Why should you buy gold mining stocks rather than gold bullion?

Tuesday 22 April 2008 @ 11:05 pm

Gold has always held a very important position in matters of finance and a nation’s economic well-being. Gold has always been considered an asset. Women from centuries have held on to their jewelry and passed on their asset and the related wisdom to generations. Gold has been used as currency, remains a financial asset for banks and nations and a personal asset for individuals.

Picture this. You have gold bullions worth millions. Wouldn’t you be worried about the safety of your hard-earned fortune? You may spend sleepless nights over the security of your gold. In case you need money, selling them will not be very easy given that you will need to transact in bullions and not in a smaller unit. Wouldn’t it be easier dealing with some papers than enormous bars of the precious metal?

More and more people are being inclined towards investing in gold mining stocks than gold bullions. This article will discuss why you should buy gold mining stocks than gold bullions.

It is important that you consider certain factors before investing. You need thorough knowledge and understanding of mining to invest in gold mining stocks. Mining risks account for more volatility in the prices of stocks as compared to that of its physical counterpart, the gold bullion.

Easy trading: Wise investors usually hold a balanced portfolio of gold mining stocks and gold bullions, thus taking a calculated approach to gold investment. However, when it comes to the ease of gold trading, the stocks hold a much stronger place as against gold bullions. Gold mining stocks enable easy buying and selling in the market.

Reduced costs: Holding gold bullions will require you to spend a considerable sum in insuring the precious metal. Having gold stocks, on the other hand, does away with this high cost factor.

Fewer complications: Investing in gold mining stocks makes life simpler for you in the sense that you do not need to worry about the quality of gold involved. You will no longer have to test the purity of gold you own because your gold will now be in stocks not in bullions.

No storage issues: With gold bullions, you always have to worry about safe and secure storage for your gold. You also need to spend a large amount of money for the safety and storage of your gold. Investing in gold mining stocks does away with your storage concerns.

Easier transactions: While holding gold bullions makes it difficult to transact in any denomination, you can transact in the smallest unit of gold with gold mining stocks.

Easier resale: The resale price of gold bullions is usually less. Gold mining stocks do not suffer from this limitation.

Experts believe that an investment in gold mining stocks will reap higher returns than an equivalent investment in tangible gold. Though risky, gold mining stocks are considered to be worth investing in. It has been observed that the profits of mining companies are increasing at a more rapid pace than the prices of the products they are mining.