Equities now appear pale in the shadow of gold's glittering returns

This is the best 12-month period for gold in the international market since May 2006 when yellow metal had rallied 54.6 per cent between May 2005 and May 2006

Gold has emerged as a superior asset class for investors as volatility and uncertainty continue to weigh on the equity markets.

 

The spot price of gold in the international market has surged nearly 52 per cent over the past year, compared with a 0.9 per cent decline in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the United States’ benchmark equity index. In the same period, gold prices in India have risen 38 per cent, sharply outperforming the 6.9 per cent gain in the BSE Sensex. These figures exclude dividend yields.

 

According to data from the Wall Street Journal, the Dow currently offers