US Consumer Confidence Plunges in February, Marking Largest Drop Since 2021

U.S. consumer confidence took a significant hit in February, recording its steepest monthly decline since August 2021. The sharp drop signals a potential shift in Americans’ economic outlook after months of relative stability. This unexpected downturn in consumer sentiment may influence Federal Reserve policy decisions and could have implications for consumer spending, which drives approximately 70% of U.S. economic activity.

Oil Prices Dip as Markets React to Trump’s Sanctions and Tariff Threats

Oil prices edged lower in volatile trading as markets responded to multiple developments from the Trump administration. Brent crude slipped to near $74 a barrel despite new U.S. sanctions on entities linked to Iranian oil shipments. Contributing to the uncertainty, Trump confirmed that tariffs against Canada and Mexico—America’s top foreign crude suppliers—remain scheduled for next month. \Meanwhile, Chinese markets fell as investors grew concerned about economic decoupling between the world’s largest economies. These conflicting signals, along with supply issues involving OPEC+ and potential Kurdistan pipeline restarts, have kept oil trading in a narrow range.

Chip War Intensifies: Trump Pushes Allies to Join Tougher China Tech Restrictions

The Trump administration is working to implement tougher semiconductor restrictions against China than those established under President Biden. Recent meetings with Japanese and Dutch officials focused on limiting Tokyo Electron and ASML engineers from maintaining chip equipment in China, aiming to match U.S. restrictions already placed on American companies like Lam Research, KLA, and Applied Materials. Additionally, the administration is considering sanctions against specific Chinese companies and further limiting exports of Nvidia chips to China, signaling an expansion of efforts to restrict Beijing’s technological advancement.

Gold Takes a Breather Near $2,940 as Trump’s Tariff Deadline Approaches

Gold prices dipped slightly on Tuesday but remained near their all-time high as fears of a trade war driven by President Trump’s tariff plans continued to fuel safe-haven demand. After reaching $2,956.15 on Monday—its eleventh record high this year—spot gold fell 0.4% to $2,938.63. Analysts attribute the current range-bound trading to uncertainty about potential tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, which could further widen the price spread between U.S. and London markets. Investors are now awaiting Friday’s PCE inflation report for insights into the Federal Reserve’s future rate decisions.

Commodities Surge 4.3% as Gold Shines and Agriculture Rebounds

Commodities rose 4.3% last month, performing better than stocks (+3.1%) and bonds (+1.1%). Gold led the way, reaching a record high of $2,950 per ounce and helping precious metals jump 7.2%. Investors bought gold because they’re worried about new tariffs, and central banks are purchasing gold at more than twice their 2012-2021 average. Farm products grew 6.6% due to bad weather in South America. Wheat prices went up 8.7% after poor harvest forecasts in Argentina and Europe, while coffee prices climbed because of drought in Brazil threatening crops. Industrial metals increased 2.1% despite new 25% U.S. tariffs on steel and […]

Is the Paper Gold House of Cards Collapsing? 

Someone just took delivery of gold equal to 11% of US reserves. Is this the canary in the gold mine as paper gold promises face physical reality?

Bitcoin Retreats Below $90K, Retracing Nearly Half of Post-Election Surge

Bitcoin has dropped below the $90,000 mark, falling approximately 3% to $88,901 amid mixed performance in U.S. markets. This decline represents a 47% retracement of Bitcoin’s post-election rally that ran from November 5 to its record close on December 17. Despite this selloff, market analysts note that from a technical perspective, Bitcoin remains in relatively strong territory, with the current correction not yet reaching key Fibonacci retracement levels.

Metals in Motion: How Tariff Fears Are Driving a Physical Gold Stockpiling Frenzy

The global precious metals market is experiencing its most significant transformation since the 1970s, driven by political uncertainty, tariff threats, and unprecedented logistical challenges. Greg Frith of StoneX highlights how Trump’s America First policy and potential tariffs have created significant uncertainty, prompting major banks to stockpile physical gold in New York’s Comex vaults—similar to behavior during the early pandemic. This defensive positioning has fundamentally altered the relationship between London’s physical markets and New York’s futures markets. The most notable shift has been from contango (future prices exceeding spot prices) to backwardation, as gold rapidly moves from London to New York, […]

Buy Silver, Not Gold: Jim Rogers’ Contrarian View on Precious Metals

Veteran commodity investor Jim Rogers has stated he prefers silver to gold in the current market environment, specifically highlighting silver’s more affordable price as his main rationale. This perspective comes as precious metals continue to attract attention from investors seeking safe havens amid global economic uncertainties. Beyond his metals strategy, Rogers disclosed that he’s maintaining positions in US dollars and agricultural commodities as part of his broader investment portfolio. He expressed considerable optimism about India’s economic trajectory under its current leadership, suggesting that investors should view market downturns as potential entry points into Indian markets. Throughout his comments, Rogers reinforced […]

Banks’ Gold Short Squeeze: A Financial Shockwave Bigger Than 2008?

Gold Short Squeeze: Banks are rushing to cover massive gold shorts—could this trigger a financial crisis bigger than 2008? Mike Maloney & Alan Hibbard explain.