Central Banks Bought More Than $3B In Gold In 2013: UBS

Gold has been on a definite downtrend since last October, with bullion falling a dramatic 5.1% in February alone.  As prices have dropped and investors lost faith, central banks have been on the opposite side of the trade, gobbling up bullion at a rate of 27-metric tons a month, according to UBS’ gold expert Edel Tully.  Russia and South Korea are among the biggest buyers, while several smaller, first-time acquirers have emerged, suggesting global central banks aren’t snubbing the yellow metal in the same way the general market seems to have done, which, in the face of it, is definitely bullish for gold.

Central banks became net buyers of gold in 2011 after 20 years of consistent selling, according to the World Gold Council.  And while the yellow metal has fallen consistently every month since October (with the exception of March, where gold is up 1.6%), the trend seems set to continue.

Central banks are stashing gold despite a drop in prices – Photo credit: Bank of England

Data compiled by UBS shows central banks bought about 54 metric tons of gold in the first two months of the year; that’s more than 1.9 million ounces, or more than $3 billion at Wednesday’s prices (bullion stood at $1,606.30 an ounce by 3:36 PM in New York).  South Korea, for example, announced it a purchase for 20 metric tons in February, while Russia is 19.2 metric tons deep in 2013.  Other buyers include Kazakhstan (6.6 metric tons), Indonesia (1.9 metric tons), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1 metric ton), and Azerbaijan, which bought 2 metric tons after having zero gold reserves in over a decade.

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