For the past decade, the gold price increases tremendously from merely USD270 (RM1,026) per ounce (oz) in early 2002 to all-time high of USD1,913 (RM5,685) per ounce (oz) 23rd August 2011. That was 608% increase in US Dollar or 454% in Malaysian Ringgit.
However, since reaching all time high, the price gradually went down to less than $1,200 per ounce at the end of 2014. 2013 is the worst performing year, where the price drop a massive 27%. 2014 also register a price drop in US Dollar albeit small drop but the price increase in Malaysian Ringgit which was due to sudden drop of Ringgit versus US Dollar.
Gold once perceived as a safe haven during uncertainties or economic crises and a hedge against inflation but why it dropped so much? Read the article “Breaking the Myth of Gold as the Ultimate Store of Wealth” and “Why Gold is Damaging to the World’s Economy” which were written by the author of 259 Trillion Vs 5 Trillion book series. Maybe the article could explain why.
I made a compilation table to show the annual gold price changes for the past decades in both US Dollar and Malaysian Ringgit as below.
| Year | Price per oz (USD) | USD (% change) | Price (RM) per oz | RM (% change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 342.75 | 23.9 | 1,302.45 | 23.9 |
| 2003 | 417.25 | 21.7 | 1,585.55 | 21.7 |
| 2004 | 435.60 | 4.4 | 1,655.28 | 4.4 |
| 2005 | 513.00 | 17.8 | 1,949.40 | 17.8 |
| 2006 | 635.70 | 23.9 | 2,402.95 | 23.3 |
| 2007 | 836.50 | 31.6 | 2,765.89 | 15.1 |
| 2008 | 869.75 | 4.0 | 3,012.81 | 8.9 |
| 2009 | 1,087.50 | 25.0 | 3,724.14 | 23.6 |
| 2010 | 1,405.50 | 29.2 | 4,333.86 | 16.4 |
| 2011 | 1,531.00 | 8.9 | 4,863.99 | 12.2 |
| 2012 | 1,664.00 | 8.7 | 5,089.01 | 4.6 |
| 2013 | 1,201.90 | -27.7 | 3,944.03 | -22.5 |
| 2014 | 1,183.90 | -1.5 | 4,137.73 | 4.9 |
What do think the direction of gold price in 2015? Continue to drop or revert back to the positive territory?