Bridgewater hedge fund boosts gold ETF investment to over $1bn

Hedge fund Bridgewater Associates raised its investment in gold-backed exchange-traded funds by a third in the second quarter, buying the equivalent of 170 000 ounces of gold worth $340-million at current prices, a regulatory filing showed.

The move is part of a wider rush among investors to buy gold, which they hope will hold its value as the coronavirus crisis upends markets and pushes down returns on bonds.

Bullion prices have already surged almost 30% this year to record levels around $2 000 an ounce.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) store gold on investors’ behalf.