A historical relationship exists between the price of gold bullion and the Australian dollar, which many investors did not realise despite the unprecedented levels of gold demand, according to BetaShares.
BetaShares head of investment strategy and distribution, Drew Corbett, said that the rise of the Australian dollar has eliminated much of the benefit of the rising value of gold (which is priced in US dollars) with this strong correlation impacting unhedged gold exposures.
“By analysing the movements in the gold spot price and the AUD/USD exchange rate we have found that, generally speaking, over the last three decades, when the price of gold bullion has risen so too has the Australian dollar relative to the US dollar,” Corbett said.
“Gold is widely regarded as a currency in its own right and thus, during times of US dollar weakness, gold often increases in value as many investors choose to own gold rather than US dollars,” he said.
Similarly, the Australian dollar was also likely to strengthen during times of US dollar weakness, according to Corbett.
“Australia’s role as a major producer of gold and other commodities means the Australian dollar is seen globally as a ‘commodity currency’”.
BetaShares analysis had also found that while spot gold prices surged 74 per cent in the period from December 2008 through to end of May 2011, unhedged spot gold returned only 14 per cent.
The lower outlook for inflation has set the stage for another two rate cuts over the first half of 2026, according to Westpac.
With private asset valuations emerging as a key concern for both regulators and the broader market, Apollo Global Management has called on the corporate regulator to issue clear principles on valuation practices, including guidance on the disclosures it expects from market participants.
Institutional asset owners are largely rethinking their exposure to the US, with private markets increasingly being viewed as a strategic investment allocation, new research has shown.
Australia’s corporate regulator has been told it must quickly modernise its oversight of private markets, after being caught off guard by the complexity, size, and opacity of the asset class now dominating institutional portfolios.