Paulson and Soros buying Gold

Hedge-fund managers John Paulson and George Soros boosted their gold holdings during the second quarter, a sign that some high-profile investors were still banking on higher prices for the precious metal despite its lackluster performance this year. John Paulson's Paulson & Co. Inc. raised its stake in SPDR Gold Shares GLD +0.60% , the world's largest exchange-traded gold fund, by 26% during the three months ended June 30. Paulson & Co. held 21.8 million shares, valued at $3.3 billion at the end of June, according to a quarterly securities filing released late Tuesday. The fund also increased its holdings of gold-mining companies, holding a combined 98 million shares, up 3.5% from the previous quarter and valued at $1.9 billion. Paulson's gold ETF and mining-company holdings together accounted for 44% of its U.S.-traded equity assets, from 33% the previous quarter. Soros Fund Management LLC more than doubled its stake in SPDR Gold Shares during the three months ended June 30, according to a filing, to the highest level since the end of 2010. The hedge fund held 884,400 shares, valued at $137.3 million at the end of June, from 319,550, or $51.8 million, the previous quarter. Soros Fund nearly cashed out of gold during the first quarter of 2011, reducing its shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 98%, to a stake valued at less than $7 million. The fund continued to pare its position, to a low of 42,800 shares during the second quarter of 2011, before rebuilding its stake in the quarters that followed. Benchmark gold futures fell 4% during the period covered by the funds' securities filings, as the European Central Bank and the U.S. Federal Reserve refrained from implementing new monetary-easing measures despite slowing global economic growth. Easing policies can raise concerns about inflation down the line, drawing investors looking for a currency hedge into precious metals. Through Tuesday's close, benchmark gold futures were up 1.4% in 2012, and down 15% from September's record high.