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Dublin: 14 °C Monday 20 May, 2013

Gold and silver touch all-time highs as currencies slip

The old reliable precious metals reach record high values, driven by concerns that the US debt could reach its legal limit.

Image: BullionVault via Flickr

THE PRICES OF precious metals like gold and silver have reached all-time record highs today, as investors opted to put their money into safer long-term investments while the value of currencies began to slide.

The price of gold increased by almost one per cent, reaching $1,514.20 (€1,034.48) per ounce at lunchtime, while silver rose by nearly five per cent to approach its all-time record at $48.35 (€33.13) per ounce.

Silver had briefly reached a record of $49.79, while gold had momentarily traded as high as $1,518.30.

“Everyone is buying,” a Hong Kong-based dealer told Reuters. “There is stop-loss buying, as well as a good buying interest from China.”

The BBC reports that the high values have come about as a result of investors seeking more stable options given the geopolitical uprisings in the Middle East, and given the return of significant inflation to the US and mainland Europe.

Without any obvious end in sight to either, analysts believe the prices could still continue to increase. Today’s increases mark the seventh consecutive day in which commodities have risen.

The value of currencies has also slipped given the inflation; the dollar this morning remained just off its three-year low against a weighted basket of major international currencies.

The price of gold has increased sixfold in the last ten years, while silver is now worth twelve times what it was in 2001.

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Comments (8 Comments)

  • It’s a bubble mark my words, when taxi drivers and housewives talk about investing in it, it is most definitely a bubble.

    Reply
  • The commodity bubble is, I reckon, well on the way to popping.

    It must be, Eddie Hobbs (who I remember vividly, punting apartments in Bulgaria in 2007), was namechecked in a Sunday Business Post piece yesterday, talking up a gold investment company.

    The more things change, etc., etc.

    Reply
    • G 25/04/11 #

      Fair point, but the only way metals can slow down or stop is if the dollar recovers. No sign of that, for ten days now China has been taking steps away from it. The Fed is devaluing at an astounding rate and the petrodollar is next, when that falls most people wont know what hit them.

      Reply
  • G 25/04/11 #

    Real money is re-entering our lives. I’m sure many readers would find it silly to hear that pretty soon their dollars or euros wont be worth much at all and food prices will go through the roof. Thirty days ago silver was at $36, as I write this its at $47.91. To most people this means nothing to them, well it will when your paper is useless. Mints are backed up with orders as people choose phyical delivery. I wonder how long have we got before its not available to the average person. Check my pic, gold and silver are the only way to save now.

    Reply
    • so gold is at €1,034.48 per ounce and silver is €33.13
      ive had my head stuck in the sand lately so these numbers are meaningless to me :D
      what were they at last week/month?

      you look like your sorted anyway with those shiny coins, do they take them in tescos?

      Reply
  • US soon to default. They can’t keep their aaa rating but they can go on printing dollars.
    Contagion will kick in big time when this happens. Stock up your larders. Remember you can’t eat gold

    Reply
  • The result of the antics of the Marxist in the Whitehouse.

    Reply

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