Precious metals news

According to a recent Bloomberg Markets Live Pulse survey, while gold remains the preferred hedge against inflation for 46% of respondents, nearly a third now view major U.S. tech stocks as a viable alternative, reflecting a significant shift towards betting on innovation to counteract rising prices. This suggests a growing confidence in the tech sector's ability to offer financial stability even during inflationary periods.

Currency markets stabilized on Monday as traders anticipated upcoming U.S. inflation data, which could influence the Federal Reserve's decisions on potential rate cuts in 2024. Following recent weak U.S. labor market results and the Fed's decision against further rate hikes, expectations for easing have increased, with markets predicting about an 80% likelihood of a rate cut by September and a total reduction of around 40 basis points for next year, according to LSEG data.

Demand for gold during the Akshaya Tritiya festival in India, a major gold-buying event, was notably lower this year as soaring prices led to reduced retail interest. Despite dealers offering significant discounts, the high costs deterred many buyers, leading them to limit their purchases to small denomination coins. Jewelry sales were particularly weak, with one Mumbai jeweller reporting only about two-thirds of the sales compared to the previous year.

Gold prices fell on Monday as investors awaited upcoming U.S. inflation reports to gain insights on potential Federal Reserve rate cuts. Spot gold dropped by 0.7% to $2,344.53 per ounce, marking its largest decline in nearly two weeks, while U.S. gold futures also saw a decrease of about 1%. Analysts suggest that profit-taking in anticipation of the CPI data release is influencing the current dip in prices, with expectations that gold will remain relatively stable provided inflation slows down. Key economic indicators, such as the producer price index and consumer price index, are set to be released on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

The Bitcoin Mining Industry is really a "Shareholder-funded Ponzi Scheme" that is underreporting the true cost of producing Bitcoin.  Unfortunately, Bitcoin investors have no idea of the Bitcoin Mining Industry's unsustainable nature, which I explain in this Video Report...

While in office, Trump blamed the Fed for tightening monetary policy. Now members of Trump’s team allegedly plan to give a re-elected Trump more power over the Fed, igniting panic from mainstream economists about a politicized Fed. Our guest commentator explains why the real risk, from the establishment’s perspective, is not that Trump will turn the Fed into a political organization but that he will expose that it already is one.

On Wednesday, Peter appeared on This Week in Mining with Jay Martin. Jay and Peter discuss the state of the economy, the government’s assault on sound money, and why the mining sector constitutes a good investment.

Innovation has a silent killer… a scourge that America has aided and abetted for over a century.
Innovative activity is the backbone of the economy. Because of Google, Honda, and Netflix, life is easier for billions of people around the globe. A Stanford study found that up to 85% of economic growth is due to innovation. But what if all of this innovation never happened? For that matter, how much innovation could have happened, but never did because of government policy? 

With Mother's Day around the corner, gold is up almost $60 on the week. Bad jobs numbers and terrible consumer sentiment have soured economic expectations. The Fed is more likely to lower interest rates sooner, but it's too late to save the economy from the inflation to come.

I can honestly say you are in for a treat today with my newest Video Report on the Great Oil Shale Nothing Burger.  According to Tom Luongo, there seems to be a new "Massive" oil discovery in the western United States.  This is supposed to double the world's oil reserves—OR IS IT...

Could gold be the key to solving America’s debt crisis?

While gold bullion is most often sold in bar or 1oz coin form, the Korean retail market is benefitting from gold’s latest success with a very atypical marketing strategy. It has been traditionally thought that investors prefer larger increments of bullion because they simplify calculations and have a lower transaction cost than buying the same amount of gold in smaller increments. Demand for traditional bars and coins in South Korea rose 27% year on year, but the most interesting development arises from South Korean vending machines and convenience stores. 

The global surge in solar power adoption is significantly increasing the demand for silver, which is essential for making photovoltaic (PV) panels due to its superior electrical conductivity and thermal efficiency. With silver prices reaching their highest in a decade, mining companies are ramping up production to meet this demand. Last year, global investment in solar PV manufacturing skyrocketed to approximately $80 billion, representing 40% of the world’s clean technology manufacturing investments, according to the International Energy Agency. Notably, China has more than doubled its investment in solar PV manufacturing from 2022 to 2023. This investment has contributed to a 50% increase in global renewable capacity last year, with solar PV accounting for three-quarters of this growth, marking the fastest expansion in 30 years.

The April 2024 Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, scheduled for release on May 15 at 8:30 a.m. ET, is anticipated to reflect a continuation of this year’s relatively higher inflation trends, with headline inflation expected at 0.4% and core inflation at 0.3%. These figures, according to models from the Cleveland Federal Reserve and forecasts from Kalshi, suggest inflation will remain above the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) annual target of 2%. Given these conditions, and with another CPI release set for the day of the FOMC’s June meeting, it is unlikely the FOMC will consider interest rate cuts before July, potentially extending further depending on economic indicators such as job market conditions. This scenario supports the expectation that the Federal Reserve might delay any easing of monetary policy if inflation remains stubbornly high.

As the 2024 election approaches, economists are speculating on the potential impact of a Donald Trump victory on U.S. inflation. Predictions suggest that a second Trump term could lead to higher tariffs and increased deficits, among other policies, potentially driving inflation upwards. While economic forecasting is not precise, these predictions are based on previous policies and anticipated future actions that could shape economic conditions.

Inflation, while a key economic indicator, does not impact all demographics uniformly due to the aggregate nature of its measurement. Monthly inflation rates are calculated based on a general basket of goods which may not reflect the true spending habits of various groups, such as low-income or rural families. By examining disaggregated product groups and leveraging high-frequency online price data, researchers can uncover how inflation differentially affects diverse populations, revealing that the experience of inflation varies significantly among different groups.

BCA strategist Roukaya Ibrahim predicts that a recession by early 2025, influenced by continued unemployment and economic difficulties in China, could lead to a 30% decline in the stock market. This view is echoed by Wall Street veteran Gary Shilling, who shared similar concerns with Business Insider. Ibrahim identifies two key factors that signal an impending recession by the end of this year or early next, potentially triggering a significant market correction.

In April, gold prices rose by 4%, closing at $2,307 per ounce, despite a pullback from intra-month highs due to reduced buyer interest and profit-taking, evidenced by lower Chinese premiums, decreased Indian imports, and stable COMEX positions. Conversely, North American gold ETF flows saw a modest increase, aligning with continued strong demand in Asian ETFs.

During the pandemic, Americans saved an impressive $2.1 trillion, fueling sustained consumer spending and economic resilience amidst rising interest rates and persistent inflation. However, recent reports from San Francisco Federal Reserve economists Hamza Abdelrahman and Luiz Edgard Oliveira indicate that these pandemic-era savings are now depleted, with many Americans having more debt than savings as of March 2024. This shift from savings to debt raises concerns about the future of consumer spending, which is a key driver of the U.S. economy. With the depletion of excess savings and an increase in consumer debt and delinquencies, there are growing worries about potential economic downturns.

In the wake of the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, the Federal Reserve introduced the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) to stabilize the financial sector, but this program has recently expired. Simultaneously, the anticipation of a Federal Reserve rate cut has been delayed indefinitely due to ongoing high inflation. This delay means that banks continue to face tough competition from higher-yielding money market funds for depositors. This dual pressure of the expired assistance program and the deferral of rate cuts poses significant challenges for banks, suggesting that now might be an opportune time to bet against them.