In reviewing the results of a recent survey, Global Head of Metals Analytics, Philip Klapwijk indicates, We are seeing central banks now operating very much on the buy side of the market. The selling we had seen from Europe has dried up and that’s left those buyers of choice really the only active players in the market."
The gold price saw its biggest decline in nearly three years last month as considerable stock market losses resulted in the liquidation of gold positions bringing gold down more than 20 percent from a record high of $1920.30 per troy ounce and provoking a period of intense volatility for gold.
William Rhind, Head of US Operations for ETF Securities described his perspective on relative gold price movements, “we are going to see a little bit more consolidation and stability around the gold price we saw a big move in the last few days over $100 as its moved up from its low in the $1500s.I think that right now we are looking for a little bit of stability.”
Although forecasting the price of gold has recently become an activity that has enjoyed as much consideration as the universal pastime of speculation for gasoline prices at the pump, recent global conferences have attracted some interesting participants in projecting future gold price targets.
In 2010 some analysts thought John Embry's forecast of the 2012 gold price, which placed the yellow metal between $1,500 and $2,000 an ounce, was too optimistic. Now it seems that Embry may have undershot the mark.
The price of gold could increase above a range of $2000 per troy ounce even by the end of the year. Some analysts and observers believe fluctuations in gold prices could drive the gold market in coming weeks as traders struggle to find general consensus and global policymakers consider increasingly desperate measures to stabilize wide spread economic concern.
Even as the price of gold has shown considerable upward volatility this year, gold royalties have escaped much of the consideration that has been offered for exposure through gold equities, gold bullion, or gold exchange traded funds.
This week mid-tier gold miner AuRico Gold Inc. announced a $1.46-billion deal to buy Northgate Minerals Corp. eliminating a prior merger offer from Primero Mining Corp.
The price of gold and forecasting any future target price has invariably been the subject of numerous confidential discussions among central bankers; however, if the level of interest in the price of gold is any indication of what is to happen in the future, perhaps it would be a worthwhile observation to follow the trend of the “smart money”.
Looking forward into the next few decades, the relative position of the US is expected to change as the economic power and geographical base shifts towards faster growing emerging economies, particularly in Asia.
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