The SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEArca: GLD) gained 5.2% in February as gold futures soared and data indicate professional traders see more upside for the yellow metal.
“The net-long position climbed 25 percent to 113,911 futures and options in the week ended Feb. 25, the highest since December 2012,” reports Luzi Ann Javier for Bloomberg, citing U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data.
February was the first month of inflows in the past 13 for GLD, the largest ETF in the world bakced by physical holdings of gold.
In just the first two months of 2014, GLD has retraced more than a third of its 2013 losses while investors have shown a willingness to again allocate capital to gold ETFs. For example, GLD has added 10.54 metric tons to its gold holdings in February boosting its total to 803.7 tons, according to World Gold Council data. The ETF has brought in $255 million in new assets this year, according to the WGC.
WGC Managing Director Will Rhind told ETF Trends last Friday that consumer demand in China is helping lift gold. The renminbi, China’s currency is not fully convertible, making gold, in addition property, a popular investment diversifier for some Chinese investors. [Golden Month for Gold ETFs]
Another soaring commodity also saw increased bullish wagers in the week ending Feb. 25. “Investors boosted their net-long position in coffee by 15 percent to 27,866 contracts, the highest since May 2011,” according to Bloomberg.