Sunday, February 13, 2011

Gold is as Good as Cash and Wields More Power

"Gold is now functioning as collateral to compensate for potential losses in the portfolios of financial institutions.

One month ago, I proposed there may be an underlying economic basis for gold to reach $4,000 per ounce in the next decade. This scenario is looking more probable given these recent developments.

Currently, the price of gold has ranged between $1,300 to $1,400.

Natalie Dempster, director of government affairs at the World Gold Council (WGC), recently told The Wall Street Journal, "Gold is increasingly being used as collateral around the world. All these moves reflect a growing recognition of gold's role as a high-quality, liquid asset.

According to the World Gold Council (WGC), daily trading volume for gold is $100 billion. It is more liquid than most European government bond markets. This increased liquidity for gold has increased its demand as a form of collateral.

Moreover, the WGC has been in talks with the Basel Committee on Bank Supervision to include gold as tier-1 capital, along with government bonds and international currencies. These assets represent the safest capital reserves to function as collateral for more risky investments. The Basel Committee is charged with creating international regulations to ensure a more stable financial system around the world.

Exchanges around the globe, including New York, Chicago (Chicago Mercantile Exchange), and Europe have accepted gold as a form of collateral. Recently, JPMorgan was added to this list, and considering the possibility is LCH Clearnet, a consortium of the London Clearing House and the Paris-based Clearnet..."

at http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article26266.html

No comments:

Post a Comment