Wall Street Lunch: Gold Glitters As Investors Run Towards Safe Heaven Assets

Gold Market Insights - Gold futures have surpassed $4,000/oz for the first time, with spot gold reaching an intraday high of $3,990.65 [3] - The rally in gold prices is attributed to inflation and currency devaluation risks in the U.S. and other major economies, as noted by Daniel Altman [4] - Gold has increased over 50% this year, driven by investor demand for safe-haven assets amid new tariffs and concerns about central bank independence [5] - Goldman Sachs has raised its gold price target for the end of next year to $4,900 from $4,300, indicating that ETF inflows and central bank purchases are likely to continue [5] Ford Motor Company - Ford shares have declined following a fire at a New York plant that supplies 40% of the auto industry's aluminum sheet, leading to an estimated $800 million hit to EBIT [6][7] - The F-Series pickup, a major product for Ford, is one of the largest consumers of aluminum in the auto industry [7] Trilogy Metals - Trilogy Metals' stock has surged over 200% after South32 agreed to sell approximately $17.8 million worth of shares to the U.S. Department of Defense, resulting in a 10% stake for Washington in the Canadian exploration company [7] Dell Technologies - Dell has raised its long-term financial targets, now expecting annual revenue growth between 7% and 9%, up from a previous estimate of 3% to 4% [8] Employment Data Insights - Carlyle Group estimates that the U.S. added 17,000 jobs in September, similar to the official August nonfarm payrolls number of 22,000, based on its global portfolio [9] - Alternative indicators of employment have been criticized for leading to larger forecasting errors, according to economist Samual Tombs [9] Consumer Expectations - Consumers have raised their inflation expectations for both short- and long-term horizons in September, while their views on the labor market have weakened [10] Market Conditions - Current market conditions are likened to those of 1999, with investor Paul Tudor Jones suggesting that leverage metrics are higher than before the dot-com bubble [13]