Silver Rises Over 120% YTD 
Daily News Nuggets | Today’s top stories for gold and silver investors
January 20th, 2026
Precious Metals Surge to New Heights
Gold and silver are surging. In just 24 hours, gold jumped 3.11% to clear $4,700/oz. Silver rocketed 5.8% higher, now trading above $95/oz.
The move reflects growing concerns about tariffs and economic uncertainty. Investors are piling into safe-haven assets as trade policy dominates headlines. Silver’s outperformance is particularly notable — industrial demand remains strong even as its role as a monetary hedge gains traction.
Both metals are now in uncharted territory. For context, gold has gained over 9% since the start of the year. Silver’s gains are even steeper, up more than 30% in the same period.
The rally shows no signs of cooling. With policy uncertainty high and inflation concerns lingering, precious metals continue to attract capital from investors seeking protection.
One major catalyst is escalating geopolitical tension.
The Financial System Isn’t Safer — And You Know It As risks mount, see why gold and silver are projected to keep shining in 2026 and beyond.
Trump’s Greenland Push Rattles Markets
President Trump’s threat to seize Greenland is sending shockwaves through financial markets. Trump warned he could impose tariffs on eight European nations that opposed his territorial ambitions.
The proposal has strained NATO alliances at a critical moment. French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing for the EU to activate anti-coercion measures. Germany is trying to de-escalate, but tensions remain high.
Markets are treating this as a new front in global trade uncertainty. What started as an unusual diplomatic gambit now threatens economic fallout across the Atlantic. The “Sell America” trade is gaining traction as investors reconsider U.S. risk.
The geopolitical turmoil is boosting safe-haven demand. Gold and silver are benefiting as investors seek protection from what analysts call “resource nationalism between major powers.” Combined with Trump’s attacks on Fed independence, precious metals are finding multiple tailwinds.
New Study: Americans Bear Nearly All Tariff Costs
A new study from the Kiel Institute in Germany confirms what many economists have warned: U.S. consumers pay the overwhelming majority of tariff costs. The research found Americans shoulder 96% of the burden, while foreign producers absorb just 4%.
The findings counter claims that tariffs primarily punish other countries. Instead, the costs show up as higher prices for American shoppers — essentially functioning as a sales tax on imported goods.
With new tariff proposals making headlines, the study adds fuel to inflation concerns. If trade barriers expand, consumer prices could face renewed pressure just as the Fed works to keep inflation in check.
These inflationary pressures are contributing to a broader crisis of confidence in the dollar.
Investing in Physical Metals Made Easy
Dollar Extends Historic Slide as Reserve Status Erodes
The U.S. dollar is posting one of its weakest starts to a year in decades. The Dollar Index sits near 99, hovering around multi-month lows following 2025’s worst annual performance in eight years — a decline of more than 9%.
The pound jumped 7.7% against the dollar last year, its strongest showing since 2017. The euro surged an even steeper 13.5%. Both moves reflect growing doubts about the dollar’s stability as the world’s reserve currency.
Multiple forces are converging against the greenback. Attacks on Fed independence have shaken confidence in U.S. monetary policy. The national debt continues ballooning with no fiscal discipline in sight. Trade war threats are pushing allies to reduce dollar dependence.
This isn’t a short-term blip — it’s part of a structural shift. The interest rate gap between the U.S. and other economies has narrowed dramatically, removing one of the dollar’s key advantages. Markets are pricing in more Fed rate cuts than officials project, betting that political pressure will force easier money.
As the dollar’s purchasing power erodes and its reserve status comes under question, hard assets like gold and silver become more attractive. The dollar’s long-term decline creates a powerful tailwind for monetary metals.
Meanwhile, government debt problems are going global.
Japan’s Bond Market in Freefall, Dragging Global Yields Higher
Japan’s $7.6 trillion bond market experienced its most chaotic session in recent memory Tuesday. The 40-year yield rocketed past 4% — a record since the bond’s debut in 2007.
Long-dated yields surged more than 25 basis points, the largest single-day move since Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs. The 10-year yield hit 2.38%, levels not seen since 1999.
The trigger was Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s election pitch to cut food taxes without explaining how she’d pay for it. Japan already approved a record $780 billion budget with no clear funding source.
The turmoil isn’t staying in Tokyo. U.S. Treasury yields spiked in sympathy—the 30-year approached 5%. Japan is the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt at $1.2 trillion. If Japanese investors stop buying Treasuries, U.S. borrowing costs could climb higher.
Global bond markets are signaling government spending has gone too far—an environment that favors hard assets over paper promises.
