ETF Securities Weekly Flows Analysis – Largest weekly inflows into Robotics since inception

Highlights

• Minor gold outflows of US$12.6mn, following inflows over the previous 5 weeks, totalling US$312mn.
• Recent rising oil prices have led to outflows in 12 of the last 13 weeks, totalling US$381mn.
• Robotics inflows last week totalled US$33mn, the largest weekly inflow since inception

Gold saw minor outflows of US$12.6mn, following gold inflows over the previous 5 weeks totalling US$312mn. The previous weeks of inflows are on a par to inflows seen in February this year. The gold market has been wrestling with the fact that corporate confidence data (PMIs) has highlighted that developed world growth is at a cycle high, which typically dampens sentiment for gold. Conversely, geopolitical risks, including Catalonia and North Korea keep escalating. The threat of a December interest rate hike in the US and possible tighter monetary policy from the ECB and UK is also likely to put pressure on gold prices in the coming months, particularly as we continue to see better than expected corporate earnings. This does not mean that there is a significant downside risk to gold though, as investors are very aware of the bubble in bonds, alongside higher valuations in equities and therefore see gold as an insurance policy against a correction and geopolitical crises. Supporting this is data highlighting an outflow of US$2.6mn year-to-date from short gold ETFs.

Recent rising oil prices have led to outflows in 12 of the past 13 weeks, totalling US$381mn, with US$13mn withdrawn last week. The outflows suggest investors do not feel that the recent rise in oil prices is sustainable. News of falling inventories in the US, fears for production in Kurdistan, production constraints caused by recent hurricanes and the potential for an OPEC production freeze extension have pushed up prices to the upper levels of our expected range of US$60/bbl. We believe oil prices have reached a high due to the downwards price pressures, being a continued lack in production freeze compliance from OPEC, a significant pick up in oil production and exports from the US and the Iraq-Kurdistan conflict having little impact on oil production in the region.

Industrial metals saw inflows last week totalling US$13mn despite recent strong price performance. Seasonally, industrial precious metals tend to fall in October and November, we see any price weakness in the coming months as an opportunity to take advantage of the continued improving fundamentals of supply-side destruction, multi-year supply deficits and increasing autos demand.

We continue to see interest in Robotics with inflows last week totalling US$33mn, the largest weekly inflow since inception (October 2014). Inflows year-to-date now total US$467mn.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

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