Gold
Comment: Gold stages a comeback
With the gold price hitting 18-year highs, it is about time there was serious re-thinking among central bankers with regards to holding gold as a part of their reserve portfolios.
Argentina mulls increasing gold reserves
Argentina's central bank may increase its gold reserves as a hedge against inflation and to protect it against financial crises, according to Juan Ignacio Basco, the bank's head of market operations.
Russia won't increase euro reserves
The Central Bank of Russia is not planning to increase the euro share in the country's gold and currency reserves and bi-currency basket, the first deputy bank chairman said Tuesday 13 September.
Accountancy’s golden puzzle
The introduction of international accounting standards are proving a headache for central banks with gold holdings. Chris Sermon has a way forward.
Belgium's central bank offloads 30 tonnes of gold
Belgium's central bank said on Wednesday 10 August it had sold 30 tonnes of gold in July and August, leading to an increase in the yield on its assets.
Russia ranked world's fifth in reserves
Russia ranks the world's fifth in terms of its international reserve assets (for gold and foreign exchange reserves), Prime Tass economic news agency reported on Friday 1 July.
SA fin min says IMF gold sales not an option
South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said on Monday 13 June that the sale of gold held by the International Monetary Fund was not an option in funding debt relief for poor developing countries any more.
Surprising transparency on Swiss gold sales
This article looks at the recent speech by Philipp Hildebrand on the Swiss National Bank's gold sales. The speech represented "amazing after-the-event transparency" it says.
Hildebrand on lessons from the SNB's gold sales
In a speech on 'SNB gold sales - Lessons and experiences' given on 5 May, Philipp Hildebrand of the Swiss National Bank said the Swiss National Bank completed its gold selling program of 1300 tonnes on March 30, 2005. Before these sales, Switzerland's…
UK's Brown says IMF gold sales plan 'on the table'
British finance minister Gordon Brown said on Monday 25 April that his proposal to sell the International Monetary Fund's gold to finance debt relief for poor countries was still on the British agenda in spite of opposition from the US.
ECB reveals gold sales; no more planned before Sep
The European Central Bank has completed a programme of gold sales amounting to 47 tons of gold, it said on Thursday 31 March.
Gold sale plan would not hit market says IMF
Part of the International Monetary Fund's gold reserves could be sold to pay for its share of debt relief to poor countries without destabilising the market, according to Rodrigo Rato.
IMF will announce gold sale plan in April - report
The International Monetary Fund plans to make proposals in April regarding selling or re-valuing some of its gold reserves, a German press report said on Tuesday 29 March.
Most G7 favour IMF gold sales idea - report
A majority of Group of Seven members favour selling some of the International Monetary Fund's gold reserves to finance debt relief, a German newspaper on Friday 25 February reported G7 sources as saying.
IMF analysing options on gold
The International Monetary Fund is currently preparing a report on the possibility of selling or revaluing a portion of its gold reserves and the IMF staff analysis of the options will be eagerly awaited.
Riksbank reallocates its gold & currency reserves
The Sveriges Riksbank announced on Tuesday it has up to the present date sold a total of fifteen (15) tonnes of gold under the renewed Central Bank Gold Agreement (CBGA), established between fifteen European central banks.
China seeing gold-buying surge as dollar hedge
China is seeing a gold-buying surge as a hedge against the weakening dollar and negative real interest rates, the South China Morning Post reported, citing figures from the China Gold Society and analysts.
China's Xiaochuan on gold market & risk hedging
In a speech on 'Gold market functions to hedge against risks' given on 6 September , Zhou Xiaochuan of the People's Bank of China said we see as central bankers, that a developed gold market can help to complement the monetary policy instruments and…
Bank of France to sell some gold reserves
The French Finance Ministry said in a statement on Friday 19 November that discussions on the sale of a portion of France's gold reserves have been finalised with the Bank of France.
S. Africa's Plenderleith on the gold market
In a speech on 'Developments in the gold market' given on 26 October, Ian Plenderleith of the South African Reserve Bank said with gold occupying such a powerful place in our emotions, I am confident that, provided we take advantage of the opportunities,…
World central bank gold holdings down 3.2%
Analyst John C Tumazos of Prudential Financial said on Tuesday 2 November that world central bank gold holdings have declined by 3.2% since November 2002.
Renewed central bank gold sales not disruptive
A report by London metals researcher GFMS suggests that renewed selling of gold by central banks is unlikely to be a major disruptive factor in the market, Business Day reported on Tuesday 19 October.
Switzerland's last tranche of gold sales
In spring 2000, the Swiss National Bank began selling that part of the gold reserves no longer required for monetary policy purposes. The sales - which will total 1,300 tonnes - have to date been effected according to the agreement on gold sales…
No gold sale plan, says Bank of Italy
In a statement released on Monday 13 September, the Bank of Italy said it had no plans to sell its gold reserves.