Gold and silver prices rose to record highs in early trading on Monday, spurred on by a confluence of a few different political events and economic factors, including tensions over the U.S. seizing of possibly another oil tanker from Venezuela, speculation of future Federal Reserve rate cuts, overall economy insecurity, and bets on U.S. monetary policy in 2026. In addition, there is the issue of increasing U.S. debt and increasing demands of AI. "The continued strength in gold is part of the so-called 'deba ...

Gold and silver prices rose to record highs in early trading on Monday, spurred on by a confluence of a few different political events and economic factors, including tensions over the U.S. seizure of possibly another oil tanker from Venezuela, speculation of future Federal Reserve rate cuts, overall economic insecurity, and bets on U.S. monetary policy in 2026. Most Read from Fast Company In addition, there is the issue of increasing U.S. debt and increasing demands from AI. “The continued strength in ...

Let's bring in Kevin Green, senior market correspondent, right away to help set up the action today. All right, KG. So, you were paying attention to the flows on Friday.Did it land how you expected. >> Uh, a little bit uh reversed. We actually saw a pretty nice gain to the upside as the market opened and then we consolidated in about a 15 point range pretty much throughout the close here.But I think it does set us up well for this week where we have uh let's say a lack of data to say the least here, especia ...

Bloomberg Gold and silver soared to all-time highs, as escalating geopolitical tensions and bets on further US rate cuts added momentum to the best annual performance in more than four decades. Bullion climbed more than 1.5% to surpass the previous record of $4,381 an ounce set in October, while silver rallied as much as 3.4%, closing in on $70 an ounce, extending gains that have put both metals firmly on course for their strongest annual performance since 1979. Most Read from Bloomberg The latest pus ...

Core Insights - The metals market is experiencing record highs, particularly in gold, silver, and copper, driven by various factors including geopolitical tensions and economic conditions [1][2][5] - Gold has seen a significant increase of over 66% this year, influenced by expectations of lower interest rates in the US and a decline in trust towards central banks [2][3] - Analysts, including Goldman Sachs, predict that gold could reach $4,900 next year, especially if private investors increase their exposure to the metal [3][5] Market Dynamics - The current market for precious metals is characterized by high volatility, particularly in smaller markets like silver, platinum, and palladium, which can experience sharp price movements [4] - There is a prevailing bullish sentiment among analysts regarding gold, with many expecting continued upward momentum due to ongoing geopolitical uncertainties [5][6] - The lack of significant private investment in gold thus far suggests that further inflows could drive prices even higher [6]

Looking back on 2025, the sound money, or debasement trade, was decisively won by the metals over bitcoin. Gold delivered one of its best years on record, up 65%, while bitcoin so far is down 7%. Until August, the two assets had similar returns, both up roughly 30%. From that point, gold surged while bitcoin rolled over sharply. This divergence reinforced that gold won the debasement trade narrative leaving bitcoin firmly behind. Bitcoin remains in recovery mode after a 36% correction from its October ...

Bitcoin's (BTC) stark rejection at $90,000 on Wednesday was a quick reminder for investors that precious metals like gold and silver are the real winners of the debasement trade, not — at least for the moment — digital gold. Back in October, JPMorgan analysts said that gold and bitcoin were both benefitting and would continue to benefit from the so-called debasement trade. They projected BTC to follow gold's lead, putting a $165,000 BTC price target on a volatility-adjusted basis relative to gold. So fa ...

The party might just be getting started for gold and other precious metals. - Getty Images He’s bullish on something — and less bearish on U.S. stocks than you’d imagine. Albert Edwards, the notoriously bearish global strategist from Societe Generale, is bullish on precious metals and thinks that, far from resembling a classic investment bubble, the party might just be getting started. Most Read from MarketWatch In his weekly strategy note published Wednesday, Edwards is especially focused on gold and ...

Gold advanced on rising expectations for US interest-rate cuts, while Deutsche Bank AG joined Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in increasing its price forecast for next year. Bullion trade near $4,170 an ounce, up by more than 2% so far this week. Bets the Federal Reserve will lower rates next month have gained traction, with data showing slowing retail sales and declining consumer confidence. Swaps now price in an 80% chance of a quarter-point cut in December. Most Read from Bloomberg Reinforcing prospects for ...

Economic Overview - The stock market has seen significant gains, particularly in AI stocks, which have added $5 trillion to household wealth in the past year [1] - A JP Morgan analysis indicates that Americans gained over $63 trillion in wealth from Q1 2020 to Q2 2025 [1] Equity Ownership - 62% of Americans own US equities, but this figure rises to 84% for households with over $100,000 in income, while it drops to 22% for those earning less than $50,000 [3][4] - This disparity reflects a bifurcated economy, where wealthier households benefit more from capital gains and market movements [4] Employment and Economic Conditions - The unemployment rate for lower-income cohorts is twice that of the national average, indicating significant economic strain on this group [5][6] - Many in this lower-income cohort are at or near recession levels, struggling with stagnant wages that do not keep pace with inflation [4] Retail and Consumer Behavior - Retail performance varies significantly, with companies like Wendy's reporting a nearly 5% decline in same-store sales in the US, while others like McDonald's are successfully targeting low-income consumers with value offerings [7][8] - The K-shaped recovery is evident across various sectors, with businesses adapting strategies to cater to different income groups [8] Inflation and Asset Ownership - Higher prices and inflation have led consumers to seek asset ownership as a means to preserve wealth, with those holding stocks, metals, or cryptocurrencies performing well [10][12] - The return of student loan repayments has further pressured younger consumers, particularly Gen Z, impacting their spending power [9]