Gold Royalty Companies Post Record Profits While Traditional Miners Struggle with Rising Costs

Gold reached a historic high of $3,500 per ounce in April 2025, marking a 25% gain in the first half of the year, and currently hovers near this peak. The surge is driven by multiple factors: central banks are aggressively buying gold with 43% planning to increase reserves, the US dollar has fallen 8% despite high Treasury yields, and the Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates soon. Wealthy investors have doubled their gold allocations to 11% from 5%, while gold ETFs attracted $21.1 billion in Q1 2025. Analysts project gold could stabilize between $3,300-$3,500, with some forecasting prices reaching

China views the US GENIUS Act and the rise of dollar-backed stablecoins as a serious threat to its financial sovereignty. The new law allows regulated US banks to issue stablecoins that could attract up to $1.75 trillion in circulation over three years, creating digital dollars that can move globally beyond China’s capital controls. Beijing fears these blockchain-based tokens could undermine its financial repression system and the yuan’s role in international trade. In response, China is experimenting with its own controlled blockchain solutions, including potential renminbi-backed stablecoins in Hong Kong that would be fully traceable and programmable, reflecting Beijing’s vision of

Four years after pandemic-era inflation began surging, American workers’ wages still haven’t fully caught up to price increases. According to Bankrate’s Wage To Inflation Index, the gap stands at -1.2 percentage points, with prices rising 22.7% since early 2021 while wages grew only 21.5%. Though the gap has narrowed from its peak of -4.8 percentage points in 2022, a slowing job market is hampering progress. If current trends continue, workers’ paychecks won’t fully recover their purchasing power until the third quarter of 2026.

The US economy faces mounting challenges as job growth slows dramatically and inflation remains stubbornly above target. July’s employment report showed just 73,000 jobs added, well below expectations, while the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%. Despite wage gains, inflation concerns persist with tariff-induced price pressures expected to push inflation toward 3.1% by year-end. The Federal Reserve faces a difficult balancing act between fighting inflation and supporting employment, with economists projecting GDP growth to slow to just 1% in the second half of 2025 as consumer spending weakens and businesses pull back on hiring.

The Trump administration has expanded its 50% steel and aluminum tariffs to include 407 additional product categories, effective Monday. The new tariffs now cover everyday items containing steel or aluminum, including auto parts, fire extinguishers, machinery, construction materials, plastics, and specialty chemicals. Experts estimate these tariffs now affect at least $320 billion of imports, up from $190 billion, potentially adding more inflationary pressure to rising prices.