The spread is the gap between UOB's "Bank Sells At" price (what you pay to buy gold) and "Bank Buys At" price (what UOB pays when you sell back). It is effectively UOB's margin per gram — and the round-trip cost you absorb the moment you walk out of the branch.

A normal 100GM spread sits near our 30-day average of S$378.17. When the spread widens 15–30% above that, the market is signalling stress: thin wholesale liquidity, FX volatility, or a fast-moving spot price. Buying during a wide-spread day means paying premium today AND receiving less if you sell soon after.

Practical rule of thumb: if you must buy on a "Wide" day (e.g. during a crash rebound), accept that you are paying for liquidity, not gold. If you can wait 24–48 hours for the spread to normalize, you typically save 1–3% — meaningful on a S$10,000+ purchase. Compare against BullionStar and Silver Bullion spreads before any large transaction.