Gold conquering the $3,000/ounce mark is possible.China and India, the world’s two largest gold consumers, are also facing domestic challenges that could dampen demand for the precious metal. In China, a weaker yuan and a sluggish recovery from the pandemic have made gold less attractive. India, the number two gold market, is also facing similar challenges, with a recent currency devaluation eroding its purchasing power, making dollar-denominated gold more expensive domestically. That’s particularly worrying because India accounts for more than 25% of global jewelry demand.
Recently, the news that US President Joe Biden proposed to increase arms aid to Ukraine caused gold prices to surge due to safe-haven demand. However, immediately after that, gold prices were under pressure to decrease as the market waited for signals from the new economic policies of the administration of President-elect Donald Trump and the interest rate decision from the US Federal Reserve (Fed).
The world gold price has increased by about 28% since the beginning of the year, reaching a peak of 2,790 USD/ounce at the end of October. This precious metal is still considered an effective risk hedging tool, especially in the context of escalating geopolitical tensions. However, gold becomes less attractive in a high interest rate environment.
