The global stash of gold in exchange-traded funds hit the highest level in seven years as the impact of the novel coronavirus on markets and sentiment reinforced demand for havens at a time of low interest rates, and the addition of just a few more tons would lift the total to a record. The latest influx into bullion-backed ETFs follows four straight years of inflows, and comes as prices trade near the highest since 2013. The number of confirmed virus cases in China has soared to overtake the official number of infections during the SARS epidemic, and at least 132 people have died.
