Three main ways to get exposure to gold - Morgan Stanley

FXStreet notes that after years of trading in a narrow range around $1,200 an ounce, gold has been trading above $1,700 for the past year. While the yellow metal is not a strategic asset class, there are tactical reasons to consider adding it now. The Morgan Stanley analyst team lays out three ways to go about it.

"Physical gold. Investors may pay a premium over the spot price of gold. The gold is physically held by a third party, not Morgan Stanley. Storage fees usually apply. Investors can also take delivery of physical gold if they want to store it themselves. In such cases, delivery fees would apply.”

"Gold funds that own the metal. Some mutual funds and exchange-traded funds also offer investors exposure to gold. For those that are pure-play, their value tracks the price of gold. The fund shoulders the cost of holding physical supply and passes it along to the investors in the expense ratio. There are some drawbacks: Some gold funds are taxed as collectibles, so they don’t benefit from the lower long-term capital-gains rates for which stocks may qualify.”

"Mining companies. Investors can get exposure through equity in companies that mine for gold, including the purchase of individual stocks or as part of a fund.”