Investor demand is responsible for much of this accelerated rally. This year alone, exchange-traded funds have increased their gold holdings by more than a quarter to surpass 106 million ounces, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, taking the total value to almost $200 billion. Silver holdings have climbed 40%, to more than 850 million ounces. In the futures market, net managed money long positions are climbing back toward levels seen at the end of 2019.
