World Gold Council chief aims to make gold as attractive and liquid as swaps

WHILE gold is often considered to be a safe-haven asset, the precious yellow metal falls short of being classified as a “high-quality liquid asset”, which is a key factor deterring investors, said the World Gold Council’s (WGC) chief executive David Tait.

In an interview with The Business Times in Singapore on Tuesday (Mar 26), he noted that one key determinant for investment managers is the return on capital. The funding ratio for gold currently stands at around 85 per cent, he said. 

Funding ratio

For instance, if a bank wanted to lend US$100 million worth of gold, it would have to keep aside cash or Tier 1 capital to the tune of US$85 million.