Silver Rises Over 120% YTD 
China’s central bank (PBoC) has continued its gold buying streak for the sixth consecutive month, adding 70,000 ounces (just over 2 tons) to its reserves in April. However, this represents a declining trend in monthly purchases, down from nearly 3 tons in March, 5 tons in January and February, and over 10 tons in December. Since resuming gold purchases last November, the PBoC has acquired a total of 970,000 ounces (about 30 tons)—significantly less than previous buying sprees when it purchased similar amounts in a single month. Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch suggests this reduced buying interest might be connected to rising gold prices or could indicate unreported purchases.
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Oil Crashed 11%. Gold Went Up. That Tells You Everything.
Oil crashed 11% on Friday when Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz. Gold went up. That rare divergence — oil down, gold up, same catalyst — signals that gold’s rally is driven by monetary forces, not geopolitical ones. The war premium left oil. The monetary premium stayed in gold. Here is what that means for precious metals investors watching the Fed’s next move.
April 17, 2026
