Gold: The Fashion Statement

The World Gold Council has listed its list reasons for why its wise to invest in gold. Perhaps stating the obvious, that, "Gold has proved itself to be an effective way to manage wealth. For at least 200 years the price of gold has kept pace with inflation. In 1999, Alan Greenspan, then Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of the United States of America, said: 'Gold still represents the ultimate form of payment in the world."

Enough said? Well maybe not. Given all of gold's recent attention in the media, it seems as though the commodity has become somewhat of a fashion trend. Despite the fact that it remains to be one of the world's oldest signs of status, it seems as though it's getting a bit of a makeover today, as younger generations are requiring more incentive.

Can we say that gold has become bullish on the fashion front this year? Some might argue yes. James Jefferson, a designer for the Jefferson Sukhoo label has commented that, "Gold evokes a feeling of wealth. It's symbolic of fashion's return to luxury."

Pam Danziger, Presdient of US Marketing firm Unity, has publicly stated that, "After years of catering to the Boomers' luxury appetites, luxury goods marketers need to tap the tremendous spending potential of Generation X-ers."

Oil on the Rise

Iran again in the news, reported that they will not halt their nuclear program. The country's decisions are having a marked influence on oil and commodity prices.

The reports are in- according to COMEX, "gold for June delivery rose $10 to $610.10 an ounce, near a fresh 25-year high. The rise in oil and gold prices was negative for overall investor sentiment. But it was good for the underlying stocks in those sectors."

According to the Economist online, "MAHMOUD Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, has advice for those who oppose Iran's nuclear programme: Be angry. The war of words between the Islamic Republic and a group of western countries worried that Iran is trying to make nuclear weapons has intensified sharply. The week began with a disputed report of American plans to use nuclear bunker-busters against Iran, and continued with Iran's announcement that it had enriched uranium..."

Such stark projections for Iran's nucelar policy future, could have wider implications for the market on the whole. In any case, the future for gold in terms of what might take place this summer, has been projected as we continue to face uncertainty within this region.

Gold Stoops Down Once More

Gold, as we all know, is not a free standing agent. Today as the price dipped down when oil took another tumble, due to increasing speculation on shortages in Iran and Nigeria, the precious metal did not take long to follow suit.

The instability that a country such as Nigeria has faced in the meantime, would take a long time to level as the government faces International speculation as to where N30bn Oil Proceeds have gotten to?

Additionally, an audit report out of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has uncovered sums from "N7.04 billion ($55million) to a whopping N30.720 billion ($240 million) as discrepancies in payment schedules of oil companies operating in the country to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)." With these kinds of blemishes existing on the country's report card, the country ranks 152nd from 1st place on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, sharing a spot with Cote D'Invoire and Equatorial Guinea. Much in this regard, investors could be wise to show concern.

Gold Hedges on Concern Over Increase In Oil Prices

April 7th - For the first time since 1981, gold is seen to be taking a leap today up to $600 against concerns over oil prices. Sources at Bloomberg report that, "Gold for June delivery rose as much as $9.40, or 1.6 percent, to $601.90 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, surpassing $600 for the first time since Jan. 6, 1981. It was at $597.80 at 9:13 a.m. local time."

Christoph Eibl, head of commodities trading at Zug, Switzerland-based Tiberius Asset Management AG has said, "We're entering bubble territory... Prices have moved away from reality, and are no longer linked to fundamentals.''

RBC Capital Markets Offer 2006-2009 Outlook Perspectives

From the mouths of one of the world's biggest gold companies, Bobby Godsell, chief executive of AngloGold Ashanti, was recently reported to have, "predicted that worldwide gold production would stagnate, then fall in the coming years as large deposits of the precious metal become scarce," in an aritcle in the Financial Times.

After hitting a 25 year high last week, speculation around gold is a hot topic. Mr. Godsell also was reported to have said that, "“All of the gold majors are finding it difficult to replace their reserves. New mine production will be flat-to-declining.”

Even more telling, "RBC Capital Markets in London estimated that total gold production would rise slightly in 2006 and 2007, be flat in 2008 and start to fall in 2009. 'There hasn’t been a big gold discovery for years,' said an analyst."