Precious metals news

Japan has relinquished its position as the world's third-largest economy to Germany, sliding into recession amid challenges such as a depreciating yen and demographic issues like an aging and decreasing population. Despite achieving a 1.9% growth in 2023 in nominal terms (not adjusted for inflation), Japan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in dollar terms amounted to $4.2 trillion, falling short of Germany's $4.5 trillion. The depreciation of the yen, which saw nearly a fifth of its value eroded against the dollar over the last two years—including a 7% drop last year alone—has been a critical factor, as it diminishes the value of repatriated earnings from exports.

Gold surpassed the $2,000 mark, following disappointing U.S. retail sales figures that led to a decrease in the dollar value and Treasury yields. This turnaround in the market has been a positive development for investors in gold, with the price of spot gold reaching an intraday high of $2,008.18 per ounce. Despite a slight pullback, gold managed to maintain its position above the $2,000 threshold in a fluctuating market environment. The upcoming release of the U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) is eagerly awaited, as it is expected to shed light on the current state of inflation and potentially influence future interest rate decisions.

Home prices in Florida's southwest coast are dropping, primarily driven by the steep rise in home insurance costs. This insurance crisis has led to a surge in inventory as potential buyers, particularly those looking to purchase winter homes, are deterred by the skyrocketing premiums. The Insurance Information Institute reports a 42% increase in insurance rates last year alone, placing the average insurance cost for Floridian homeowners at $6,000, in stark contrast to the national average of $1,700.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen argues that minor fluctuations should not distract from the significant longer-term trends of decreasing inflation, a strong economy, and rising wages. Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club alongside Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Yellen expressed confidence in the economic trajectory, labeling market reactions to short-term data as a "tremendous mistake" and urged a focus on the overall downward movement of inflation.

In late 2023, federal regulators highlighted concerns over approximately two dozen U.S. banks with major concerns over their commercial real estate loan portfolios. These banks, noted for accumulating commercial property loans that exceed three times their total capital, are now under the microscope for their large exposures to commercial real estate sectors such as office buildings and retail spaces.

The yield curve has long been a signal of potential financial market turbulence. But this last year, it missed the mark. Now, there's a shift in the markets. Longer-term yields rising more than shorter-term indicates worsening conditions in liquidity and funding markets that are vital for the market's health.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller emphasized the U.S. dollar will remain the world's reserve currency, despite speculation about its potential decline. In his address at a conference, Waller acknowledged various factors that could threaten the dollar's status, including sanctions against Russia, U.S. political challenges, the emergence of digital assets, and China's promotion of the renminbi. However, he argued that these issues have not significantly impacted the dollar's prominent role in global economics.

In a bold move to revive their economy, Zimbabwe has announced plans to launch a gold-backed currency. Will they succeed?

This week saw a significant increase in mortgage rates, pushing past the 7% threshold and dampening the enthusiasm of potential homebuyers. The rise in rates comes amid persistent high inflation, challenging the previously held optimism for a Federal Reserve rate cut in time for the spring buying season. Specifically, the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage climbed from 6.97% to a peak of 7.13% on February 13, as per Mortgage News Daily, before settling at 7.03%. This upward trend in mortgage rates is making entering the housing market harder than ever.

Boston is facing a significant challenge as the city anticipates a tax revenue shortfall exceeding $1 billion in the next five years due to the depreciating office real estate market. This forecast stems from a collaborative analysis by Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis and the Boston Policy Institute, drawing on a McKinsey & Co. projection of a potential 30% reduction in office property values by the decade's end. The city's heavy reliance on commercial property taxes exacerbates the situation.

The silver price has dipped since December, from almost $26 per ounce to around $22 today. We reported on silver being a relative bargain at the time, and with lower spot prices and an even higher gold/silver ratio today, gold’s monetary sibling is looking like an even more attractive buy than it was late last year.

The cryptocurrency market has seen a significant resurgence, with its total value surging back above the $2 trillion mark. This rally was led by Bitcoin, which is currently trading around $52,000, and Ether, which has recovered to its value prior to the TerraUSD stablecoin collapse nearly two years ago. Bitcoin's impressive year-to-date gain of almost 25% has been a major factor in elevating the digital asset market's capitalization to this milestone level for the first time since April 2022, according to data from CoinGecko.

the Central Bank of Ireland notably doubled its gold reserves in 2022, expanding its holdings from six to twelve metric tonnes. This strategic decision, articulated by then Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe, was aimed at diversifying the bank's long-term investment approach to enhance the resilience of its balance sheet. This move underscores the role of gold as a key component in safeguarding financial stability amidst the volatility of modern investment avenues.

Stanley Druckenmiller's Duquesne Family Office has made significant adjustments to its portfolio, as revealed in a recent SEC filing. Druckenmiller's firm divested its holdings in tech giants Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com, and Broadcom Inc., while making a notable pivot towards the precious metals sector, Duquesne has invested in gold mining companies Barrick Gold Corp. and Newmont Corp., which have been undervalued in recent times.

In January, retail sales experienced a significant decline of 0.8%, indicating a potential warning signal for the economy. This drop, reported by the Commerce Department, surpassed the modest 0.3% decrease economists had predicted, reflecting a more substantial consumer pullback than anticipated. Despite seasonal adjustments, the decrease was even evident when excluding auto sales, which fell by 0.6% against an expected increase. This trend suggests consumer spending is not keeping pace with inflation, as evidenced by the year-over-year sales growth of merely 0.6%. Such a sharp reduction in consumer spending could have implications for economic health, particularly if this trend continues.

During this week's Super Bowl ads, Biden slammed greedy corporations for inflation. In his most recent podcast, Peter explains exactly what’s happening with inflation, and why Biden’s blame game has it backward.

With the Gold price finally surpassing $2,000, what will it take to get it over $3,000?  That all depends upon important Gold Market fundamentals that I discuss in detail in this Video Report.  Although, we will probably haven't seen the lows yet in the gold price, especially during a significant market correction...

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr commented on the economic challenges ahead, noting the U.S.'s path back to 2% inflation "may be a bumpy one." Despite a year-on-year consumer price increase of 3.1% and a core inflation rate holding steady at 3.9%, largely propelled by rising shelter costs, Barr expressed a cautious optimism. He reaffirmed the Fed's commitment to steering the economy back to a 2% inflation target. However, he emphasized that the journey towards this goal is anticipated to be fraught with obstacles, as underscored by the latest data.

Japan's financial leaders have raised concerns over the swift and speculative decline of the yen, which recently crossed the 150 mark against the dollar, posing risks to its trade-dependent economy. This warning came as the dollar reached a three-month high against the yen following U.S. inflation data for January, which exceeded expectations and bolstered the belief that the Federal Reserve might maintain current interest rate levels into March. This situation highlights the delicate balance between national economic interests and global currency markets, particularly how external factors like U.S. monetary policy can influence the value of currencies like the yen and affect economies reliant on international trade.

CNBC shows the inflation breakdown for January 2024 in one chart. The CPI rose by 3.1% in January and workers’ buying power has increased each month since May. However, there were a few potentially worrying signs under the surface.