J. Rotbart & Co. Announces Key Precious Metals Trends Ahead of APPMC 2026 in Singapore
Elevated central-bank demand, record Mainland China bar and coin buying, and silver’s industrial base are expected to shape discussions as more than 600 delegates gather in Singapore
Singapore, June 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the precious metals industry prepares for the 9th Asia Pacific Precious Metals Conference (APPMC), J. Rotbart & Co., a precious metals brokerage serving high-net-worth, and institutional clients, has identified four trends likely to shape market discussions in the second half of 2026.
Joshua Rotbart founder of J. Rotbart & Co.
The conference, organized by the Singapore Bullion Market Association (SBMA), will take place from 14 to 16 June 2026 in Singapore. The event is expected to bring together more than 600 delegates from over 30 countries, including refiners, banks, vault operators, bullion dealers, traders, and institutional allocators.
For J. Rotbart & Co., the event is a timely opportunity to assess how investor behavior, official-sector reserve management, industrial demand, and recent geopolitical disruption are shaping the market.
“Precious metals are often discussed through price, but private clients and institutions also need to consider custody, jurisdiction, liquidity, and title certainty,” said Mr Joshua Rotbart, the founder of J. Rotbart & Co. “The data now points to a market where physical ownership, storage location, and execution quality are becoming more important allocation considerations.”
Asian investors are reshaping physical gold demand
The first trend is geographic. While global bar and coin investment rose 42% year-on-year to 473.6 tonnes, the second-highest quarter on record, the strongest single-market figure came from Mainland China, where bar and coin demand rose 67% year-on-year to 206.9 tonnes. It was the strongest quarter on record for the category. India also recorded a 34% year-on-year rise in bar and coin demand, while Japan and other Asian markets contributed to the broader regional shift.
For J. Rotbart & Co., the key question is whether Asian physical demand remains resilient through the second quarter, particularly as investors weigh, inflation expectations, interest rate policies and geopolitical uncertainty.
Central banks continue to treat gold as a strategic reserve asset
The second trend concerns official-sector demand. Central banks and other official institutions added an estimated 243.7 tonnes of gold in Q1 2026, up 3% year-on-year and 17% quarter-on-quarter. Demand also exceeded both the previous quarter and the five-year average.
Poland was the quarter’s largest purchaser, adding 31 tonnes, followed by Uzbekistan with 25 tonnes, while The People’s Bank of China added 10 tonnes to China’s official gold reserves in May. Reported sales also increased, including from Turkey, Russia, and Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, underscoring the two-way nature of official-sector activity during periods of market stress.
The significance is not only the volume of central-bank buying, but its persistence through volatility. The pattern suggests gold continues to play a strategic role in reserve diversification.
Silver’s industrial base remains the dominant demand pillar
The third trend is silver. Industrial silver demand reached 657.4 million ounces in 2025. Industrial applications accounted for roughly 58% of total silver demand in 2025, with electronics, photovoltaics, automotive applications, grid investment, and AI-related infrastructure among the key demand channels. By comparison, coin and net bar demand reached 217.7 million ounces, or approximately 19% of total demand.
Silver remains a precious metal with monetary characteristics, but its demand profile is increasingly tied to industrial supply chains and technology adoption. J. Rotbart & Co. expects silver’s dual role to remain an important topic for investors evaluating allocation size, storage requirements, and liquidity planning.
Storage structure is moving higher on the investor agenda
Recent disruption to air routes across the UAE and the wider Middle East has made storage structure a practical consideration for investors. For clients holding allocated metal, the relevant questions now extend beyond market price to include storage jurisdiction, geographic diversification, access procedures, insurance, documentation, and custodian accountability during periods of geopolitical disruption.
A timely conversation for private clients and institutions
These market trends arrive at a time when investors are paying closer attention to the structure of their precious metals exposure. For high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutions, the practical questions extend beyond price direction.
Key considerations include whether the metal is allocated, how title is documented, where it is stored, how quickly it can be liquidated or delivered, and who remains accountable when market or geopolitical events affect physical access.
J. Rotbart & Co. expects these questions to feature prominently in discussions at APPMC 2026 and plans to publish further observations after the conference concludes.
About J. Rotbart & Co.
J. Rotbart & Co. is an international precious-metals consultancy specializing in the acquisition, secure storage, and structuring of physical bullion for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Founded in 2016, the firm operates offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tel Aviv, and the Philippines, and works with a global network of independently operated vaults across key financial jurisdictions. J. Rotbart & Co. advises private investors, family offices, and institutions seeking long-term capital protection through allocated, fully segregated precious-metal ownership.
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A video accompanying this announcement is available here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=-PvzlkZpnZg
