For thousands of years, gold has been valued as a global currency, a commodity, an investment and simply an object of beauty. As financial markets developed rapidly during the 1980s and 1990s, gold receded into the background and many investors lost touch with this asset of last resort. Recent years have seen a striking increase in investor interest in gold. While a sustained price rally, underpinned by the fact that demand consistently outstrips supply, is clearly a positive factor in this resurgence, there are many reasons why people and institutions around the world are once again investing in gold. This website provides you with the background to these reasons and describes the defining characteristics of the gold market from an investor's point of view.

 

Market Fundamentals

Gold's extensive appeal and functionality, including its characteristics as an investment vehicle, are underpinned by the supply and demand dynamics of the gold market.

For more on the fundamental structure of the gold market »

Gold Demand Trends

Read Gold Demand Trends, our quarterly overview of gold market fundamentals.

World Gold Council Investment Research

The World Gold Council is an international not-for-profit organisation. Head-quartered in London, we have regional offices in India, China, Japan, the Middle East, Turkey and North America. Our investment research programme provides investors around the world with key information about gold.This includes the publication of a wide range of research papers - by acknowledged academics and our own in-house experts alike - looking at gold's investment characteristics, as well as a wealth of information on the structure of the market, demand and supply flows and regular updates on gold market statistics. 

 

New Initiative:

World Gold Council Invests in BullionVault

On 21st June 2010, the WGC and Augmentum Capital, a growth fund backed by RIT Capital Partners, announced a £12.5 million funding round in BullionVault, a market leading online gold investment platform.

The investment delivers against the World Gold Council’s (“WGC”) ambition to increase awareness of, and improve access to gold investment.

Research has identified significant unmet gold demand from retail investors in the Western markets that could be well served by convenient and transparent access to gold. The WGC will be working with BullionVault as it seeks to address this growing consumer demand for physical gold investment online.

The WGC has a proven track record of developing innovative solutions which provide access to gold and build investor confidence. Our development of gold investment through the creation of gold ETFs and savings products has been significant. More

For more information, please go to: http://www.bullionvault.com

DISCLAIMER

This is published solely for informational purposes and is not to be construed as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell gold, any gold-related products, commodities, securities or related financial instruments. No representation or warranty, either express or implied, is provided in relation to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the information contained herein.The WGC do not accept responsibility for any losses or damages arising directly, or indirectly, from the use of this document. This document does not purport to make any recommendations or provide any investment or other advice with respect to the purchase, sale, or other disposition of gold, any gold related products or any other products, securities or investments, including, without limitation, any advice to the effect that any gold related transaction is appropriate for any investment objective or financial situation of prospective investor. A decision to invest in gold, any gold related products or any other products, securities or investments would not be made in reliance on any of the statements in this document. Before making any investment decision, prospective investors should seek advice from their financial advisors, take into account their individual financial needs and circumstances and are fully consider the risks associated with such investment decisions.