrands goes up or down, you still hold them and they are part of your estate. Now let's look at buying shares of a stock like GLD (NYSE:GLD) (Figure 2). If the price goes down from where you buy it, you have lost money and the paper may even become worthless.
Gold: Past, Present and FuturesThere
are two ways to invest in the gold market: buying commodity gold or
buying a futures contract. Buying the physical commodity gold is to have
ownership; so, although price will fluctuate, ownership is final.
Buying a futures contract or stock is speculation; you do not own any gold but can make a profit. (To learn more, read The Gold Showdown: ETFs Vs. Futures and Trading Gold And Silver Futures Contracts.)
A gold futures contract is a legally binding agreement for delivery of gold in the future at an agreed upon price. The contracts are standardized by a futures exchange as to quantity, quality, time and place of delivery. Only the price is variable. The contract refers to the commodity "gold". Gold stocks are not a commodity in this sense. Stocks from the gold industry sell shares but do not represent any form of gold ownership.
Gold bullion is any type of gold product that is sold for the gold content. The price of gold bullion, in whatever form, follows the daily spot price of gold. The gold bullion market is international. The demand is global. Gold is being traded somewhere in the world at virtually every hour of the day.
The Golden Rule
The phrase "flight to quality" usually refers to gold, which is often called the currency of last resort. The premise is that if there is an economic collapse and paper money becomes non-negotiable, gold will retain value. Currency is any form of money of any country, and money is anything that can be exchanged or bartered for something else - making gold the ultimate form of money during any economic recession. (For further reading on how money is exchanged, read From Barter to Banknotes.)
If the desire is to have commodity money as an alternative medium of exchange, buy gold bullion. Foreign currencies do not replace gold because no country is on the gold standard. A purchase may require more or less gold, depending on demand, but gold is usually acceptable currency everywhere. (For more, see What Is Money?)
Only gold is gold. Gold stocks are not redeemed for gold. Gold futures contracts are seldom redeemed for gold. Buying into a gold fund or index does not mean you have possession of the commodity gold. Buying foreign currencies is not a substitute for the commodity gold.
Ownership of gold is accomplished only by purchasing gold bullion. Gold bullion is any type of gold product that is sold for the gold content. It can be gold coins, gold bars or gold jewelry.
Truth and Consequences of Currency TradingMoney
and gold may seem the same, and they can all be equally acceptable
currency, but they are different. Money is anything acceptable as
payment. Currency is often country specific and is represented by paper
notes issued by the government; it is money but it is not gold. Gold (as
well as silver) is money and a medium of exchange. Gold can be
currency, but it is also more than that: it is a tangible asset and the
only investment not monetized by debt.
Figure 4, below, shows the inverse relationship between gold and the U.S. dollar.
The next chart (Figure 5) shows an inverse
relationship between the U.S. dollar and the Swiss franc. The Swiss
franc generally moves opposite to the U.S. dollar. The Swiss franc is
positively correlated with gold. Correlations are a good management tool
for making allocations in a portfolio.
The foreign exchange market
(forex or FX) refers to the market for currencies. The foreign exchange
market does not imply any representation of gold. It is plainly one
country's currency against another. Fiat money is redeemable for
nothing; gold always retains monetary status. (To learn more, see Common Questions about Currency Trading.)
The next chart (Figure 6) is a cross rate (or a currency pair that does not include the U.S. dollar) compared to gold. No country's paper notes are convertible into preset, fixed quantities of gold.
The euro/Japanese yen
pair is positively correlated to gold (Figure 5), the price is up or
down at the same time. The purchase of gold and this currency pair is
not diversified as the loss or gain is twice as much. (For more, see Tales From The Trenches: Perfectly Negative Profitability.)
In Figure 7, the SPY was already moving up years
before gold started moving up. From 2004 to 2008, the SPY is up 50%.
Gold did not start rising out of range until late 2007. The stock market
fell back to the 2004 lows and gold prices are also lower. Commodities
lagged the equities market for this time cycle. Clearly, portfolio
management is more effective when cycles of the economy are taken into
account.
Bottom lineIt is a common saying that "commodities will protect portfolios from market risk". However, there is market risk, systemic risk and price risk in every asset class, so the only protection for a portfolio is the wise management of assets. In other words, although gold has many benefits for investors, holding gold does not ensure appreciation of assets. The Midas touch is really just good money management.
Gold is so important that it is synonymous for wealth. But having gold nuggets, coins, or futures contracts does not mean your portfolio value is rising - or safe. This article will explore the past, present and futures of gold and the relationship to currency for perspective on how it can be part of a growing portfolio.
Somewhere Over the Horizon Most of the gold supplied to the market each year goes into manufactured products; the remainder goes to private investors and to monetary reserves. Gold has a long history of use as currency or as a reserve backing for other forms of money; however, the gold standard is not currently used by any government, having been replaced completely by fiat currency. (To learn more see, The Gold Standard Revisited.)
Investing in the financial markets demands the ability to change perspectives over time. If gold bars or Krugerrands (a one-ounce South African gold coin) are purchased, then the physical possession of that gold remains the same regardless of the market price. Investment is a choice to risk capital with the hope of gain; however, ownership is for the sake of ownership regardless of whether there is a gain.
Diversification of a portfolio means varying the asset classes. Stocks are one asset class. Gold is another. Owning stock is an equity stake in a company. The value goes up or down, changes with the market and the paper certificates can be worth nothing. The value of gold goes up and down and changes with the market but is never worth nothing. Therein lays the major difference. You may not profit from owning gold, but at least you will own a desirable tangible asset, whatever the monetary value.
 |
| Figure 1: Gold futures prices go up, down and sideways. The commodity is the same, the price is not. |
| Source: TradeStation |
Let's compare buying gold Krugerrands to buying another physical asset: a home. Whether the price of the home goes up or down, you still have a home to live in and it is part of your estate. Whether the price of gold Krugerrands goes up or down, you still hold them and they are part of your estate. Now let's look at buying shares of a stock like GLD (NYSE:GLD) (Figure 2). If the price goes down from where you buy it, you have lost money and the paper may even become worthless.
 |
| Figure 2: This is the gold trust GLD. It follows the movement of gold, but it is not a hard asset. |
| Source: TradeStation |
A gold futures contract is a legally binding agreement for delivery of gold in the future at an agreed upon price. The contracts are standardized by a futures exchange as to quantity, quality, time and place of delivery. Only the price is variable. The contract refers to the commodity "gold". Gold stocks are not a commodity in this sense. Stocks from the gold industry sell shares but do not represent any form of gold ownership.
The Golden Rule
The phrase "flight to quality" usually refers to gold, which is often called the currency of last resort. The premise is that if there is an economic collapse and paper money becomes non-negotiable, gold will retain value. Currency is any form of money of any country, and money is anything that can be exchanged or bartered for something else - making gold the ultimate form of money during any economic recession. (For further reading on how money is exchanged, read From Barter to Banknotes.)
If the desire is to have commodity money as an alternative medium of exchange, buy gold bullion. Foreign currencies do not replace gold because no country is on the gold standard. A purchase may require more or less gold, depending on demand, but gold is usually acceptable currency everywhere. (For more, see What Is Money?)
Only gold is gold. Gold stocks are not redeemed for gold. Gold futures contracts are seldom redeemed for gold. Buying into a gold fund or index does not mean you have possession of the commodity gold. Buying foreign currencies is not a substitute for the commodity gold.
Ownership of gold is accomplished only by purchasing gold bullion. Gold bullion is any type of gold product that is sold for the gold content. It can be gold coins, gold bars or gold jewelry.
 |
| Figure 3: Examples of gold bullion |
| Source: Northwest Territorial Mint |
Figure 4, below, shows the inverse relationship between gold and the U.S. dollar.
 |
| Figure 4: Gold and the U.S. dollar are inversely correlated. When the dollar rises, gold prices fall. |
| Source: TradeStation |
 |
| Figure 5: The U.S. dollar and the Swiss franc are inversely correlated. |
| Source: TradeStation |
The next chart (Figure 6) is a cross rate (or a currency pair that does not include the U.S. dollar) compared to gold. No country's paper notes are convertible into preset, fixed quantities of gold.
 |
| Figure 6: A cross-rate currency pair compared to gold, showing a positive correlation |
| Source: TradeStation |
 |
| Figure 7: A gold chart and the S&P 500 |
| Source: TradeStation |
Bottom lineIt is a common saying that "commodities will protect portfolios from market risk". However, there is market risk, systemic risk and price risk in every asset class, so the only protection for a portfolio is the wise management of assets. In other words, although gold has many benefits for investors, holding gold does not ensure appreciation of assets. The Midas touch is really just good money management.
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