Prices of safe haven precious yellow metal gold may do a seesaw every once in a while, but there is no doubting that it will sustain a bull market with much higher prices in the years to come, primarily anchored and supported by the acquisition of central banks.

"Central banks are now creating an upside bias to the market and are reducing the "free-float" available to meet future demand, even at much higher prices," Jeffrey Nichols, managing director of American Precious Metals Advisors, wrote in his Gold Analysis at Mineweb.

On Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its latest statistics, said at least 12 countries have purchased more gold, eventually growing their reserves of the yellow metal, in March this year alone.

Mexico jacked up its holdings by 16.81 tonnes to a total of 122.58 tonnes; Russia bought 16.55 tonnes to grow its total reserves to 895.75 tonnes; Turkey, an additional 11.48 tonnes to make its reserves total to 209.6 tonnes.

Argentina acquired 7 tonnes with total holdings now at 61.74 tonnes; 4.3 tonnes for Kazakhstan to total at 96.16 tonnes; and Ukraine, with its total 29.21 tonnes boosted by the 1.18 tonnes bought in March. There were another half dozen countries that elevated their holdings of the precious metal thought merely by increases of less than a tonne.

"Central banks, like many private investors, view gold as a hedge against debasement and devaluation of their U.S. dollar- and euro-denominated currency reserves," Mr Nichols said.

Gold enthusiasts and kibitzers should not actually be surprised by the recent news of continued significant central bank gold purchases this past March, Mr Nichols noted.

"We have repeatedly suggested that official purchases were giving the market some downside protection with central banks buying on dips when their purchases would not be disruptive or particularly visible to other market participants and observers of the gold scene," he said.

Moreover, the continuing gold buying of central banks poses a confirmed indicator of discomfort and apprehension about the prospects for supposedly stable currencies, including the dollar, the euro, the pound sterling and the Japanese yen.

"Central banks, like many private investors, view gold as a hedge against debasement and devaluation of their U.S. dollar- and euro-denominated currency reserves," Mr Nichols said.

Moreover, gold is seen as a much less risky investment in the current environment.

"It is the only financial asset with no counterparty risk, central banks hold gold as a safe haven free from confiscatory and political risk," he said.

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