Saturday, 27 July 2013

Spot Price Of Gold And The Process Of Its Determination

By Kurtis Knee


Many people know about gold and that it is the most valuable metal there is in the world. For many years, many players in economic matters have used this metal as a store of value and measure of worth of products. Like other commodities, it is one of the major items in which people deal with in financial markets. The price at which it is sold in financial markets is called the spot price of gold. Learning more about the spot price of gold is not hard. Various factors come into play in determination of this price. These factors are important in determining whether the price falls or rises in these markets.

Most governments have striven for the establishment of liberal markets. These are markets where the prices of various commodities are determined by the forces of demand and supply. Being the largest economy in the world, the USA has a great impact on the prices of most items in the world today.

Investors outside the USA feel the impact of dollar depreciation since it affects how the spot price of gold is calculated. According to research carried out in the past, a cycle exists in that when the US dollar depreciates, the price for gold goes down.

Those investing in areas outside the USA have witnessed that the dollar depreciation determines the changes they see in these prices. There is usually a cycle existing between these factors. When the dollar depreciates, the value goes down and therefore more investors will want to purchase the commodity at this low price. This subsequently cause increase in demand for the dollar and its value appreciates. The appreciation pulls up the price of gold.

It is common for people to purchase large reserves of gold in and outside the USA. However, their actions will have variable effects depending on when they purchase the product, the amount of time they hold onto it before reselling and various external factors. These determine the nominal value placed in the commodity and therefore the amount of profits that will be realized from the deal.

People commonly purchase reserves of large amounts of gold. This is also common for investors outside of the USA. However, it will have varying effects depending on the time at which they purchase the commodity, the length of time over which they keep it in their reserves. The nominal amount to be paid for the products will be among the major determinants of the price.

Another major use of the product is in securing investments people make. When the residents of different countries make investments in various sectors of the economy, they want to secure them. Therefore, when the level of entrepreneurship and investment increases, the prices of this commodity will change in that economy.

The general political climate in the world also has a great effects on these prices. As people expect different changes in the politics and policies enacted by different authorities, they will change their investment patterns. This will in return affect the prices of commodities such as gold and others. Government politics affect the policies of central banks of different countries and therefore changes the amount of mineral they will keep in their reserves.

Their positions of power put them in a favorable position to influence the policies affecting different sectors of the economy. The central bank in any country usually has the responsibility of determining the amount of gold reserves that each country will keep. Politicians have influence on these policies and therefore, politics will influence the decisions made and the amount of commodity available for trading.

Environmental factors also have their effects on the prices and changes seen concerning this product. This is especially clear in countries that depend on agriculture as the major economic activity. Using various methods, professionals can be able to forecast the future conditions in the weather and if they will be favorable for investment. These forecasts will determine the changes in demand and supply of this commodity on the market and the amount that people will have to pay to acquire it.

Holding onto gold reserves earns investors interest at a variable rate. These rates are important in determination of the spot price of gold. The trend that most people are familiar with is that the amount they pay for the commodity is inverse to the interest rates they have to pay. An analysis of this trend reveals that this is caused by the fact that changes in interest rates are associated with inflation concerns and devaluation of the dollar. However, since interest rates may rise because of other factors, the relationship may go inverse to the expectations of market players.




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