this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2026
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Global News

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France’s central bank has sold off the last of the gold it held in the United States Federal Reserve and replaced it with higher quality bars in Paris, taking advantage of rising prices to make nearly €13 billion as it upgrades its holdings.

Archived version: https://archive.is/20260406065208/https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20260404-french-central-bank-nets-%E2%82%AC13bn-from-us-gold-sale-consolidates-reserves-in-paris


Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

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[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 9 points 17 hours ago (5 children)

Anyone wanna explain to me how you can sell thing A then buy thing B and make money when A and B are the same thing and the price of A and B rises inbetween?

Like. Ok you made money selling.

Then you had to buy it back? Where is the profit?

[–] SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip 12 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

The article offers some insight. This was a series of 26 transactions over the course of a year. If the bank bought European gold for its holdings, then later sold the U.S. gold, a rising price over time would mean a net profit.

[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 2 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

The article gave me the impression they sold the gold then used the proceeds to purchase.

But if they purchased up front then sold later then that makes sense.

If anything that seems as if it would be scenario to lose money.

Maybe if they used the gold they already had as collateral.

I just assume this is the kind of financial fuckery that you and I are too poor to take part in.

[–] hitmyspot@aussie.zone 7 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

The way it is phrased, I think they made a gain of that amount when they sold it. So the value had increased significantly since they purchased it. However, if they bought the equivalent amount again, it would cost the same. If they bought higher quality gold, possibly it would cost more.

[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 1 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

I think the “higher quality” here meant conformant to standards of size vs “purity”

Though the standards may also include purity

[–] hitmyspot@aussie.zone 1 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, it likely that makes it at least as valuable, but probably more so, given it mattered enough to sell.

[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 1 points 15 hours ago

I believe the reason they sold was to divest out of the USA.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 4 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (1 children)

Because they are selling it at a different price than they bought it for.

They bought it for X dollars and now sold it for 13 billion dollars more than the price they paid for it.

Then, in a separate transaction, they bought the same value in gold somewhere else.

They made money by selling gold they bought awhile ago. Not by buying gold somewhere else.

[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 2 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

If I have $100 dollars in gold that appreciates in value to $200 in gold I only make $100 if I sell and don’t purchase the same quantity.

Which they say they did.

My point is how does this generate revenue, as they may have made money on the initial sale BUT to purchase the same amount would presumably cost the same amount (if not more due to rising prices?)

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social -1 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

So what you are saying is that you are unable to understand this despite it being clearly described in the article and having it explained to you by several posters.

Well, good luck!

[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 3 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

My dude your attempt to belittle me with your comment has only highlighted how little you understood about what was asked.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 2 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

You should realize you are arguing a point that the article actually does not make because you are too stupid to read and understand the multiple attempts to explain this to you.

[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 0 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

You’re cute when you’re mad

Stay Up prayed fam

[–] CombatWombat@feddit.online 4 points 16 hours ago

The only thing I can figure is they bought the new, higher quality bars in Europe first, and sold the older bars at the Fed second, and the price of gold went up in the interim.