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Gold Returns

Author

Listed:
  • Robert J. Barro
  • Sanjay P. Misra
Abstract
From 1836 to 2011, the average real rate of price change for gold in the United States is 1.1% per year and the standard deviation is 13.1%, implying a one-standard-deviation confidence band for the mean of (0.1%, 2.1%). The covariances of gold's real rate of price change with consumption and GDP growth rates are small and statistically insignificantly different from zero. These negligible covariances suggest that gold's expected real rate of return--which includes an unobserved dividend yield--would be close to the risk-free rate, estimated to be around 1%. We study these properties within an asset-pricing model in which ordinary consumption and gold services are imperfect substitutes for the representative household. Disaster and other shocks impinge directly on consumption and GDP but not on stocks of gold. With a high elasticity of substitution between gold services and ordinary consumption, the model can generate a mean real rate of price change within the (0.1%, 2.1%) confidence band along with a small risk premium for gold. In this scenario, the bulk of gold's expected return corresponds to the unobserved dividend yield (the implicit rental income from holding gold) and only a small part comprises expected real price appreciation. Nevertheless, the uncertainty in gold returns is concentrated in the price-change component. The model can explain the time-varying volatility of real gold prices if preference shocks for gold services are small under the classical gold standard but large in other periods particularly because of shifting monetary roles for gold.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert J. Barro & Sanjay P. Misra, 2013. "Gold Returns," NBER Working Papers 18759, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:18759
    Note: ME EFG AP PE
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Harris, Richard D.F. & Shen, Jian, 2017. "The intrinsic value of gold: An exchange rate-free price index," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 203-217.
    2. Malliaris, A.G. & Malliaris, Mary, 2015. "What drives gold returns? A decision tree analysis," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 13(C), pages 45-53.
    3. Halkos, George & Managi, Shunsuke & Zisiadou, Argyro, 2017. "Analyzing the determinants of terrorist attacks and their market reactions," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 57-73.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • N20 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - General, International, or Comparative

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