Despite gold’s recent surge to record levels beyond $5,000 an ounce, a new gold competitor has emerged: tokenized gold. So what exactly is tokenized gold, and how does it compare with real gold? Also see the best gold exchange-traded funds to watch right now. What Is Tokenized Gold? Tokenized gold is exactly what it sounds like — digital tokens. Specifically, digital tokens traded, settled and deployed on blockchains but backed in value by real, physical gold. Recently, the market for these tokens has ...

Government Shutdown and Funding Package - The odds of a government shutdown by January 31 surged to 79% on Kalshi and 80% on Polymarket, significantly increasing from 11.5% and 9% respectively [4][5] - Senate Democrats have vowed to block a $1.2 trillion funding package that includes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) [3][5] - The situation escalated following the shooting of Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, by federal immigration agents, galvanizing Democratic opposition to the funding measure [4] Trade Relations and Agreements - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canada has "no intention" of pursuing a free-trade agreement with China, emphasizing stronger safeguards in various sectors [6][7] - Carney confirmed that Canada respects its obligations under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement and will notify the other parties before pursuing any trade deal [7] Gold Market Dynamics - Gold prices have surpassed $5,000 per ounce, reaching $5,095, marking a significant increase of 2.1% and building on an 8.5% gain from the previous week [8] - The decline of the U.S. dollar, with the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index falling 1.6%, has made precious metals more affordable, contributing to the rise in gold prices [8] - Max Belmont, a portfolio manager, noted that gold serves as a hedge against inflation and geopolitical risks, reflecting a lack of confidence in the market [9] Company Movements and Investments - USA Rare Earth shares increased by 51% following reports of a $1.6 billion investment from the Trump administration for a 10% equity stake, marking the largest U.S. government commitment to the rare earth sector [11]

Core Viewpoint - Real estate mogul Grant Cardone argues that buying a home is not a smart investment and suggests renting instead, advocating for investing in cash-flowing real estate properties [4][5]. Group 1: Homeownership Costs - The median monthly ownership costs for U.S. homeowners with a mortgage increased by approximately 4% from 2024 to 2025, with homeowners spending over 20% of their income on additional homeownership costs [2][3]. - Ongoing costs associated with homeownership include property taxes, insurance premiums, repairs, and maintenance, which can accumulate significantly even after the mortgage is paid off [3][4]. Group 2: Investment Alternatives - Cardone recommends investing in various types of real estate that generate cash flow, such as retail, storage, apartment buildings, and farmland, rather than purchasing a home to live in [5][18]. - Investment platforms like Arrived allow individuals to invest in shares of vacation and rental properties, providing a passive income stream without the responsibilities of being a landlord [6][7]. Group 3: Multifamily Investment Opportunities - Cardone suggests starting with multifamily investment properties, recommending a minimum of 32 units to mitigate the impact of vacancies [8]. - Lightstone DIRECT offers accredited investors direct access to institutional-quality multifamily opportunities, enhancing transparency and control while reducing fees [10][11]. Group 4: Farmland as an Investment - U.S. farmland values have increased, averaging $4,350 per acre in 2025, a 4.3% rise from 2024, making it a potentially resilient long-term investment [19][20]. - Publicly traded REITs and platforms like FarmTogether provide opportunities for investors to participate in agricultural land investments without direct ownership [21][22].

Commodities asset manager Sprott (NYSE:SII) , known for treating precious metals as a macro signal, is evaluating the market’s structural change following one of the strongest years on record for gold and silver.The commodity sector, in its view, is no longer a trade—it's becoming a core allocation shaped by politics, policy, and power.That framework is laid out in Sprott’s Top 10 Themes for 2026 report, which walks investors through a map of a fractured global system. Three ideas dominate the narrative: ac ...

Core Viewpoint - Fidelity MSCI Energy Index ETF (FENY) provides targeted exposure to U.S. energy equities, focusing on integrated, upstream, midstream, and services sectors, with performance linked to commodity cycles and capital discipline [1] Group 1: Investment Strategy - The ETF follows a diversified, rules-based sector basket, accepting higher earnings variability to leverage oil and gas price movements [1] - Returns are primarily influenced by commodity beta, project execution, and balance-sheet quality, with income potential affected by capital-return frameworks that vary with market cycles [1] Group 2: Market Conditions and Factor Exposures - The investment strategy benefits from inflationary environments or supply constraints but may underperform during disinflationary slowdowns or when energy prices decline [1] - Factor exposures tend to favor value and high operating leverage, making it suitable for investors looking for inflation or commodity hedges [1] Group 3: Target Investors - Ideal for opportunistic allocators implementing regime-aware rotations and income strategies that are comfortable with variable payouts linked to free cash flow cycles [1] - The ETF can serve as a tactical overlay for macro tilts or as a satellite investment to diversify growth-focused equity portfolios [1] Group 4: Sector Risks - A specific risk associated with the fund is the inherent cyclicality of the energy sector, where commodity price shocks or sudden policy changes can significantly impact earnings and lead to increased drawdowns [1]

Core Viewpoint - iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF (FILL) provides a diversified investment in global companies involved in oil and gas exploration and production, focusing on both developed and emerging markets [1] Investment Strategy - FILL employs a transparent, rules-based investment strategy that emphasizes investability and is influenced by energy prices, cost discipline, and capital allocation by producers [1] - The ETF can serve multiple roles in a portfolio, including acting as an inflation hedge, a sector-specific investment for commodity cycles, or a diversification tool against growth-heavy equities [1] Performance Characteristics - The ETF typically performs better during periods of tightening supply-demand balances or when cash flows support reinvestment and distributions [1] - It may underperform in times of declining commodity prices or regulatory challenges [1] Risk Factors - A key risk associated with FILL is the high earnings cyclicality linked to commodity price volatility, which can affect payout stability and lead to significant performance fluctuations [1]

Is there a foolproof way to avoid large portfolio swings? Whether you are young in your investment journey or are nearing retirement and looking for a way to avoid large dips in your portfolio’s value, it’s important to understand what history says about storing wealth. In this article, we’ll cover how gold, silver and bitcoin fare during uncertain times and what this means for your portfolio. Gold Shines During Uncertain Times Gold has historically been a strong hedge against inflation. This means tha ...

Core Insights - The article compares SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (GLDM), highlighting their differences in expense ratios, fund sizes, and performance metrics to help investors determine which ETF may better suit their gold investment strategy [1][2]. Cost & Size Comparison - GLD has an expense ratio of 0.40% and assets under management (AUM) of $151.5 billion, while GLDM has a significantly lower expense ratio of 0.10% and AUM of $26.4 billion [3][4]. - Both ETFs have similar one-year returns, with GLD at 67.0% and GLDM at 66.2% [3]. Performance & Risk Metrics - Over the past five years, GLD experienced a maximum drawdown of -21.03%, while GLDM had a slightly lower drawdown of -20.92% [5]. - An investment of $1,000 would have grown to $2,396 in GLD and $2,427 in GLDM over the same period, indicating GLDM's slight edge in performance [5]. Fund Characteristics - GLDM is designed for cost-conscious investors seeking a straightforward way to invest in gold, having been available for 7.5 years and closely tracking gold's price movements [6]. - GLD, as the original gold ETF, offers 100% exposure to basic materials and is favored by institutional investors due to its large scale and liquidity [7]. Investment Implications - Both GLD and GLDM provide nearly identical performance results over the last five years, with GLDM slightly outperforming GLD [11]. - The lower expense ratio of GLDM makes it a more attractive option for cost-sensitive investors, despite GLD's larger AUM providing greater liquidity [11].

VanEck Real Assets ETF ( RAAX ) is typically described as an inflation hedge. That description is broadly accurate, but it doesn’t cover the whole story. RAAX is not designed to compound capital like equities, nor to serve asAnalyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it ( ...

- Photo: MarketWatch photo illustration/iStockphoto Gold investors understandably don’t believe there’s any mystery about why gold GC00 has soared in the past year. They offer no shortage of theories to explain gold’s price rise. But I know of no theory that has a statistically significant record of predicting gold prices. So why gold did so well in 2025 can’t really be explained. A mystery, in other words. Most Read from MarketWatch This mystery should worry the gold bulls. Without a compelling stati ...