Jim Wyckoff has spent over 25 years involved with the stock, financial and commodity markets. He was a financial journalist with the FWN newswire service for many years, including stints as a reporter on the rough-and-tumble commodity futures trading floors in Chicago and New York. As a journalist, he has covered every futures market traded in the U.S., at one time or another. Jim is the proprietor of the "Jim Wyckoff on the Markets" analytical, educational and trading advisory service. Jim also worked as a ...

Group 1 - Jim Wyckoff has over 25 years of experience in stock, financial, and commodity markets, including roles as a financial journalist and reporter on commodity futures trading floors in Chicago and New York [1] - He has covered every futures market traded in the U.S. at various times throughout his career [1] - Jim is the owner of "Jim Wyckoff on the Markets," which provides analytical, educational, and trading advisory services [2] Group 2 - He has worked as a technical analyst for Dow Jones Newswires and served as the senior market analyst with TraderPlanet.com [2] - Jim is also a consultant for the respected "Pro Farmer" agricultural advisory service and was the head equities analyst at CapitalistEdge.com [2] - He holds a degree in journalism and economics from Iowa State University [2]

Core Insights - The price of silver reached an all-time high of over $121 per ounce in January 2026 but experienced significant volatility shortly thereafter [2] - A sharp decline of over 30% occurred on January 30, attributed to President Trump's announcement regarding the Federal Reserve's leadership, which negatively impacted silver prices [2][3] - As of February 3, silver was trading around $88 per ounce, indicating a strong correlation between silver prices and investor confidence in the stock market and the Federal Reserve's independence [3] Market Dynamics - Investor concerns about the Federal Reserve's leadership led to an initial rise in silver prices, but with perceived stability, investors began to sell off the asset [4] - Despite the volatility, the iShares Silver Trust has seen a gain of over 12% at the start of the year, outperforming the S&P 500, which only gained around 2% [4] Future Outlook - The potential for silver prices to rise again depends on market sentiment and investor confidence in the new Federal Reserve leadership [5] - There is speculation that silver could reach $200 due to retail investor interest, although a slowdown in price growth is also anticipated given recent trends [6] - The iShares Silver Trust is considered a viable investment for portfolio diversification, but investors should be prepared for associated volatility [6]

Core Insights - The surge in gold and silver prices has led to the 2026 Winter Olympics medals being the most expensive in history [1][2] - The spot price of gold has increased over 70% in the last year, reaching approximately $4,950 per ounce, while silver prices have surged 143% to around $76 per ounce [2] - The medals for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are produced using recycled metals and have specific dimensions and compositions [4][7] Medal Composition and Value - Gold medals contain 6 grams of gold and 500 grams of silver, valued at approximately $955 and $1,221 respectively at current market prices [7] - Silver medals are made entirely of silver and weigh 500 grams, valued at around $1,221 [7] - Bronze medals are composed of copper, weighing 420 grams, with a current market value of about $5.45 [8] Auction Value of Medals - Olympic medals can fetch significantly higher prices at auction than their intrinsic metal value due to their novelty and scarcity [11] - Notable examples include Greg Louganis, who auctioned three medals for over $430,000, and Ryan Lochte, who sold three gold medals for $385,520 [12][15]

Bitcoin was down 27% for 2026 through Feb. 5. - MarketWatch photo illustration/iStockphoto Bitcoin was taking a breather from its recent brutal decline on Friday, with the pioneering virtual currency’s price up 11% to $70,647, according to data provided by CoinDesk. Through Thursday, bitcoin BTCUSD was down 27% for 2026 as it headed toward its worst one-week decline since 2022. It had declined 44% since Sept. 30. Most Read from MarketWatch Despite the recent plunge, bitcoin still holds remarkable valu ...

Veteran trader Robert Kiyosaki has revealed that he sold portions of his Bitcoin and gold holdings, despite previously making bullish predictions. The announcement comes as Bitcoin’s price continues to slide toward the $64,000 level. After sharing the news on X, Kiyosaki faced significant backlash from followers, with some criticizing him for the move.   Robert Kiyosaki on Bitcoin Selling and Debt Risks Amid the recent downturn in Bitcoin and precious metals, investor Robert Kiyosaki revealed that he ...

Despite its long-standing reputation as “digital gold,” bitcoin has sharply diverged from traditional safe havens like gold and silver, but that might not be a bad thing for the digital asset's future, according to JPMorgan analysts. Gold surged more than 60% in 2025 on sustained central bank buying and flight-to-safety demand, while bitcoin has struggled into 2026, posting repeated monthly declines and underperforming major risk assets. JPMorgan’s report suggests this widening gap reflects bitcoin’s fadi ...

In this articleBTC.CM=ETH.CM=XRP.CM=Cheng Xin | Getty ImagesBitcoin briefly dropped below $70,000 on Thursday amid a broader sell-off of risk assets.The move, which happened around 6:27 a.m. ET, was the first time bitcoin fell below $70,000 since November 2024. Bitcoin bounced off that low and was trading at around 70,453.68 at 6:40 a.m. ET, according to CoinMetrics data. Some market watchers have suggested $70,000 is a key level to watch and a break below that could trigger more falls for bitcoin. Stock Ch ...

The crypto selloff has been deeper than anticipated, but Tom Lee sees price and timing align for a potential bottom. Crypto Selloff Deeper Than Expected… In a CNBC Squawk Box interview on Monday, Lee, head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors and CIO of Fundstrat Capital, said crypto's recent decline exceeded expectations despite solid fundamentals. He attributed the weakness to risk appetite rotating into gold and silver, which surged early in the year and sparked fear of missing out. Don't Miss: ...

Michael Burry, the investor known for predicting the 2008 financial crisis, warned that bitcoin’s (BTC) recent drop could have ripple effects across markets, particularly in gold and silver. In a Substack post Monday, Burry said crypto’s decline may have forced institutional investors and corporate treasurers to unload positions in other assets to cover losses. “It looks like up to $1 billion in precious metals were liquidated at month’s very end as a result of falling crypto prices,” Burry wrote, point ...