Investors allocated approximately $7.7 billion into North American gold-backed ETFs in August. This represents the third-largest monthly inflow ever recorded for the region, helping to offset the $13 billion in outflows observed in March and returning year-to-date flows to positive territory.
The global influx into gold funds reached $18 billion in August. European funds led the growth with $7.9 billion in inflows, marking a record performance for the region, while Asian markets contributed $2 billion. The UK and France were identified as key drivers for the European figures.
Total global assets under management in gold ETFs rose to a record $615 billion, reflecting a 16% increase from the previous month. Physical gold holdings across these funds grew by 121 tonnes, bringing the total worldwide stockpile to 4,189 tonnes.
Market activity showed high concentration, with over $4 billion of the North American total entering the market during a five-day period in the week of August 17. Prominent investment vehicles included the SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust, SPDR Gold Shares, and iShares Gold Trust.
The World Gold Council attributes this surge to concerns regarding fiscal sustainability, stress in the Treasury market, fears of dollar debasement, and strong price momentum for gold. These factors have accelerated the movement of capital into hard assets.
