Is Gold a Better Investment Than the Stock Market?
Gold can be an essential addition to your investment portfolio, helping diversify it while at the same time offering potential returns. However, investing in any financial instrument carries risks.
Even so, many Americans believe gold to be the optimal long-term investment; according to a Gallup poll they ranked it ahead of real estate and stocks as being their primary focus.
1. It is a store of value
Gold can serve as an effective store of value by maintaining its purchasing power over long periods. Furthermore, its rising value may provide protection from inflation.
Direct gold investments often include physical bullion, coins or jewelry; this approach can be expensive because you must secure their storage while protecting against theft risks. As an alternative, gold ETFs or funds offer lower minimum investments with tax savings potential.
Mining companies that produce gold offer another form of investment with rising gold prices; you’ll benefit from both rising stock prices as well as from any higher production levels that result in greater profits. While this strategy requires additional research, it has the potential for higher returns with reduced volatility.
2. It is a store of wealth
Many investors find gold an appealing investment because it serves as a store of wealth. As it doesn’t produce income and rarely fluctuates much, investing in gold can provide a safe haven during economic uncertainty or crises; many also use it as an inflation hedge.
However, investing in gold has its drawbacks. One such drawback is its inaccessibility when funds need to be accessed quickly; furthermore, unlike stocks, gold doesn’t earn dividends and so you must depend on its rising price in order to make a profit.
Studies on gold as a store of wealth have been undertaken at length. McDonald and Solnick (1977) and Lucey et al. (2006) provide US-focused analyses while Coudert and Raymond-Feingold (2011) and Smith (2002) consider its role in global markets.
3. It is a hedge
Gold has long been seen as an investment that can act as a hedge against inflation, rising in value as prices for other investments decline and offering higher returns than its competition.
However, recent research has demonstrated that this correlation is less stable. Furthermore, various studies have concluded that gold does not necessarily protect against inflation.
Gold remains an excellent investment when the economy is weak. According to data compiled by GoldSilver, gold prices increased during six of eight major stock market crashes and recessions over four decades – including 2008 financial crisis when S&P 500 dropped 56.8% while gold rose 25.5% – making gold an essential part of every investor’s portfolio. To maximize returns over time and avoid inflation or market fluctuations.
4. It is a speculative investment
Gold does not generate dividends like stocks do; however, it has historically performed well during recessions and serves as a good hedge against inflation. But investors should keep in mind that gold cannot provide any direct income stream and should only comprise part of their portfolios.
There have been relatively few academic studies on the gold market when compared to all of the research on equity and bond markets; nonetheless, some have investigated its potential as a safe haven asset and its effect on portfolio performance.
Baur and Lucey found in a recent study conducted by themselves and Bredin et al. that during times of stock market crisis, gold does not act as an effective safe haven asset for stocks; its reaction to shocks in the stock market tends to be temporary and doesn’t increase investors’ wealth. Furthermore, Bredin et al. determined that on average gold was not considered a strong safe haven asset for bonds.
Categorised in: Blog