Category: Economics & Investing

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at lumber prices. (See the Commodities section.) Precious Metals: Spot gold and silver both took a pounding this week. This was mostly attributed to Dollar strength, with news that interest rates would remain high. But part of this was also due to the stock market decline — a 400-point drop on Tuesday.  Doubtless, …

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, news of BRICS countries dumping U.S. Treasuries. (See the Economy & Finance section.) Precious Metals: Costco says its 1-ounce gold bars are real and have been selling out in hours. o  o  o Spot silver and gold both dipped sharply, over the weekend. This is another buying opportunity, for those of you who stack bullion …

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance and the factors that affect gold prices. What Did Gold Do in September? Gold prices surprised observers by resisting selling pressure until the last part of the month. A breakdown in stocks, bonds, and gold caused by abysmal consumer confidence and plunging new home sales on September 26th pushed gold prices to $1,919. Bond yields hit 4.6% and the dollar index rose to 106.82 on the 27th, forcing December gold $29 lower and …

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, news of the FBIs’s “lost” gold coins. (See the Precious Metals section.) Precious Metals: Stewart Thomson: A Blowoff For Rates & A Surge For Gold. o  o  o Several SurvivalBlog readers sent this: FBI sued after allegedly losing hundreds of thousands in rare coins during raid. An excerpt: “The Institute for Justice filed two lawsuits …

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the SEC’s revised 80% rule. (See the Economy & Finance section.) Precious Metals: Price pressure on gold, silver as Fed signals higher for longer. o  o  o As Gold Hit New Record High In Yuan, Chinese Demand Improved In August. Economy & Finance: Notice from the SEC: Statement on Updates to the …

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at inflation and recession fears. (See the Inflation/Deflation Watch section.) Precious Metals: Alasdair Macleod: A brief history of the gold standard. o  o  o At Gold-Eagle.com: Transitory 2.0 Is Coming for Gold. Economy & Finance: Average American household now has $10,170 credit card debt. o  o  o Reader H.L. sent us this: Hedge …

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the low market price of corn. (See the Commodities section.) Precious Metals: What is Going On? Three Separate Coin Shop Owners Shocked as Their Bank Accounts Suddenly Shut Down with No Reason Given (Video). JWR’s Comments:  I was “debanked” two years ago, for political reasons.  All in all, I Hate Banks! o  …

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at rising oil and fuel prices. (See the Commodities section.) Precious Metals: SurvivalBlog’s Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson suggested this article: Platinum Market on track to see record 1-million ounce deficit in 2023. o  o  o Dave Kranzler, over at Gold-Eagle.com: Gold & Silver Are Facing 2008-Like Conditions. Economy & Finance: Moody’s cuts China’s …

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the possibility of another gold confiscation. (See the Precious Metals section.) Precious Metals: Reader H.L. mentioned this, over at Doug Casey’s International Man: Don’t Dismiss the Possibility of Gold Confiscation. JWR’s Comment:  This is just one more reason to have a precious metals portfolio that is heavy on silver. Confiscating all of the …

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at expected crashes in commercial and residential real estate. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) Precious Metals: What To Expect For Gold If We Enter A Deflationary Period. o  o  o Another, at Gold-Eagle.com: Piepenburg, Rule and Rickards Agree: Gold’s Role Rises as Dollar Hegemony Falls. Economy & Finance: Billions of dollars are flowing out …

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance and the factors that affect gold prices. What Did Gold Do in August? The triple whammy of higher bond yields, lower oil prices, and a surging dollar worked to depress gold prices in the middle of the month, causing spot gold to close under $1,900 from the 16th to the 22nd. An unexpectedly soft PMI report on the 23rd finally lifted the foot of bond yields off the neck of gold as the …

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the Urban Doom Loop concept. (See the Economy & Finance section.) Precious Metals: A fascinating read, from Jan Nieuwenhuijs: The West Is Losing Control Over the Gold Price. o  o  o Zimbabwe central bank close to introducing gold-backed digital tokens into retail. o  o  o Central Bank Gold Demand Hits Record High, …

Today, in place of my usual Monday column on economics and investing, I’d like to briefly delve into some of the implications of the recently announced expansion of the BRICS trading alliance. The acronym “BRIC” was first coined in 2001 by Terence James O’Neill — then of Goldman Sachs — in describing the fast-growing economies that would dominate the global economy by 2050: Brazil, Russia, India, and China.  Over time, South Africa was added to the acronym, making it BRICS. Oddly, O’Neill’s term of art eventually morphed into an actual multi-national organization.  In recent years, primarily under mainland Chinese leadership, …