Interest Rate and Monetary Policy - The market is closely watching the 4% level in rates [1] - The Fed is expected to cut rates once or twice this year, with October being largely priced in [7] - Further rate cuts could lead to a terminal Fed funds rate below the Fed's long-run neutral rate, indicating a very accommodative policy [7] Economic Concerns - A government shutdown of the current length is concerning and could impact the economy [4] - The impact of the shutdown on GDP is estimated to be between 0.1% to 0.2% per week [5] Market Dynamics and Investor Behavior - Investors are seeking safe haven assets like treasuries due to concerns about the broader macroeconomic backdrop [3] - There is over 7 trillion in money market fund instruments, indicating a large amount of cash on the sidelines [8] - Investors are allocating to bonds and global equities, with gold being one of many avenues for investment [9] - Money market fund AUMs have been increasing even as equities reach all-time highs, contrary to expectations of money flowing from money markets to equities after the Fed stops hiking rates [11][12]

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink told CBS he has reassessed Bitcoin, calling crypto “an alternative asset like gold.” Fink said Bitcoin is “not a bad asset” but shouldn’t take a large share of portfolios. He earlier noted that about half of BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF demand came from retail investors, 75% of whom had never owned an iShares product before.https://t.co/rBNEqf2vat ...

RT Oro (@orogoldapp)We just put yield-bearing gold on the internetThis is our story ↓ https://t.co/GGFFafN2pw ...

Economic Outlook - The economy is experiencing a K-shaped recovery, with a booming industrial renaissance contrasted by headwinds facing consumers [2] - Recent China news poses a slight headwind to the consumer outlook due to potential upward pressure on prices [5] - Strong growth is observed in red book same store retail sales, restaurant visits, and hotel demand, suggesting the economy is still performing well [10] - A key question for the Fed is whether the slowdown in the labor market is due to slower supply (less immigration) or lower demand [8][9] Inflation and Monetary Policy - The biggest underappreciated risk is that the fight against inflation is not over [15] - There's a risk that the Fed cutting rates due to slowing immigration could lead to more inflation, especially with tariffs and a weaker dollar [11] - The consensus view is that inflation over the next 12 months will be 3%, significantly higher than the Fed's 2% target [14] - Retailers are discussing the impact of tariffs on their costs and pricing strategies [13] Gold Market - Gold prices are rising due to inflation risks, Chinese household buying, and central banks divesting from US treasuries [18][19] - Chinese households are diversifying into gold due to limited investment options [21] - Central banks are price insensitive buyers of gold due to sanctions [20]

JUST IN: $12 trillion BlackRock CEO Larry Fink says, “There is a role for crypto the same way there is a role for gold.”“This is not a bad asset.” https://t.co/PeTORJ3PHB ...

🔥 TODAY: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink says, “There is a role for crypto in the same way there is a role for gold, it's an alternative,” in a 60 Minutes interview. https://t.co/CL6ZSSjlrI ...

Asset Comparison - The author suggests gold and Bitcoin may not be the same kind of asset [1] - The author wrote about gold following a podcast with @DominicFrisby [1] Author's Action - The author did not mention Bitcoin in the article about gold [1]

Let's talk more about markets. Uh Peter Bookvar is here, chief investment officer at one point uh at uh BFG Wealth Partners and a CNBC contributor. Good morning to you, sir.Andrew, uh help us understand what you think is actually going on here in markets. Uh well, I think this rally, the AI tech trade got a second wind after the deepseek news in late January. And who doesn't want to buy stocks when the Fed is cutting interest rates.So, I think that's what brings us to where we are today. Uh, but there's som ...

Central banks may hold significant amounts of Bitcoin and gold by 2030, thanks to growing institutional popularity and a weakening dollar, according to Deutsche Bank https://t.co/8Y0204Cgw6 ...

Market Trends & Predictions - Deutsche Bank predicts central banks may hold significant amounts of Bitcoin and gold by 2030 [1] - The predicted holdings are valued at $1.5 trillion [1]