The gold industry is very particular when it comes to measuring gold, which is not surprising considering how valuable it is relative to its size.
While many countries moved to metric system, the precious metals industry globally continued to use the historic troy ounce as its basic unit of measure. If you think it is an unfair advantage for countries that didn’t change, like the USA, you would be wrong as a troy ounce is not the same as an ounce – is it actually heavier. It is its own unique measurement unit.
Gold Industry Group Chairman and Perth Mint Chief Executive Officer Richard Hayes, a precious metals industry expert, will headline a key group of speakers at the 7th Annual Precious Metals Investment Symposium, being held in Sydney in October.
A thought leader on the global precious metals market, Mr Hayes will share his knowledge and unique insights into the industry at the two-day event. He will also discuss the ‘case for gold’ and investing long-term in precious metals to build wealth and reduce risk.
When buying gold how do you know which brands to trust? How can you ensure you don’t get short changed on weight or purity?
Last month, Jordan Eliseo discussed the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) accreditation process. While the LBMA’s “good delivery” only covers 400oz bars which would be out of the reach of most investors, accreditation ensures that the refining and bar manufacturing processes of an accredited company is of the highest standard. As a result, investors trust that any of the smaller bars produced by LBMA refineries will be of the stated weight and purity. A list of accredited refineries can be found on the LBMA’s website here.
The Perth Mint has unveiled stunning new designs of Australia’s official annual bullion coin program.
The 2017 suite of releases showcase Australia’s iconic fauna in their natural environment, and the tenth animal from the ancient Chinese zodiac as the lunar calendar enters the anticipated Year of the Rooster.
A unique initiative has been launched today to give Resolute Mining Limited shareholders the opportunity to receive dividend payments in gold.
Resolute has today announced a dividend of 1.7c per share following the adoption of an innovative gold sales-linked dividend policy. Their partnership with The Perth Mint will provide shareholders with the opportunity to receive dividend payments in gold.
Despite the fact it is produced around the world, and purchased by a diverse range of investors all over the globe, trading in the wholesale physical gold market is still centered in London.
The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) is an international trade association, representing the London market for gold and silver bullion. It was set up in 1987 by the Bank of England (BoE), which was the bullion market regulator at the time.
Last month the Gold Industry Group attended ABC Bullion’s sold out seminar; “The New Bull Market in Precious Metals”. It was evident gold is in focus as more than 600 investors, finance professionals and media filled the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney.
Key-note speakers were Evolution Mining Executive Chairman Jake Klein and Cor Capital Executive Director Tom Rachcoff.
Why is money like oxygen? There is a lot of it around, and we use it all the time. Like oxygen, not surprisingly, we end up taking it for granted.
Find out the role of gold as a monetary asset and why it has been well understood across the centuries.
Australia’s largest precious metals event and the peak body of the country’s gold sector have come together in partnership at a time when enthusiasm for precious metals is at its highest in several years.
With many gold companies’ share prices having doubled and the Australian dollar gold price nudging record highs, the organiser of the Precious Metals Investment Symposium, Kerry Stevenson, says: “Our collaboration with the Gold Industry Group is a fantastic way to show the strength of the industry and its importance to Australia’s economy.
Stock to flow is arguably the most important concept for investors to understand in order to appreciate why gold is not a ‘commodity’, but rather a monetary metal.
Stock to flow is calculated simply by dividing the total existing supply of a particular commodity by the annual production of that commodity.
Last month Gold Industry Group member ABC Bullion launched its Gold Saver; a direct debit savings plan linked to physical gold and silver assets.
The ABC Bullion Gold Saver works like a traditional savings account but instead of saving in Australian dollars, funds are invested in gold or silver.
In our last article on gold supply, we mentioned that one needs to be careful applying conventional commodity supply/demand analysis to gold.
Unlike many commodities, the share of industrial uses is very small, less than 10%. Most gold demand is either jewellery or investment of one sort or another.
When looking at any commodity, mine supply is an important factor into the overall supply/demand balance. The cost involved in getting a mine into operation can mean that they will continue to operate and produce their commodity at a consistent rate as long as the market price is above cash costs. The time involved in finding and building a mine can mean that increases in price do not result in new supply immediately coming into the market – often that occurs years later.
When you buy gold you become part of not insignificant community who hold over 6,000 million troy ounces. This is the amount of gold that research firms like Thomson Reuters GFMS estimate exists across the globe – around 187,000 tonnes worth $7.13 trillion dollars.
However, since people are unlikely to truthfully answer a telephone survey about how much gold they have (particularly if they store it at home), how do research firms come up with their estimate?
Most people are familiar with the primary uses of gold; as a currency, in the creation of coins and bars, and as jewellery.
However, gold is also used for medical purposes in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and certain cancers; and in modern dentistry and orthodontics. It can be consumed as an indulgence in beverages or as a culinary decoration; and used in electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and televisions, to name a few, as it is a highly efficient conductor that doesn’t corrode, making it extremely reliable.
Concerned consumers, organisations, and governments around the world continue to shine a light on conflict minerals. These tainted commodities are traded by private armed groups for monetary gain to finance civil conflicts and violence which contribute to the violation of human rights. Thus, the quest for ‘responsible’ and ethically sourced minerals is becoming more and more prevalent.
Conflict minerals, which can include gold ore, are smuggled out of countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and parts of Afghanistan, Columbia, and Zimbabwe, and shipped to smelters around the world for refinement.
The Perth Mint posted record revenue of $4.4 billion and pre-tax profit of $24.9 million for Q1/Q2 of the 2015/16 financial year.
Premier Colin Barnett said the result reflected the significance of the Mint to the State and its future development.
“Gold mining has been at the cornerstone of the State’s advancement for more than a century, and The Perth Mint has always played an integral role in that industry,” Barnett said.
Physical gold and silver have been seen as the ultimate store of wealth for millennia, and have been highly sought after by investors the world over.
Demand remains strong today across the globe, with thousands of tonnes purchased annually from a diverse group of investors that include Indian housewives, central banks, hedge funds and family offices.
ABC Bullion’s Chief Economist Jordan Eliseo provides his insights from the SMSF Association National Conference last week on the growth in physical bullion investment and why trustees are buying bullion.
The SMSF Association National Conference was attended by more than 1,000 financial advisers, accountants, auditors and service providers and is the largest annual gathering for professionals servicing the $600 billion Self-Managed Superannuation Fund market in Australia.
The ASX and The Perth Mint (Gold Corporation) have signed an agreement to develop new precious metals derivatives products that will be quoted and traded on ASX.
The collaboration will enable ASX to grow its suite of commodities products and services, backed by the world-class physical market infrastructure of The Perth Mint.
