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 »

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. 

 

Gold as a tactical inflation hedge
An audio-visual presentation examining the role that gold can play both as a tactical hedge against inflation and as a long-term or strategic asset.

The changing economic and financial landscape and gold
An audio-visual presentation discussing current economic conditions and the implications for gold.