Market Optimism Evaporates: BofA Survey Shows Dramatic Shift to Defensive Positioning

Silver shattered records this week, topping $60 per ounce while central banks accelerated gold buying to the highest level of 2025. Meanwhile, Trump sets “immediate” rate cuts as his litmus test for the next Fed chair, and his $12 billion farm bailout reveals the true cost of his trade war.

Gold trades steady at $4,200 as the Fed prepares a hawkish rate cut Wednesday. Global central banks are pumping the brakes on easing, while persistent inflation keeps Americans struggling with soaring costs for food, housing, and childcare—fueling safe-haven demand.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is set to deliver another rate cut this week despite growing dissent among policymakers. Meanwhile, China’s central bank extended its gold buying streak to 13 consecutive months, even as prices trade near record highs. State Street Global Advisors sees a potential path for gold to reach $5,000 per ounce in 2026, driven by Fed easing, record central bank buying, and surging ETF inflows. Harvard University just tripled its Bitcoin stake while doubling down on gold—allocating 2-to-1 in what one analyst called a “debasement trade.” As banking regulators roll back post-crisis lending restrictions, institutional investors are positioning for a new regime of easy money and rising systemic risks.