Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at Electric Utility All-Terrain Vehicles (UATVs) for retreats. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)
Precious Metals:
Gold is Poised to Move as the Euro is Now Cheaper than the USD.
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The Best Historical Comparison for Gold & Silver.
Economy & Finance:
This move is indicative: Walmart cancels billions of dollars in orders to right-size inventory levels.
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At Yahoo Finance: UK Economy Shrank Most Since 1709 in Pandemic as Numbers Revised Again.
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The plunge in the stock markets that started on August 26th may be just the beginning, as the central banks talk tough on raising interest rates. I hope and pray that my readers have minimized their exposure to stocks!
Commodities:
At Wolf Street: US Natural Gas Spikes 81% in 7 Weeks, Hits New 14-Year High, Unwinds Plunge in June and July.
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OilPrice News reports: Iran And Russia Move To Create A Global Natural Gas Cartel.
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“Tsunami Of Shutoffs”: 1 In 6 US Homes Are Behind On Power Bills.
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Why Tomatoes Will Soon Be Impossible To Find.
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“This Is Beyond Imagination”: Polish Homeowners Line Up For Days To Buy Coal Ahead Of Winter.
Derivatives:
JP Morgan: Leaving LIBOR: A Landmark Transition. (The USD LIBOR will continue at a staggered rate until June 2023.)
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A change is coming January 1, 2023, in connection with Federal speculative position limits for economically equivalent swaps, per the 2021 Position Limits for Derivatives.
Forex & Cryptos:
Canadian dollar forecast: CAD feels heat of sputtering economy, plunging commodity prices.
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Euro Falls Below Parity with U.S. Dollar Again, Hits 20-Year-Low Amid Energy Crisis.
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Bank of Israel raises interest rate by 0.75pc to 2.0pc.
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Reader H.L. sent this item: Mexico Central Bank Debates Whether to ‘Decouple’ From US Fed.
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Over at Motley Fool: What Is Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)? (Thanks to MMC for the link.)
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Tangibles Investing:
New home sales decline to lowest level in six years.
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I often have consulting clients ask me about electric all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). While I am not a fan of electric cars, I do see the logic of having at least one very quiet electric ATV at a rural retreat. Range is not an issue for a vehicle that rarely goes more than a few miles beyond your property. And the economics of these vehicles make great sense, particularly for those of us who make our own photovoltaic, wind, or micro-hydro power.
We were “early adopters” of the Bad Boy Buggy electric utility ATV (UATV). We bought the first generation model. Ours, in fact, is so early that it has a 3-digit serial number. It has been quite reliable. Replacing the set of eight 6-volt golf cart batteries once every 7 to 9 years is a hefty expense. To explain: It has a 48-volt system, just like most golf carts. The early Bad Boy Buggy design was essentially just a golf cart on an ATV suspension, plus beefier bumpers, and an electric winch. The more recent generations have diverged quite a bit from their humble golf cart roots. We’ve been quite pleased with our machine, and we use it almost daily for about 9 months of the year. In fact, we use it much more than we use our ATVs with gas engines.
A few years after being bought out by EzGo, the Bad Boy brand (with design and tooling) was again bought out, by Textron in 2017. See this video review of a more recent “Prowler” 72-volt model. Thankfully, parts — even for the early models – are still widely available. Textron also bought Arctic Cat, and they have from all reports still offer great parts and customer service.
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Video: Boats Are 50% Off – What’s Next?
Provisos:
SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for our detailed disclaimers.
News Tips:
Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant because they come from folks who closely watch specific markets. If you spot any news that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers, then please send it in. News items from local news outlets that are missed by the news wire services are especially appreciated. And it need not be only about commodities and precious metals. Thanks!