Gold Becomes the Second Largest Central Bank Reserve AssetGold's importance as a reserve asset for central banks is on the rise
According to Bank of America, gold has now overtaken the euro to become the second largest reserve asset, To be more precise, B of A should have specified that it is the eastern hemisphere Central Banks that are diversifying out of the U.S. dollar and the euro and buying gold and yuan. Currently, gold accounts for 16% of global bank reserves, while the dollar has dropped to about 58%, down from over 70% in 2002.
Poland emerged as the largest buyer of gold in the second quarter of this year (though the specific amount purchased by China's PBoC remains undisclosed). Additionally, Poland is requiring that the gold it acquires be delivered directly to its Central Bank, rather than being stored by London banks. Turkey is another significant gold purchaser, and several African nations have also announced plans to increase Central Bank gold reserves.
While it may not happen immediately, there’s potential for gold to surpass the dollar as the top reserve asset, especially if the BRIC nations and other Eastern hemisphere countries go forward with their rumored plans for a gold-backed trade currency. A BRICS Summit will be held in Kazan, Russia, from October 22nd to 24th, where discussions on a new trading currency may take place, though this has not been officially confirmed.
On September 5th, Russia announced plans to ramp up its daily gold purchases from $13.5 million to $93 million (1.2 billion rubles to 8.2 billion rubles) for the next month, using surplus revenue from oil and gas. This information was reported by the Russian news agency, Interfax. This move seems to align with the potential development of a BRICS gold-backed trade settlement currency, or even a broader gold-backed currency system.
I raise this point because the U.S. Federal Reserve is in a difficult position. It’s facing immense pressure from the market and Wall Street to reduce interest rates, but doing so could trigger a sharp decline in the value of the dollar.
The chart referenced above shows a 5-year daily performance of the US dollar index, with the dollar currently testing the 100 level—a key technical support since early 2023. If the Federal Reserve begins cutting interest rates, it's highly likely the dollar will fall to 90, a level last seen in mid-2021. This decline would likely push gold prices toward $3,000 and silver toward $50.
A weakening dollar presents several challenges. First, it could accelerate the reduction in the dollar's role as a reserve asset for global central banks. Even more concerning for the US, a depreciating dollar coupled with lower interest rates would make it harder to attract foreign investment to finance additional Treasury debt, a challenge that is already becoming evident.
Additionally, the Fed is aware that inflation is running higher than what is reported by the CPI. Reducing rates will further drive real interest rates deeper into negative territory. While the official CPI suggests real rates are positive, using more comprehensive measures like the Shadow Stats Alternative CPI, real rates are currently at -3% using the 1990 CPI method and -6% based on the 1980 version. Negative real interest rates fuel price inflation, contributing to its persistence. Cutting rates further would likely intensify this inflationary pressure.
This is one reason gold has been reaching new all time highs almost daily since the Fed cut rates earlier this month. Silver, similarly, is on the verge of breaking into the high $33 range.
Precious metals markets are anticipating more than just optimistic Fed rhetoric about a strong economy and lower inflation; they are also predicting a potential return to money printing policies
