News Bites
Gold Prices Will Continue To Rise This Year, Says IFC Exec
Editor's Note: Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news stories and expert opinions that moved the precious metals and financial markets. Sign up here!
(Kitco News) - Despite its current lackluster performance, gold prices will continue to rise this year, according to one financial executive.
Neil Pereira, principal investment officer of the International Financial Corporation (IFC), shared his thoughts on the precious metals landscape with Kitco News on the sidelines of the Mines and Money conference in New York.
“In the last year, we saw gold prices fall,” he noted. “But in the last quarter of this year, we’ve seen a big increase and I think that’s partly driven by expectations of reduced long-term interest rates.”
Pereira’s comments come a few days after the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, James Bullard, announced that a rate cut was looking more attractive as it could possibly resolve issues of inflation and gain credibility for US markets.
The CME FedWatch Tool shows that markets are currently pricing in a more than 50% chance of a rate cut by the end of the year.
However, interest rates are just one factor affecting gold prices, according to Pereira. “We’ve seen investors going back into the ETFs, we’ve seen central banks in China, Russia, Turkey, and India all increasing their purchases,” he explained.
“Over the course of the next year, we’d expect to see gold continue to rise,” Pereira added. Within the logistics of supply and demand, he noted that although the market has been in balance for some time, the future includes long-term supply increases.
Despite Pereira’s optimism, gold prices are struggling to find momentum with the price, unable to push back to the psychologically important level at $1,300 an ounce. June gold futures last traded at $1,284.40 an ounce, up 0.23% on the day.
The IFC’s primary objective is to work collaboratively with the private sector to assist developing countries to expand their mining industries. Most recently, it helped to complete the Sangaradei project in Guinea, which Pereira said had an immediate impact on the local community, creating jobs and stimulating the environment.
“The employment is about 750 people, but if you look at a factor of 20 which is typical in developing countries, that’s probably going to affect 14,000 people in terms of jobs and opportunities and wealth creation,” he said.
Past experiences with foreign investment in developing countries’ mining industries have proven challenging. Pereira stated that the key to navigating the existing obstacles involves a two-fold solution.
When dealing with governments, he said, it is essential to ensure compliance with the mining code. When dealing with local communities, he spoke of the significance of securing the social license to operate.
