you'd never know it from the comex paper gold price, but gold demand has surged to an all time high:

RECORD DOLLAR DEMAND FOR GOLD AS WORLD LOOKS FOR HAVEN FROM TURMOIL

Dollar demand for gold reached an all time quarterly record of US$32bn in the third quarter of 2008 as investors around the world sought refuge from the global financial meltdown, and jewellery buyers returned to the market in droves on a lower gold price. This figure was 45% higher than the previous record in Q2 2008.Tonnage demand was also 18% higher than a year earlier.

Identifiable investment demand, which incorporates demand for gold through exchange traded funds (ETFs) and bars and coins, was the biggest contributor to overall demand during the quarter, up to US$10.7bn (382 tonnes), double year earlier levels, according to Gold Demand Trends, released today by World Gold Council (WGC).

The figures, compiled independently for WGC by GFMS Limited, show retail investment demand rose 121% to 232 tonnes in Q3, with strong bar and coin buying reported in Swiss, German and US markets. The quarter also witnessed widespread reports of gold shortages among bullion dealers across the globe, as investors searched for a haven. Overall, Q3 saw Europe reach an all time record 51 tonnes of bar and coin buying and France became a net investor in gold for the first time since the early 1980s.

Gold ETFs enjoyed a record quarterly inflow of 150 tonnes in Q3, boosted by extreme levels of economic and financial uncertainty. The peak in inflows occurred in late September, triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers and a fear of banking sector failures. Net inflows surged by an unprecedented 111 tonnes during 5 consecutive trading days, equivalent to US$7bn.

As the financial crisis deepened these increases in identifiable investment demand were offset by outflows in “inferred investment”. This was characterised by hedge funds liquidating investment positions in gold as they were forced to raise cash and by institutions liquidating commodity index investments, including gold, as fears of recession deepened. The trend largely reflects gold’s better performance relative to other assets and also explains why the gold price did not perform better during the quarter in the face of very strong demand.

http://www.mediacentre.gold.org/medi...