Gold Demand Rises, ‘Tightness’ in Large Gold Bars’ Market
The demand for gold has kept growing in world markets, and now even institutional investors might be driving the demand for the precious metal as a hedge against economic instability.
Bullionstar, a Singapore-based gold dealer, has alerted about an ‘unprecedented demand’ for gold in large quantities from large investors. The firm stated that this is unusual, given that previous metal movements have been led by retail.
In social media, Bullionstar stressed that unlike when JPMorgan crashed in 2010-2011, or when the silver squeeze frenzy ensued in 2021, this movement was spearheaded by “deep-pocketed institutional and high-net-worth investors making their move.”
For the firm, this is part of a large shift to physical gold from institutions and large players running from the paper market, which it says is largely unbacked with paper-to-real gold ratios as high as 600:1.
As a consequence of this new demand, Bullionstar noted that three of its suppliers, including a main Swiss refinery, a Swiss/Singaporean refinery, and an unidentified large wholesaler, are experiencing ‘tightness’ in the supply of one-kilogram bars.
The firm stated:
They are all surprised of the high demand despite spot prices being high. This is not normal, especially not in Asia where customers often prefer to buy on dips.
Gold has experienced a price upswing during the last weeks, fueled by the expectations of a long trade war between the U.S. and China, and enticing an exodus of physical gold from London to the U.S. due to a price premium difference.
Gold exports from Switzerland to the U.S. grew to record levels as the gold that leaves the U.K. needs to be refined due to a difference in the bar sizes between the two markets. Swiss refiners managed to export 193 metric tons just in January, exceeding the total exported during 2024.
