Gold: Central bank buying underpins prices – ING

ING’s Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey highlight that central banks, led by China and Poland, continued net Gold purchases in July, supporting structural demand despite a slower pace than last year. They add that Gold prices rose over 2% after weaker US employment data and comments from Federal Reserve official Christopher Waller suggesting openness to holding rates steady if inflation behaves.

Official demand and Fed rhetoric support

"Central banks continued to add to gold reserves in July, reporting net purchases of 23 tonnes, according to World Gold Council data. Emerging market central banks remained the main buyers, led by China and Poland. China's central bank extended its buying streak to 21 consecutive months, adding 20 tonnes."

"Although central bank buying has slowed compared to a year ago, official sector demand continues to provide support for the gold market. Ongoing reserve diversification efforts among emerging economies should help sustain structural demand, even if purchases moderate from recent highs."

"Gold prices rose more than 2% on Thursday following a weaker-than-expected ADP employment report on Wednesday. Comments from US Federal Reserve official Christopher Waller, suggesting he is open to keeping rates on hold at the next FOMC meeting (assuming no surprises on the inflation front), provided an additional boost."

(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor. Know more.)