Gold and Silver Industry & Investing News

A nationwide “economic blackout” is taking place today as Americans participate in a 24-hour boycott of major retailers including Walmart, Target, Amazon, and McDonald’s. The protest, which gained momentum after organizer John Schwarz’s Instagram video garnered over 8 million views, primarily targets alleged corporate price-gouging and tax avoidance. Though the message has become intertwined with separate protests against companies rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, he clarifies his focus remains on economic issues while encouraging consumers to support local businesses instead.

Financial markets are facing a potentially dangerous convergence of economic factors that could trigger a significant downturn, according to Dhaval Joshi, chief strategist at BCA Research. The S&P 500 has already lost its yearly gains amid growing concerns about tech valuations, economic uncertainty from job cuts, and Trump’s tariff rhetoric. Behind these immediate concerns lurks a more structural threat stemming from divergent inflation profiles between nations. The U.S. and U.K. are experiencing what Joshi terms “mini-stagflation” – slowing economic growth combined with persistently high inflation expectations due to collective memory of past inflation shocks. Meanwhile, the EU and Japan maintain...

America’s economy is now running on two separate tracks. The top 10% of households—those earning over $250,000 yearly—account for half of all consumer spending and a third of GDP, according to Moody’s Analytics. This concentration of spending power has reached record levels since tracking began in 1989, nearly doubling from the 1990s when these high earners represented just a third of consumer spending. This explains today’s contradictory economic signals: packed luxury restaurants alongside soaring credit card defaults, and sold-out premium events while inflation squeezes the middle class. “I’m not comfortable with it,” warns Mark Zandi, Moody’s chief economist, about this...

Gold markets faced substantial headwinds last week, creating a bearish engulfing candlestick pattern that signals potential further weakness in the immediate future. Technical analysis points to a critical support zone around $2,800, which aligns with a significant trend line, the 50-day Exponential Moving Average, and previous swing high resistance-turned-support. The current downward pressure might be temporary, potentially caused by traders needing to liquidate gold positions to cover substantial losses in other markets. If this is indeed the case, the precious metal could stage a relatively quick recovery. Traders and investors should closely monitor price action around the $2,800 level as...

Over 600 tons of gold (nearly 20 million ounces) has flooded into New York City vaults since December as traders rush to stockpile the precious metal ahead of Donald Trump’s impending tariffs. Initially targeting Canada and Mexico with 25% tariffs set to take effect next week, market fears have expanded to potential broader tariffs affecting other major gold hubs like the UK and Switzerland. This unprecedented movement has created what experts call a “glut of gold” in New York, disrupting normal supply chains and driving U.S. gold futures to outpace international counterparts.

The housing market is experiencing significant disruption with over 41,000 U.S. home-purchase agreements falling through in January, representing 14.3% of homes under contract – the highest cancellation rate for this season on record. This shift is driven by three key factors: First, housing inventory has reached its highest level since 2020 while pending sales hit record lows, giving buyers leverage to back out during inspections when better options appear. Second, economic uncertainty from tariffs, layoffs, and policy changes is causing hesitation among both buyers and sellers. Third, the combination of high mortgage rates (which hit an eight-month high of 6.96%...

Inflation rose 2.5% in January according to the PCE index, which is the measurement the Federal Reserve watches most closely. This matched what economists expected. While inflation has fallen significantly from its 9% peak in mid-2022, it’s still higher than the Fed’s 2% goal. Another inflation measure, the Consumer Price Index, showed prices rising at 3% in January. Economists note that these persistent inflation figures validate the Federal Reserve’s decision in January to hold off on further interest rate cuts. Consumer sentiment is deteriorating amid these economic pressures, with a CBS News poll revealing most Americans feel their incomes aren’t...

Despite the recent price pullback, Goldman Sachs has raised its gold price forecast to $3,100 per troy ounce by the end of 2025, representing an 8% increase from current levels. This bullish outlook is driven primarily by strong central bank demand, as countries have been increasing their gold reserves since Russian assets were frozen in 2022. Additional support will come from growing interest in gold ETFs as interest rates decline, though a potential reduction in speculative positions may partially offset these gains. Under a scenario of continued global uncertainty, prices could climb even higher to $3,300.

Gold demand in India has begun to improve this week as prices retreated from record highs, though many buyers remain cautious. Dealers reduced discounts to $12-$27 per ounce from last week’s $35. Meanwhile, Chinese gold imports via Hong Kong fell significantly in January, hitting their lowest level since April 2022. India’s February gold imports are projected to plummet 85% year-over-year to a 20-year low, with tightening supplies as banks have barely imported any gold this month.