Gold ETFs just pulled off one of the more dramatic U-turns in recent memory. After hemorrhaging $12B in net outflows during March, global gold-backed exchange-traded funds attracted $6.6B in fresh capital in April.
What drove the reversal
A weakening US dollar made gold cheaper for international buyers. Falling oil prices added another layer of support. Central banks continued their multi-year gold shopping spree, with sovereign buyers accumulating physical gold reserves.
Gold’s bigger picture is still remarkable
Gold has gained approximately 210% since October 2023. The metal recently experienced a correction of 16.5% from its highs, which likely contributed to March’s outflow spike.
The tokenized gold angle adds a new wrinkle
While traditional gold ETFs were staging their comeback, Binance’s gold futures contracts, launched in January, surpassed $100B in cumulative trading volume, with daily peaks hitting $6.6B.
Equity ETFs captured $7.1B during the same period, meaning gold ETFs were running nearly neck-and-neck with stocks in terms of attracting new capital. Digital asset funds faced $317M in daily net outflows.