Inflation & Tariffs - Tariffs are contributing to inflation, with import prices (excluding food and energy) rising 04% in May after a 05% increase in April [3] - Companies with pricing power will pass tariff costs to consumers, while those without will absorb costs via margin cuts [4] - Helen of Troy plans to raise consumer prices by 7% to 10% this summer, while ConAgra faces 7% cost increases due to commodity, labor, steel, and aluminum inflation [4][5] - Levi's anticipates only a 2% to 3% price increase, mitigating most tariff impacts, suggesting a separation of winners and losers based on pricing power [6] - Even if Levi's absorbs costs, someone in their supply chain is still bearing the tariff burden [7] Commodity & Industrial Metals - The CRB raw industrials index matched its March level, the highest since January 2023, indicating rising industrial metal prices [10] - Silver reached its highest level since 2011, and platinum is up about 30% in the past few months, reflecting a global rise in industrial metals [10][11] - The rise in metal prices is attributed to preemptive buying ahead of potential tariffs and the strategic importance of critical minerals in a multi-polar world [11] - Higher metal prices will flow through the supply chain, impacting inflation regardless of whether consumers absorb the costs [12] Company Strategies - Some companies can mitigate tariff effects, while others face margin pressure or need to raise prices [6][7] - Companies are trying to get their hands on metals ahead of potential tariffs [11]

On this episode of Merryn Talks Money, our panel makes the case for more precious and industrial metals in your portfolio https://t.co/LGyb7bj3xl ...