Marcus Grubb, Managing Director, World Gold Council  

Throughout history the demand for gold has always been strong. Its reputation for being a safe store of wealth and its long documented role as a global currency has lead it to be considered one of the most valuable assets of today. 

Unlike paper money, you cannot print, devalue, or float gold - an ounce is an ounce wherever you go in the world. Furthermore, gold uniquely sits in its own asset class - it won’t catch a cold if the broader market sneezes. For the past two decades, gold has continued to return at a stable rate, lending precious metals its reputation for being a reliable and trustworthy investment - perhaps this is why central banks around the world have been amassing gold for some time now. 

Gold’s purchasing power, over centuries has had experienced minimal change. One ounce of gold today would still relatively purchase what it did one hundred years ago. Fiat currency (printed money not backed by gold) on the other hand, is highly volatile and vulnerable to government intervention policies such as through quantitative easing (printing more money) often experiences dramatic fluctuations and or devaluations. 

For over a decade gold has experienced annual returns averaging 17% making it one of the top performing asset classes. Gold is widely recognised for its ability to hedge against inflation and safeguard wealth during times of economic uncertainty. Unlike other asset classes, gold is known for keeping and increasing its value. Gold’s rarity and the fact that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to mine has also led many top investors to predict a price explosion on gold in the near future.