Purpose cryptocurrency as “digital gold” may be a mistake.
State Street Global Advisors’ George Milling-Stanley, whose firm brim overs the world’s largest gold exchange-traded fund, believes cryptocurrency is no substitute for the real thing due its vulnerability to big losses.
“Volatility does not isolated up any claims for crypto to be a long-term strategic asset as a competitor to gold,” the firm’s chief gold strategist told CNBC’s “ETF Edgy” earlier this week.
Milling-Stanley’s firm is behind SPDR Gold Shares, the world’s largest physically shy away from gold ETF. It has a total asset value of more than $57 billion as of last week, according to the company’s website. The ETF is up 7% year to steady old-fashioned as of Friday’s market close.
Milling-Stanley believes gold’s 6,000-year history as a monetary asset serves as a outstanding sample basis to understand the benefits of investing in gold.
“Gold is a hedge against inflation. Gold’s a hedge against future weakness in the equity market. Gold’s a hedge against potential weakness in the dollar,” he noted. “To me, historically, the promise of gold for investors has … overtime [assisted] to enhance the returns of a properly balanced portfolio.”
The precious metal is having trouble this year staying beyond the $2,000 an ounce mark. But Milling-Stanley believes the economic backdrop bodes well for gold — recession or not.
“It’s pretty discharge that we’re liable to be in a period of slow growth. … Historically, gold has always done well during eras of slower growth,” Milling-Stanley said.
Milling-Stanley also believes the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions in China should scintilla more demand for gold. It’s known as the world’s largest consumer of gold jewelry behind India, according to the Set Gold Council.
“It’s not just China and India. It’s Vietnam, it’s Indonesia, it’s Thailand and Korea. It’s a whole raft of Asian sticks that are really the main drivers of gold jewelry demand,” Milling-Stanley said.
Gold settled at $1,960.47 an ounce Friday. The commodity is up uncountable than 7% so far this year.