Gold rallied to its second record high in a week on Thursday, driven by growing investor unease over the outlook for the US economy after data showed an unwelcome pickup in inflation, and over the lack of resolution to the European debt crisis.
Asset such as stocks, corporate bonds, industrial commodities and higher-yielding currencies slid after investors lost more appetite for risk, to the benefit of gold, government bonds and the dollar itself, which many resort to in times of extreme market nervousness.
Although gold remains off its inflation-adjusted peak above USD 2,000 struck in 1980, it is one of the top performing assets this year, up by over 25% versus a 15% loss in US blue-chip stocks or a 7.7% decline in the price of copper.
So far in August, the price has risen by more than 11%, putting it on track for its biggest monthly gain since November 2009.
Growth in the United States, which last week lost its top-notch credit rating, has been patchy, while European leaders struggle to contain the spread of the debt crisis that has forced Greece, Portugal and Ireland to seek emergency funding and now threatens to swamp Italy and Spain.
Spot gold was up 1.6% on the day at USD 1,816.09 ounce by 1300 GMT, having hit a record USD 1,817.90 and was on course for a 9 percent gain over the last two weeks, its best two-weekly performance since mid-February 2009.
"Gold is still enjoying firm support from mounting concerns over the global economy. Investors are becoming more and more worried that slowing economic growth will push developing economies into recession, which has seen market participants move distinctly to a risk-off stance," said Standard Bank analyst Leon Westgate, in a note.
"In this environment of risk aversion, gold should continue to garner investor interest, as evidenced by the continued buying by ETFs."
Gold in demand
Demand for gold has been fairly evident through increases in holdings of the metal in exchange-traded funds and rising open interest in US gold futures, building on a decline in the second quarter of the year.
The World Gold Council said in a report on Thursday overall gold demand fell 17% in the second quarter to 919.8 tonnes, as growing interest in jewellery, coins and bars failed to offset a sharp decline in ETF buying.
Investment in ETFs fell by more than 80% on the same quarter last year, although inflows this year are up by a net 6%, with most of that investment materialising in the last month, according to ETF data monitored by Reuters.
In Europe, plans from France and Germany to move toward fiscal union in 2012 got a chilly response from other euro-zone countries and failed to reassure investors worried about the region's debt crisis and weakened economies.
The US Federal Reserve Bank is taking a closer look at the US units of Europe's biggest banks, concerned that a euro zone debt crisis could spill into the US banking system, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The USD 2.5 trillion US money market funds industry -- which supplies short-term dollar funding to banks -- has retreated from the euro zone in recent months, concerned that the continent's debt crisis is spiralling out of control.
In other fundamental news, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the country will nationalize its gold industry and is moving its international reserves out of Western countries.
In other precious metals, silver rose 1.1% to trade at USD 40.62 an ounce.
Platinum was flat at USD 1,837.00, while palladium was down 1.0% at USD 762.47 an ounce.
