Gold remains on the whole world desires: the demand for the precious metal in the first quarter of 2009 compared to same period last year by 38 percent to a total of 1016 tons increased. The first time since the start of the surveys have sell gold fund - and thus retail investors - bought more metal than the jewelry industry on the globe. Even collectors from Germany coincided with reinforced bars and coins, said the lobby group the World Gold Council (WGC) in question. By contrast, the demand from the traditional gold countries of India and Arabia vigorously back.

Investment purchases drag force on
Purchases of gold for investment purposes rose in the first quarter compared to the previous year by 248 percent, like that of several mining companies funded WGC said. The category includes investment ingots and gold coins in particular, the Exchange Traded Funds (ETF - Exchange Traded to the Fund) is purchased. All in all, the investment-consumption of around 171 tonnes last year to almost 596 tons in the first three months of this year. Approximately 45 percent of total global demand for the yellow metal came thus from the investment sector.

Fund to purchase
Throughout the ETF sector shot up the demand in the first quarter by 540 percent to 465 tonnes of it. The interest group WGC-founded the trend with the fear of the global economic crisis and inflation worries. Behind ETF purchases stuck mostly small investors who are security or cost reasons, not gold at home in a safe want. Above all, the world's largest gold fund SPDR Gold Trust, according to WGC sog the bulk of investors' money on the stocks in the vaults of SPDR grew by around 73 tonnes a year ago to 465 tonnes now.


Coins and bars in Germany and Switzerland asked
The worldwide retail demand for physical gold, according to the information submitted by 33 percent to 131 tonnes. Especially in Germany coincided with the collector coins and bars: The Federal Republic was associated with an increase of 400 percent to 59 tonnes of the world's largest market for physical gold. On second place followed by Switzerland with an increase of 437 per cent to 39 tonnes from the United States with an increase of 216 percent to 27.4 tonnes. The central banks were moving with the sale of their stocks: The quantity sold in the year slid by 54 percent to 35 tons.

Gold recycling is in full swing
Despite the strong demand shot up the price of gold is not like this - the reason is the high recycling rate: The quantity of precious metal pulled back derived from the previous year by 55 percent to 558 tonnes. Because of the global economic crisis, also dropped the demand in the industry - especially the weaker electronics sector was responsible for the slip by 31 percent responsible. Gold is used in laptops and cell phones are used.

 

Jewelry demand in India and Arabia drops
At the same time broke the demand for gold jewelry in the first quarter by 24 percent of 339 tonnes. This was mainly a demand shock in India, the country is traditionally seen as the world's biggest jewelry consumers: Because of the weak rupee and the economic crisis were the purchases in the previous year by 83 percent to almost 18 tonnes. In Arabia, demand slipped by 26 percent to 53.6 tons, too.


Skepticism among analysts
Commerzbank said the WGC report critical: The analysts are still risks in return gold, once the support of the U.S. Dollar continue. The risk appetite in financial markets is again at the same level, which was the collapse of Lehman Brothers before eight months had passed. Against this background it is not fast, that the investment demand in recent days and weeks have felt reassured. For example, remained the gold holdings of SPDR Gold Trust since one week at 1105.6 tonnes.

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