A comprehensive look at gold's volatile history during crises
It is often said that gold tends to perform well during economic uncertainty and crisis. But is this really so? Let’s examine gold's volatile history before and during recessions in the past 50 years. The 1960s and 1970s were marked by many economic and geopolitical changes, including multiple crises of the British pound, the collapse of the London Gold Pool, the suspension of a gold standard, and the end of the Bretton Woods System. These events helped to reshape the global monetary system and the role of gold within it. Before U.S. President Richard Nixon's “temporary” suspension of gold’s convertibility to the U.S. dollar, gold was pegged at $35 per troy ounce and allowed to move within a certain band around this level. However, following the breakage of the peg between gold and the U.S. dollar, gold’s price soared past levels previously thought to be unattainable. Thanks to high inflation rates, the oil crisis, and the weak U.S. dollar, gold rose more than 2,300% during the 1970s, recording a 147% increase in 1979 alone.
Illustration 1.01
Illustration 1.01 shows the daily chart of XAUUSD. The green background highlights gold’s performance one year before the recession began in January 1980. The yellow background indicates recession periods, as reported by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
In the first 19 days of January 1980, gold rose another 54%, hitting an all-time high of $873 per troy ounce. In the next 66 days, gold plummeted 48% to $473. From lows on 27th March 1980, gold gained over 65%, stopping at $748.50 on 22nd September 1980. After that, gold declined until 21st June 1982, erasing nearly 60% of its value before staging a temporary rally. Nevertheless, it was only two years after the recession, on 25th February 1985, that gold finally bottomed out at $282.60.
Illustration 1.02
Illustration 1.02 portrays the daily graph of XAUUSD. The red background indicates gold’s performance one year before the recession began in July 1990. The yellow background shows the recession period.
After bottoming out in 1985, gold rallied nearly 80% by mid-December 1987. But the next few years saw gold underperform and plunge 31%. The decline halted on 14th June 1990, at $348.20. Following that, gold’s price started to appreciate, rising 22% in the next two months, hitting a high of $425 on 21st August 1990. Yet, it was only a brief rally again, and gold soon reversed the trend. Gold lost more than 23% in the next three years, dropping to a low of $325.8 per troy ounce on 10th March 1993. Another three years were carried in a similar volatile manner, with gold rising nearly by one-third and then reversing and declining to merely $252.10 on 22nd August 1999.
Illustration 1.03
The image above shows the daily chart of XAUUSD. The red background illustrates gold’s performance one year before the start of the recession in March 2001, and the yellow background indicates a recession period.
After soaring 35% from 1999 lows in less than two months, gold shocked precious metal investors when it reversed and began a slow decline that lasted until the start of the 2001 recession; in fact, gold nearly took out 1999 lows in early 2001. During the recession, gold had a run-up of 12% and continued to soar to new heights after its end. By the next recession hit in late 2007, gold doubled in price.
Illustration 1.04
Illustration 1.04 displays the daily graph of XAUUSD. The green background shows gold’s performance one year before the start of the recession. The yellow background highlights the recession period.
From its peak in March 2008, gold lost approximately 34% until its low of $681.50 on 24th October 2008. Yet, despite this massive decline, gold bottomed out before stocks and soared more than 180% until hitting a peak in September 2011.
Please feel free to express your ideas and thoughts in the comment section.
DISCLAIMER: This analysis is not intended to encourage any buying or selling of any particular securities. Furthermore, it should not serve as a basis for taking any trade action by an individual investor or any other entity. Your own due diligence is highly advised before entering a trade.
Illustration 1.01
Illustration 1.01 shows the daily chart of XAUUSD. The green background highlights gold’s performance one year before the recession began in January 1980. The yellow background indicates recession periods, as reported by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
In the first 19 days of January 1980, gold rose another 54%, hitting an all-time high of $873 per troy ounce. In the next 66 days, gold plummeted 48% to $473. From lows on 27th March 1980, gold gained over 65%, stopping at $748.50 on 22nd September 1980. After that, gold declined until 21st June 1982, erasing nearly 60% of its value before staging a temporary rally. Nevertheless, it was only two years after the recession, on 25th February 1985, that gold finally bottomed out at $282.60.
Illustration 1.02
Illustration 1.02 portrays the daily graph of XAUUSD. The red background indicates gold’s performance one year before the recession began in July 1990. The yellow background shows the recession period.
After bottoming out in 1985, gold rallied nearly 80% by mid-December 1987. But the next few years saw gold underperform and plunge 31%. The decline halted on 14th June 1990, at $348.20. Following that, gold’s price started to appreciate, rising 22% in the next two months, hitting a high of $425 on 21st August 1990. Yet, it was only a brief rally again, and gold soon reversed the trend. Gold lost more than 23% in the next three years, dropping to a low of $325.8 per troy ounce on 10th March 1993. Another three years were carried in a similar volatile manner, with gold rising nearly by one-third and then reversing and declining to merely $252.10 on 22nd August 1999.
Illustration 1.03
The image above shows the daily chart of XAUUSD. The red background illustrates gold’s performance one year before the start of the recession in March 2001, and the yellow background indicates a recession period.
After soaring 35% from 1999 lows in less than two months, gold shocked precious metal investors when it reversed and began a slow decline that lasted until the start of the 2001 recession; in fact, gold nearly took out 1999 lows in early 2001. During the recession, gold had a run-up of 12% and continued to soar to new heights after its end. By the next recession hit in late 2007, gold doubled in price.
Illustration 1.04
Illustration 1.04 displays the daily graph of XAUUSD. The green background shows gold’s performance one year before the start of the recession. The yellow background highlights the recession period.
From its peak in March 2008, gold lost approximately 34% until its low of $681.50 on 24th October 2008. Yet, despite this massive decline, gold bottomed out before stocks and soared more than 180% until hitting a peak in September 2011.
Please feel free to express your ideas and thoughts in the comment section.
DISCLAIMER: This analysis is not intended to encourage any buying or selling of any particular securities. Furthermore, it should not serve as a basis for taking any trade action by an individual investor or any other entity. Your own due diligence is highly advised before entering a trade.
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