December as usual. Another Fed hike is behind us. Will we now see a rally in gold in January?Fed Hiked But It Will Monitor RisksYesterday, the FOMC published the monetary policy statement from its latest meeting that took place on December 18th-19th. In line with the expectations, the US central bank raised the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to the target range of 2.25 to 2.50 percent (it w...Read More
CloseGain/LossGold $1261.00+$19.00Silver$14.77+$0.19XAU69.79+4.78%HUI158.49+4.97%GDM576.83+3.08%JSE Gold1344.82-10.71USD96.34-0.72Euro114.57+0.85Yen90.12+0.82Oil$45.88-$2.2910-Year2.804%+0.024T-Bond144.71875-0.3125Dow22859.60-1.99%Nasdaq6528.41-1.65%S&P2467.42-1.58% The Metals: Gold gained $24.30 to a new 5-month high at $1266.30 by early afternoon in New York before it c...Read More
CloseGain/LossGold $1261.00+$19.00Silver$14.77+$0.19XAU69.79+4.78%HUI158.49+4.97%GDM576.83+3.08%JSE Gold1344.82-10.71USD96.34-0.72Euro114.57+0.85Yen90.12+0.82Oil$45.88-$2.2910-Year2.804%+0.024T-Bond144.71875-0.3125Dow22859.60-1.99%Nasdaq6528.41-1.65%S&P2467.42-1.58% The Metals: Gold gained $24.30 to a new 5-month high at $1266.30 by early afternoon in New York before it c...Read More
CloseGain/LossGold $1261.00+$19.00Silver$14.77+$0.19XAU69.79+4.78%HUI158.49+4.97%GDM576.83+3.08%JSE Gold1344.82-10.71USD96.34-0.72Euro114.57+0.85Yen90.12+0.82Oil$45.88-$2.2910-Year2.804%+0.024T-Bond144.71875-0.3125Dow22859.60-1.99%Nasdaq6528.41-1.65%S&P2467.42-1.58% The Metals: Gold gained $24.30 to a new 5-month high at $1266.30 by early afternoon in New York before it c...Read More
By Dave KranzlerBloomberg posted an article this morning describing the Collateralized Loan Obligation market as "Wall Street's Billionaire Machine." But I seem to recall that the CLO market was one of the financial nuclear bombs that blew up and triggered the financial system de facto collapse in 2008. Well, it's back - with a vengeance. Of course the taxpayers were once again sold a bi...Read More
By Stefan GleasonThe Fed blinked - but didn't flinch away from another rate hike. On Wednesday, Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policymakers rejected President Donald Trump's call for a pause. They raised their benchmark rate by a quarter point to a range up to 2.5%.The only concession Fed chairman Jerome Powell offered to Trump and nervous stock market investors was a revised, less hawkish...Read More
Rules help guide us through uncertainty.Miles Franklin sponsored this article by Gary Christenson. The opinions expressed are his regarding the rules for traveling our economic path.THOSE WHO MAKE THE RULES:For perspective on Washington D.C. and Wall Street, we listen to wisdom and wit from Bill Bonner:"We look at the passing parade in Washington through a cynical lens...No situation is so hopel...Read More
By David HaggithBefore Trump was even inaugurated, I said he was clearly draining the swamp directly into the White House. That was obvious as soon as he nominated a Goldman-Sachs roster to fill all the financial cabinet positions. Some wishfully said he was playing 4-D chess by keeping his enemies close. I called baloney. He was simply being Sached. One of those from the Goldman roster was Stev...Read More
By Gary TanashianBelow are the Opening Notes and Bond Market segments from last Sunday's edition of Notes From the Rabbit Hole, NFTRH 530. Jerome Powell was actually more firm than I expected. Atta boy Jay! Aside from my prognostication the more important stuff (IMO) begins at the 4th paragraph. That is where I put on my tin foil hat and tell what I think. It does seem to dovetail with what we s...Read More
As part of Merk's in-house research we regularly evaluate a consistent set of charts covering the economy, equities, fixed income, commodities and currencies. The aim is to keep our eyes open and to look through the noise of the headlines, avoiding the distractions of sensationalized click-bait. In sharing this content, we offer a cross-check to your own thinking and aim to add value to your own...Read More
December as usual. Another Fed hike is behind us. Will we now see a rally in gold in January? Fed Hiked But It Will Monitor Risks Yesterday, the FOMC published the monetary policy statement from its latest meeting that took place on December 18th-19th. In line with the expectations, the US central bank raised the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to the target range of 2.25 to 2.50 percent...Read More
Fed monetary policy inched toward suicide Wednesday with a 25-basis-point rate hike and a feint toward bumping up interest rates two more times next year. Are they trying to make certain that Trump doesn't get re-elected? This interpretation is sounding less farfetched each day as the banksters continue to flout a global economic storm that is gaining strength by the week. It is manifest in the...Read More
Jingle bells have not rung for any investment class towards the close of the year. We all read about heaven and hell on our religious books. In the "Kaalyug" (technological age as per Hindu scriptures), most of the people go to hell as they perform more bad deeds than good deeds. In financial language heaven is profit and hell are investment and trading losses. Most of us go to hell as we incur...Read More
Harvey says JP Morgan was adding silver for most of 2017, and now the bullion bank has added nearly every single day this year. Here's an update...by Harvey Organ of Harvey Organ BlogDEC 19/THE FED CONTINUES TO BE RECKLESS AS THEY RAISE INTEREST RATES 1/4% IN A DECLINING ECONOMY AND ARE HAWKISH GOING INTO 2019//USA RATES ARE INVERTING INDICATING RECESSION/ DOW JONES FALTERS OVER 350 POINTS/GOLD CL...Read More
Dear Friends,Greetings and best wishes for a happy, healthy, prosperousand peaceful New Year. The New Year is an important time for introspection. Forthinking about our past, present and future. This New Year has special importance for the Rapaport Groupas we celebrate 40 years of continuous publication of the Rapaport DiamondReport. While it is nice to announce longevity, celebrate survival and s...Read More
Positive sentiment in final sales-week beforeChristmas. Fashion jewelry for self-empowered women driving growth. Polishedtrading quiet as US and Belgium firms close for holidays. Dealers hoping strongUS shopping will stimulate wholesale demand in the first quarter. Chinesejewelers preparing for Feb. 5 Lunar New Year. Indian manufacturers cautious, withfactories below capacity after India's Nov. ro...Read More
Cautious sentiment amid rumors of furtherbankruptcies and job cuts among manufacturers. Polished production well belowcapacity, with some small- and medium-size factories still closed since Diwali.Stable rough demand from sightholders at last week's De Beers sight. Shortage ofbetter-quality SIs expected, as new production will only be available in mid-firstquarter. Steady consumer interest during...Read More
RAPAPORT... Swiss watch exports grew last month at their fastest ratefor two years amid an upturn in orders from the US and increased shipments ofhigh-end timepieces. Total exports rose 3.9% year on year to CHF 2.06 billion($2.09 billion) for the month, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industryreported Thursday. "The strongest increase was in the US, the second-mostimportant market, ag...Read More
RAPAPORT... Lucapa Diamond Company brought in $1.5 million at a sale of goods from its Mothae mine, with individual stones fetching up to $15,000 per carat.The Australia-based miner sold 4,000 carats of rough diamonds it recovered during initial bulk sampling at its assetin Lesotho, which began commercial production earlier this month, it said Thursday.Last week, Lucapa recovered a 78-carat w...Read More
RAPAPORT... The second-largest diamond in history was probably twice as big before it broke into pieces, researchers at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) have claimed.Similarities between the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona, the 812-carat Constellation and three other stones suggest they were all one large piece of rough weighing at least 2,774 carats beforevolcanic eruptions or mining process...Read More