Ideas and analysis on money, markets and the world around us.
It has been a very interesting week for gold's fortunes with mixed news coming from the USA, and even mainstream analysts beginning to get nervous about where the world's economy is heading. Head of Dealing and…
Read the articleWhen interest rates are zero and it costs a bank to look after your money it becomes an unattractive asset. Banks in some jurisdictions (such as Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden) are even charging customers interest on…
Read the articleThe prices of gold and silver initially rallied this week from the lows of $1170 and $15.93 respectively last Friday to challenge the $1200 level for gold and $16.70 for silver on Wednesday, before losing about half…
Read the articleThe appeal of gold as a safe-haven is beginning to resurge, after weeks in which the improving economic conditions in the US have dented prices. A complicated international picture looks likely to support gold prices,…
Read the articleThere is an unwarranted assumption that market prices are always right, and represent "fair value". In the case of commodities, particularly metals, this is not necessarily true, because regulated financial markets make…
Read the articleThis week started with a sharp bear squeeze, which took gold from $1178 to $1214, and silver from $15.70 to $16.71. These higher prices on Wednesday proved to be the peak for both metals, before they fell back sharply…
Read the articleUnexpected improvement in US economic fortunes have dented gold prices over the last seven days, with news of unemployment dropping by a surprising 34,000 leading buyers away from safe haven investments. The late shift…
Read the articleFinancial markets are becoming aware that the US economy is stalling, so investors increasingly take the view that with demand likely to stagnate or even fall, prices for goods and services will soften. This is already…
Read the articlePlatinum is incredibly rare – in fact, it is estimated all the platinum ever mined would only fill a space of around 25 cubic feet. Global gold production is more than ten times that of its rarer cousin – so why is…
Read the articlePrecious metals continued their consolidation this week, with gold drifting off $10 to $1195 as of last night, and silver by $0.42 to $15.85. Intra-day trading ranges are relatively tight with buyers of physical metal…
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