Global gold demand experienced an expected slowdown in the first half of this year after a rollercoaster 2016 which saw a record level surge in demand from exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The World Gold Council’s (WGC’s) latest Gold Demand Trends report showed a 14% contraction in demand in the first half of this year to 2 004 t, attributed almost exclusively to the lower ETF inflows, leaving in its wake a somewhat “different” set of demand drivers as the market normalises.
