Posts On Economic and Geopolitical News

October 24, 2017 |

Will Tax Cuts Weigh on Gold?

FED

The Senate has voted and passed a budget plan that could potentially pave the way for significant U.S. tax cuts. The House plans to take up the budget blueprint (approved by the Senate 51-49) as early as next week. A quick passage through the House could enable a tax cut plan to move forward expeditiously. The initial reaction being seen on Friday is dollar strength and gold weakness. That’s all it is, however, a knee-jerk reaction. Whether or not tax cuts might weigh on gold... Continue Reading

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October 20, 2017 |

Why the Next Crash Could be Worse than 1987

Stocks have been climbing for a solid decade now, and more and more investors appear ready to jump on the bandwagon for fear of missing additional gains. As has been discussed at length in previous posts, however, the market has the potential to take a swift and severe turn lower, catching many investors off-guard in the process. In fact, the next major stock market crash could potentially be greater than what was seen in 1987, when the Dow lost almost a full quarter of its... Continue Reading

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October 18, 2017 |

Is Gold on the Verge of a Major Breakout?

Rally

The gold market is showing some impressive signs of strength in recent weeks after pulling back from the highs seen in mid-September. The market is trading back above the $1300 level and holding its ground. The yellow metal could potentially make a quick run back to those highs seen last month around $1350. The question is: Will the market be able to make a sustainable move higher? Gold has a number of key issues currently working in its favor, with two potential hurdles. The market... Continue Reading

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October 16, 2017 |

A Lot More of the Same

all-time

Yesterday, investors got the release of the latest Fed meeting minutes. For those looking for more clarity from the central bank regarding its plans for monetary policy going forward, the minutes were likely a disappointment. In its commentary, the central bank discussed jobs, a lack of inflation and a stronger economy. They also again reiterated another rate hike this year. While the Fed focused on a number of positives, there are some key negatives that cannot be overlooked. The Fed’s failure to spark meaningful inflation... Continue Reading

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October 12, 2017 |

Geopolitics Remain a Key Driver

Gold has gotten the week off to a strong start, moving sharply higher on Monday and seeing follow-through upside on Tuesday. The metal is likely seeing renewed buying interest as the geopolitical landscape continues to warrant risk aversion. The recent vote by Catalonia to secede from Spain is just one of several key issues that could potentially fuel risk aversion. Over the weekend, thousands of Spaniards protested the potential move, and it remains unclear if the region will in fact break away from the rest... Continue Reading

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October 10, 2017 |

The Market’s Demise May Be Another Step Closer

The stock market continues to show strength as it remains on a decidedly upward trajectory. Recent articles in financial media have even discussed the possibility of a good old-fashioned melt-up in stocks from current levels. Although the market could certainly see further gains from current levels, eventually the stock bulls will run out of gas and things will turn. While no one knows when stocks could reverse course or even collapse, the magnitude of those declines would seemingly be increasing with each and every new... Continue Reading

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October 6, 2017 |

Could Higher Rates Derail Gold?

Interest Rate Block

It seems that a big deal has been made of the latest FOMC meeting at which the Fed reiterated its plans for another rate hike in 2017, and three hikes next year. Will the Fed make good on its promise? That’s an entirely different question. It is important to keep in mind that the Fed was originally planning on raising rates three times in 2016, yet only one hike actually materialized at the end of the year. Could the Fed end up electing to hold... Continue Reading

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September 28, 2017 |

A Powder Keg

Gold is seeing a moderate pullback on Tuesday following gains to start the week. The situation with North Korea appears to be deteriorating, and investors finally appear to be waking up to the fact that an armed conflict could potentially be seen in the coming weeks or months. North Korea has stated that the U.S. has declared war on the nation, and has also threatened to attack U.S. bombers even if not in North Korean airspace. This follows President Trump’s threat to destroy North Korea... Continue Reading

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September 26, 2017 |

Buying Opportunity

The price of gold has seen some moderate declines in recent days. Although some may attribute these declines to the FOMC meeting commentary on Wednesday, there may be other, simpler forces at work. On Wednesday, the Fed reiterated its plans for another interest rate hike this year, and the central bank says it remains on track for another three rate hikes next year. The Fed seems intent on following through with its plans despite a significant lack of inflation and other issues that could potentially... Continue Reading

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September 22, 2017 |

Anything New From the Fed?

FED

The highly anticipated FOMC meeting has now come and gone. Although the central bank elected to leave rates unchanged-for now any-the bank did announce it would start the process of reducing the size of its massive balance sheet. This announcement did not come as a surprise to markets, and thus far the market’s reaction to the announcement has been pretty quiet. The central bank stated that it will begin the unwinding process in October, reducing its balance sheet by $10 billion per month. The Fed... Continue Reading

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