Yes, I wish gold falls by -50%

I wish gold falls by -50% to Rs 9,000 per 10 grams.

Now, don't get me wrong: I own some units of the Quantum Gold ETF (QGOLDHALF is the scrip code on the NSE) and have no plans to sell it in the near future. And I think that Chirag and the Team at QuantumAMC are doing a fabulous job as the fund manager of the Quantum Gold ETF and keeping you informed of their views on gold via The Golden Truth

So, you may ask, I am "long" gold - and yet I wish that the price of gold declines by -50%?

Yes, that is correct. I want the value of my investment in gold to fall by -50%.

Why?

Because if gold declines in price, it will mean that the world is a safer place to stay invested in.
This means that the value of my investments in the Quantum Long Term Equity Fund could appreciate steadily over the long term.

And since I have some 70% of my investments in stock markets, a price appreciation in stocks will offset the sharp -50% decline in the value of my relatively smaller gold holdings.

An agitated reader asked me why I only write about the price of gold increasing.
Why don't you write that gold could fall to Rs. 10,000? - the reader wanted to know.

Well, the way the central banks of the world have behaved over the past few years it seemed logical that people would lose faith in paper currencies and turn to gold.
So, that is why we wrote about gold being a good place to park some of your savings.

But, yes, the agitated reader is right: I should write why and how gold can fall to Rs 9,000 - even below the Rs 10,000 level that he suggested!

So, here is my case for the price of gold declining by -50%.

What will make gold fall in price?

Let's say there is an election in India next month and we are all asked to vote for one of two candidates.

Candidate Dreamer tells us that - if we vote for him - we will all get free water, free food, free power, and free schooling.
And to make his promises even more real and tangible he will promise us nice air-conditioned buses and trains to travel on - with a high degree of safety.
And our taxes will be lower.

Candidate Realist tells us that - if we vote for him - we will have to pay more for water, more for food, more for power, and more for schools. And even after we pay more, he cannot guarantee that we will actually get all the stuff we paid for.
There are too many people that need the government's help and so those of us who have a lot - will get a little less.
And there may be fewer buses and trains for us to use, warns Candidate Realist.
Oh, yes, and everyday that you leave for work, hug and kiss your family as if it is the last time you will see them. No, it is not the swine flu or malaria or Al Qaeda or LeT that will get you - there is no guaranty that you will survive the bus and train rides.
And, just to ensure that you really cast your vote correctly, Candidate Reality promises you that he plans to increase taxes.

The efficient Election Commission - the unsung heroes of India's democracy - organise the electronic voting machines for the 440 million votes that are cast.

Guess who wins?

Candidate Dreamer, naturally.

A vote to print money

So what does the new government run by Prime Minister Dreamer do?

They do what all politicians everywhere in the world have done for 40 years: they go about trying to fulfil some of their election promises.

But that is a costly exercise.
And there are wars to be fought and borders to protect.
And the salaries and expenses of the government bureaucrats to be paid.

But - as promised in the election campaign - taxes have been reduced a bit.
So the government is spending Rs 100 and collecting only Rs 70 in revenues.
Every year.
From where does it get the other Rs 30?

Aha, the government is a magician.
It produces the Rs 30 out of thin air!

Actually, it is a monopolist: it has an agency called a Central Bank which owns something called a printing press which, when placed on special marked paper in special print with special designs, magically turns into currency notes.

Year after year, decade after decade, country after country, continent after continent: every government in the world has resorted to allowing Candidate Dreamer to use the printing presses of the central banks to fulfil a false promise.

And every voter has been guilty of letting it happen,
Sorry - of wanting it to happen.
Of wanting to believe in the dream and not accepting the reality.

So paper money - backed by nothing - circulates around the world and results in inflation.
A Rs 50 note today probably buys you the same amount of goods that Rs 5 bought you in 1980.
A US one dollar note today probably buys you what 50 cents bought you in 1980.
The value of the paper currency is debased.

Gold, meanwhile, cannot be printed by a monopoly printing machine.
You cannot create gold out of thin air.

What do you think it costs the US government to print a billion dollar bond?
Maybe USD 10 for the special paper, USD 10 for the special print, USD 10 for the watermark to prevent a counterfeit, and maybe USD 100 for the depreciation cost of the printing machine (they use it so often, they need to replace the machines very often!).

So, an investment of USD 130 gives the US government a USD 1 billion dollar bond that they can give to China in exchange for USD 1 billion worth of stuffed toys and microwave ovens.
What a racket.
What a scam.
And the US has spread this lie that blondes are dumb!
And we think the Chinese are smart!
The Chinese (and other exporters to USA) just got conned into the biggest Sting in the history of finance - but that is another Honest Truth!

The point is that, while the central banks can print paper, the central banks cannot print gold.
They need to find it.
Then dig it.
And there is not enough gold of it for all the Candidate Dreamers in the world to dig up every year.
And pay for all their election promises.
That is why gold has been a "store of value" over centuries.

That is why when people wake up and realise how they have been conned into accepting paper, they move to buy gold.
That is why the Reserve Bank of India decided to buy 200 tons of gold for USD 6 billion.
At what was considered a "peak price".
And it may be the "peak price".
It may be the worst investment that the RBI has ever made.

Because we, the voters, may finally have become smarter.

And now the case for gold declining to INR 9,000 for 10 grams....

We may finally elect Candidate Realist.
We may accept that we need to have less consumption - and more modest needs.
We may accept that we need to pay more for things that we take as our birthright.
We may accept that promises eventually come back to haunt us.
That, as the economists say, there is nothing like a free lunch: what you get, you need to pay for.
Somewhere, somehow, it comes back to get you.

We all elected Candidate Dreamer and it came back to haunt us - via inflation and the declining value of every rupee or dollar or euro that we earn.

So, yes, I want us all to elect Candidate Realist.
Then the printing presses will not be needed.
Because the government of Prime Minister Realist will not be spending on any false promises.
In fact, they will be collecting more from us in the form of taxes.
They will no longer need to use the printing press.

And, most importantly, all those financial geniuses who use this freely floating paper money to create dangerous financial cocktails that blow up the world will be digging roads with spades for a living.
(Hopefully, I will still be writing these columns in between digging irrigation canals. The more stupid amongst us in the finance field will be given lowly agricultural work.)
We will all need to do some real work and earn a modest income.
No more pushing fake paper to generate even more fake profits of the financial companies.

With the financial geniuses out of the way, companies will be more focused on building profitable businesses.
Businesses with less risk and no casino-like derivative products populating their balance sheets.

Those that succeed will see their share prices rise - and stay up!

Hopefully, the research and investment management process at Quantum Long Term Equity Fund will show some decent returns (past performance is not any indication of future performance and no investor must invest in any mutual fund till they read and understand the Offer Document.)

So, yes, Candidate Realist's election can be a turning point for gold prices.
And I really hope he wins.
As much as I hope we all vote for this realism.
And the price of gold will collapse because paper currencies will finally start to have more value.
The Rs 100 note of the year 2025 will buy what Rs 200 of today's money can buy.

And my investment in Quantum Long Term Equity Fund will increase, so I will offset the decline in my investment in gold.
Do I believe it will happen?
Well, I have one vote: there are billions of people choosing between Candidate Dreamer and Candidate Reality all over the world.

Till I get to know them all and convince them that Candidate Dreamer is not the right person to vote for, I am happy owning some units in QGOLDHALF freely available on the NSE and also traded on the BSE with the Scrip Code 590099.

Disclaimer : Past performance may or may not be sustained in the future. Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, fluctuation in NAV's and uncertainty of dividend distributions. Please read offer documents of the relevant schemes carefully before making any investments. Click here for the detailed risk factors and statutory information"

Ajit Dayal, the author is a Director in Quantum Information Services Private Limited and Quantum Asset Management Company Private Limited. Views expressed in this article are entirely those of the author and may not be regarded as views of the Quantum Mutual Fund or Quantum Asset Management Company Private Limited or Quantum Information Services Private Limited.

Mutual Fund Investments are subject to market risks. Please read the offer documents of the respective schemes before making any investments

Note: This article was first carried on www.equitymaster.com

Above article is authored by Quantum.

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