2025 has been a remarkable year for bullion, with gold emerging as one of the top-performing major asset classes and hitting over 50 all-time highs as of Dec. 4, according to the World Gold Council. Gold prices have soared nearly 60% since January, repeatedly breaking historical records and now standing firmly above the $4,000-per-ounce mark.This exceptional rally, driven by a powerful confluence of geopolitical and economic forces, has drawn sustained investor interest toward the yellow metal. As the year ...

What Is Happening Behind The Scenes In The Gold Market Is Absolutely Wild What is happening behind the scenes in the gold market is absolutely wild.December 9 (King World News) – Chris Powell featured this absolutely brilliant piece from Robert Lambourne:  Developments this year have strengthened suspicions that the Bank of England is complicit in gold price suppression, especially developments with the custody of the United Kingdom’s reserves of foreign exchange and gold held in the government’s Exchange ...

Core Insights - The U.S. dollar is under persistent downward pressure in 2025 due to Fed interest rate cuts and economic instability, leading to increased investor anxiety and a negative outlook for the dollar [1] - The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) has decreased by 0.70% over the past month and 8.73% year to date, with an all-time decline of 17.38% [1] Monetary Policy Impact - The value of the U.S. dollar is inversely related to the Federal Reserve's monetary policies, with interest rate cuts making the dollar less attractive to foreign investors [2] - Markets are anticipating an 89.4% likelihood of interest rates being lowered to 3.5-3.75% in December, which is a significant increase from previous expectations [3] Investor Behavior - Volatility in the U.S. economy has decreased investor appetite for U.S. assets, leading to reduced demand for the dollar and further weakening its value [4] - U.S. equity funds experienced a net outflow of $3.52 billion in the week to December 3, marking the second consecutive week of selling [5] Investment Opportunities - A weakening dollar necessitates portfolio diversification and hedging for investors, with specific funds recommended for exposure to precious metals and emerging markets [6] - Funds such as WisdomTree Emerging Currency Strategy Fund (CEW) and Invesco DB Precious Metals Fund (DBP) provide broader exposure to precious metals [7] - Emerging market equity funds attracted $3.11 billion in inflows in the week to December 3, marking the sixth straight week of net inflows, with the Dow Jones Emerging Markets Index up 20.48% year to date [9]

Explore how these two leading precious metal ETFs differ on cost, risk, and structure -- key factors for portfolio decision-making.The iShares Silver Trust (SLV +2.30%) and the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD 0.18%) stand apart on underlying metal, cost, and risk -- SLV has higher recent returns and volatility, while GLD is larger and slightly cheaper to own.Both ETFs offer investors direct exposure to precious metals, appealing to those seeking diversification or a hedge against inflation. This comparison examines t ...

The bull chorus for gold is getting louder — and this time, institutional investors are joining the choir. A new Goldman Sachs survey of more than 900 institutional players found that 36% expect gold to top $5,000 per troy ounce by 2026, while more than 70% see prices rising over the next year. • GLD is showing positive momentum. See the full story here.Add forecasts from Ed Yardeni, Jeffrey Gundlach, Bank of America and JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon — all calling for $5,000 — and suddenly the metal’s moonshot sc ...

Core Insights - The article compares two prominent ETFs: SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and iShares Silver Trust (SLV), highlighting their cost structures, performance, and risk profiles [1][2][7]. Cost and Size Comparison - SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) has a lower expense ratio of 0.40% compared to iShares Silver Trust (SLV) at 0.50% [3]. - As of November 14, 2025, GLD has assets under management (AUM) of $141.4 billion, significantly larger than SLV's AUM of $26.3 billion [3]. - Neither fund offers a dividend yield, making cost differences the primary factor for ongoing expenses [3]. Performance and Risk Metrics - Over the past five years, SLV experienced a maximum drawdown of 38.79%, while GLD had a lower maximum drawdown of 21.03% [4]. - An investment of $1,000 in SLV would have grown to $1,997 over five years, whereas the same investment in GLD would have grown to $2,122 [4]. Fund Composition - SPDR Gold Shares is a single-asset fund backed entirely by physical gold, with a 21-year track record and 100% classification in precious metals [5]. - iShares Silver Trust also provides direct exposure to physical silver, classified as 100% precious metals, with no underlying company holdings [6]. Investment Appeal - Both ETFs are popular due to their focus on gold and silver, which are sought-after precious metals [7]. - Gold is traditionally viewed as a store of value, with about 50% of its use in jewelry and significant applications in medical, dental, and electronics manufacturing [8]. - Silver, while also used in jewelry and coinage, has notable industrial applications, including in solar panels and electronics [9]. Investor Considerations - Conservative investors may prefer gold for its price stability, while those willing to take on more risk might opt for silver [10].

Core Viewpoint - Gold has significantly outperformed the S&P 500, trading at over $4,000 per ounce with a year-to-date gain of 54%, compared to the S&P 500's 13% increase [1][2] Gold Market Performance - The strong performance of gold highlights its status as a safe-haven asset amid market volatility, high inflation, and macroeconomic risks [2][5] - Central banks and institutions are accumulating record amounts of gold, making gold ETFs an accessible option for investors [3][10] Factors Driving Gold's Outperformance - Geopolitical instability, rising U.S. national debt, and tariff uncertainties have led to increased diversification into gold by central banks and private investors [5][6] - The S&P 500 has faced challenges from high valuations and concerns over the sustainability of the tech sector, particularly the AI industry [6][7] Future Outlook for Gold - The outlook for gold remains strong, driven by structural demand factors, including continued purchases from central banks [8][9] - J.P. Morgan projects gold prices could reach $5,200-$5,300 by the end of 2026, indicating a potential 25% increase from current levels [9] Recommended Gold ETFs - SPDR Gold Shares (GLD): Approximately $136.33 billion in AUM, with a year-to-date gain of 54.6% and a NAV of $374.65 [13] - iShares Gold Trust (IAU): $63.21 billion in net assets, year-to-date gain of 54.9%, and a NAV of $76.49 [14] - iShares Gold Trust Micro (IAUM): $5.41 billion in net assets, year-to-date gain of 55.1%, and a NAV of $40.48 [15]

Markets continue to bleed in the early going, with stocks, cryptocurrencies, gold and silver all sliding further. Bonds are up a bit, while the dollar is flattish. To get more articles and chart analysis from MoneyShow, subscribe to our Top Pros’ Top Picks newsletter here.) What stands out about the recent selloff? It’s taking down “everything,” from stocks to Bitcoin to traditional safe havens like precious metals. The benchmark cryptocurrency briefly pierced $90,000 to the downside overnight, for insta ...

Core Insights - Gold prices have fluctuated, recently trading below $4,000 per ounce due to a strong dollar and reduced chances of a U.S. interest rate cut, impacting demand for bullion [1] - In October, gold futures reached $4,000 per ounce for the first time, with year-to-date returns around 50%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 index, which is up about 15% [2] - Gold's performance in 2025 follows a strong 2024, where it recorded a 26% annual increase, the best since 2010 [3] Tax Implications - Investment profits from physical gold and gold-tracking funds are taxed differently than traditional assets, potentially leading to higher tax bills for investors in top brackets [3][4] - Long-term capital gains on collectibles, including physical gold, are taxed at a top rate of 28%, which is higher than the 20% rate for long-term capital gains on stocks [5][6] - Gold futures contracts have a different tax structure, with a top federal tax rate of 26.8%, calculated as 60% of profits taxed at 20% and 40% at 37% [7][12] Investment Considerations - Investors should be aware that not all gold ETFs are taxed the same, and those holding physical gold or collectibles face higher tax rates [6][8] - Holding gold in a taxable brokerage account incurs these tax implications, while gold held in tax-preferred retirement accounts like IRAs is exempt from these rules [9] - The complexity of tax filings for gold futures funds, which often require K-1 forms, may deter some investors despite potential tax advantages [13]

Group 1: ETF Inflows - Investors invested $37.6 billion into U.S.-listed ETFs during the week ending October 31, indicating strong inflows despite a hawkish tone from the Federal Reserve [1] - U.S. equity ETFs led inflows with $19.3 billion, followed by U.S. fixed income funds at $8.7 billion, international equity ETFs at $8.6 billion, and international fixed income products at $2.2 billion [1] Group 2: Market Conditions - The macro backdrop remained supportive with stocks near record highs, driven by strong gains in technology stocks such as Nvidia and Amazon [2] - The Federal Reserve cut rates as expected, but Chair Jerome Powell's comments suggested a December rate cut was not guaranteed, diverging from market expectations [2] - Futures markets indicate a 67% chance of another rate cut next month, down from pre-meeting levels [2] Group 3: Top Performing ETFs - The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) saw the highest inflows with $4.4 billion, followed by the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) with $2.1 billion, and the Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM) with over $1 billion [4] - On the fixed income side, the JPMorgan Municipal ETF (JMUB) led with $1.9 billion in inflows [4] Group 4: International ETFs - The Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA) and the JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF (BBEU) had notable inflows of $805 million and $757 million, respectively [5] Group 5: ETF Outflows - The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) experienced $1.8 billion in redemptions as small caps underperformed large caps [6] - The Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares (SOXL) saw $1.3 billion in outflows as traders took profits after a rally in semiconductor stocks [6] - The SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and the iShares 0–3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) each had about $1 billion in redemptions, reflecting profit-taking and a dip in demand for ultra-short Treasuries [7]