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Gold Advances on Wealth-Protection Demand After Bernanke Offers No Boost

Gold Advances on Wealth-Protection Demand After Bernanke Offers No Boost

Gold climbed on news from Ben Bernanke that the Fed is going to hold off on offering more stimulus to help economic growth, boosting the metals appeal as a protection of wealth. While Bernanke claimed the central banks still has tools to use to help, they are going to hold off for now.

By Glenys Sim
Aug 29, 2011 6:11 AM MT
Bloomberg

Gold futures climbed in New York after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke held off from offering more stimulus to help economic growth, boosting the appeal of investments that can act as a protection of wealth.

December-delivery bullion on the Comex in New York rose as much as 2.5 percent to $1,841.50 an ounce before trading up $19.20, or 1.1 percent, at $1,816.50 by 8:51 a.m. Immediate- delivery gold fell 0.8 percent to $1,813.25 an ounce. The metal has fallen as much as 11 percent from its all-time high of $1,917.90 on Aug. 23 as equities rebounded.

Bernanke said in a speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Aug. 26 that the central bank still has tools to stimulate the economy, without providing details or signaling when or whether policy makers might deploy them. A report showed U.S. gross domestic product grew 1 percent in the second quarter, less than the 1.1 percent economists were expecting.

“Bernanke gave markets no hints that another liquidity injection was imminent,” Ritesh Gandhi, an analyst at Mumbai- based investment bank Anand Rathi Group, said in a report today. Buyers were “returning to the gold market in search of a refuge,” Gandhi said.

A second day has been added to the Federal Open Market Committee meeting next month for “a fuller discussion” of the economy and the Fed’s possible response, Bernanke said Aug. 26.

Exchange-traded product holdings fell for a sixth day on Aug. 26 to 2,152.049 metric tons after reaching a record 2,216.756 tons on Aug. 8, Bloomberg data show. Hedge funds and other money managers trimmed their net-long gold positions by 6 percent to 187,681 contracts in the week to Aug. 23, data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed.

‘Insurance’ Policy

“We believe gold is an insurance policy against a rising probability of worsening global systemic risks and the recent price decline provides a buying opportunity,” Morgan Stanley analysts including Hussein Allidina wrote in a note today.

Hiring probably slowed in August and U.S. manufacturing contracted for the first time in two years, economists said before reports this week. U.S. gross domestic product climbed at a 1 percent annual rate from April through June, down from a 1.3 percent prior estimate, revised Commerce Department figures showed Aug. 26. Another report the same day showed consumer sentiment this month fell to the lowest level since 2008.

Silver for December delivery rose 0.5 percent to $41.20 an ounce and palladium gained 0.3 percent to $760.60 an ounce. Platinum for October delivery advanced 0.7 percent to $1,839.80 an ounce.

To contact the reporter on this story: Glenys Sim in Singapore at gsim4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Richard Dobson at rdobson4@bloomberg.net

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