TheEdgeMarkets/Ranjeetha Pakiam – Bloomberg/12-16-2021

USAGOLD note: Evy Hambro, who heads up sector-based investing at Blackrock, sees “more upside risk than downside risk” for gold in 2022 despite the metal being “relatively out of favor at the moment.” That negative sentiment, he says, typically presents buying opportunities. “It’s real interest rates which are the most important driver for gold,” he adds, “and they’re driven by interest rate and inflation expectations. We see a strong argument for adding to gold for diversification today, given equity markets are around all-time highs and there is still significant pandemic-related risk.”