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August 18, 2010 at 08:00 PM
ETF Securities USA said ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares (SGOL) had a record day’s trading volume on August 11 of 1.74 million shares, or $208 million. This represents the greatest one-day volume since its first U.S. trading day on September 9, 2009.
“The fact that there is buying of gold in a quiet month may tell us something about what is expected to happen in the next two quarters,” said William Rhind, strategic director of U.S. business development for ETF Securities USA, in a phone interview.
“Investors [and investment advisors] are concerned about a potential douple dip in the economy,” Rhind explained, “and how it will affect their clients’ wealth more generally.”
The largest holders of SGOL, he adds, are large mutual-fund providers and wirehouse broker-dealers.
“We are seeing more interest from investors as the market environment remains uncertain,” said Rhind. “Advisors want to see some asset allocation into hard assets that are not correlated with equities and bonds. Gold and other precious metals generally provide that solution.”
The ETFS Gold Trust trades like an exchange-traded fund; it is legally structured as a trust – and not a mutual fund — because it does not invest in stocks or bonds. Rather, it invests in physical bars of gold, which are held and audited in Switzerland by JPMorgan Chase.
The popular SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) also invests directly in bullion, which is held at HSBC Bank USA in London. Its marketing agent is State Street Global Markets.
