I would not describe it as "too late", but I would say the risk-reward is less attractive than it was before the rally.
Gold tends to move in long cycles. Investors who buy only after a strong rise often experience a period of sideways or negative returns even if the longer term trend remains intact.
For a dividend investor, there is also an important difference:
STI
Gold
Generates dividends
No income
Benefits from earnings growth
No earnings
Suitable for income goals
Mainly for wealth preservation
More volatile in economic downturns
Often acts as a hedge
If your objective is monthly income, STI or other dividend paying investments are generally more aligned with that goal than gold.
If your objective is capital preservation and diversification, holding some gold can make sense.
A practical approach could be:
70% to 90% in income producing assets (STI ETF, dividend stocks, bonds, etc.)
10% to 30% in gold as a hedge
For someone buying gold today after a sharp rebound, I would consider:
Avoid putting all your intended allocation in at once
Buy in tranches over several months
Decide on your target allocation first (e.g. 10%, 15%, or 20% of portfolio)
For example, if you have SGD 100,000 to invest and want gold exposure:
Target 15% gold = SGD 15,000
Invest SGD 5,000 now
Invest the remaining SGD 10,000 gradually over the next few months
That way, if gold continues higher, you participate. If it pulls back, you still have cash to deploy.
How are you planning to buy gold?
Physical gold
Gold ETF
Gold savings account
Gold futures/CFD
The answer affects the costs and strategy significantly.
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