Thursday, March 11, 2021

Gold 'failing' as equity hedge, faces risks: Global money manager BlackRock

 Bullion is proving to be a less effective hedge against moves in other assets, such as stocks, as well as inflation, according to Russ Koesterich, portfolio manager for BlackRock


Global money manager BlackRock just delivered a double-barreled warning on the merits of holding traditional haven gold right now.

Bullion is proving to be a less effective hedge against moves in other assets, such as stocks, as well as inflation, according to Russ Koesterich, portfolio manager for BlackRock’s Global Allocation Fund. Moreover, gold faces headwinds should the recovery pick up pace, he warned in a blog post.

Gold is “failing as an equity hedge,” Koesterich said, noting its positive relationship with risky assets was even stronger when compared with tech stocks. He added: “Gold’s ability to hedge against inflation has been somewhat exaggerated. While it is a reasonable store of value over the very long-term — think centuries — it is less reliable across most investment horizons.”

Bullion has lost ground in 2021 as the recovery from the pandemic gains more traction and Treasury yields surge, although the haven has made a partial comeback this week. The typical case for holding the metal in a multi-asset portfolio is that it can help to balance out shifts in other holdings, especially equities. But BlackRock says that right now gold isn’t working well as a hedge against either stock moves or inflation risks, although it was against the dollar.

Spot gold is down more than 8 per cent this year, accompanied by a steady drawdown in holdings in gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs), while banks have chopped price targets after the asset hit a record in 2020.

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