The Federal Reserve is widely expected to nudge interest rates up again this week. Most analysts agree that the specter of a rate hike is one of the primary reasons gold has slumped over the last several weeks. But are rising interests rates really bad for gold?
The short answer is no. At least not historically
Conventional wisdom holds that tighter monetary policy tends to increase bond yields and boost earnings. That makes and bonds more appealing to investors, theoretically lowering the appeal of gold and silver. So, when the Fed starts talking rake hikes, the air generally comes out of the precious metals markets.
But consider this: the Fed started raising interest rates two years ago. With the rate a full 100 basis points higher than it was in December 2015, gold is trading at nearly $200 per ounce higher than it was then. That’s more than a 15% increase.
As a recent Bloomberg article pointed out, when it comes to rate hikes and gold, the reality tends to be sell the rumor, buy the fact.
This post was published at Schiffgold on DECEMBER 11, 2017.