Gold
Gold is a fairly unique asset not only in its historic resiliency but also in its ability to bring out the emotions in many investors. But look beyond the hype and the hate, and gold has a lot to offer from a diversification perspective.
Gold is always very hot or cold, and combined with its lack of yield and a long-term average that simply tracks inflation, many investors don’t care for it in their portfolios. However, others appreciate how it does really well both in times of negative real interest rates (such as the very high inflation in the 70’s) and also when stocks struggle, and they find it to be a great portfolio asset from a rebalancing perspective.
Investors should note that the repeal of Bretton Woods in 1971 changed how gold is fundamentally priced. As a result, gold experienced a huge 3-year surge from 1972-1974 that may not be repeatable. So when studying portfolios with gold be sure to also look at the periods starting in 1975 and later.
