RE:A "handful"....not very reassuring in my mind...from metal's https://creditbubblebulletin.blogspot.com/
"The prime example right now is gold, up 20% in six months. Surging demand is not led by the usual suspects — investors large and small, seeking a hedge against inflation and low real interest rates. Instead, the heavy buyers are central banks, which are sharply reducing their dollar holdings and seeking a safe alternative. Central banks are buying more tons of gold now than at any time since data begins in 1950 and currently account for a record 33% of monthly global demand for gold.”
“Central bankers who manage trillions in foreign exchange reserves are loading up on gold as geopolitical tensions including the war in Ukraine force them to rethink their investment strategies. An annual poll of 83 central banks, which manage a combined $7tn in foreign exchange assets, found that more than two-thirds of respondents thought their peers would increase their gold holdings in 2023. Bullion tends to become more attractive in times of instability, and demand has soared over the past year. The amount of gold bought by central banks rose by 152% year on year in 2022 to 1,136 tonnes, according to the World Gold Council...”