Here’s a strange headline for you: “Gold prices near daily highs despite better-than-expected inflation in October.”
This headline is bizarre on a couple of levels. First, since when are rising consumer prices and good news? And second, why wouldn’t inflation be good for gold?
You really have to buy into the mainstream narratives to write that headline.
American consumer debt pushed to a new record of $4.15 trillion in September. Part of that equation – the continued surge in the levels of student loan debt.
Student loan balances jumped by $32.9 billion in the third quarter this year, pushing total outstanding student loan debt to a new record of $1.64 trillion. Student loan balances have grown by 5.1% year-on-year.
Over the last decade, student loan debt has grown by 120%. Student loan balances now equal to 7.6% of GDP. That’s up from 5.1% in 2009.
Gold mine output has flatlined over the last several years and that trend appears to be continuing in 2019. In fact, some analysts believe we may be at or near “peak gold.”
According to the World Gold Council’s Gold Demand Trends Q3 report, gold mine output fell slightly with total mine production coming in at 877.8 tons in Q3. On a year-to-date basis, mine production stands at 2,583 tons. That’s virtually identical to production levels at this point in 2018.
Gold is the third-most consistently bought investment globally.
This was just one of many findings in the World Gold Council’s recently released consumer research report that revealed a strong global gold market with the potential for future growth.
Globally, there are clear perceptions of gold as a safe, durable, traditional store of value. As an investment, it plays to these strengths – retail investors buy it to protect wealth and create long term returns. Jewelry buyers treasure it for sentimental reasons and as a reward for success.”
Gold continued to flow into ETFs after breaking a record in September. Gold-backed funds took in another 44.4 tons of metal in October, pushing global holdings to another record of 2,900 tons, according to the latest data by the World Gold Council.
The previous record for ETF gold holdings was set back in 2012 when the price of gold was near $1,700 per ounce.
Consumer debt set another record in September, but the pace of borrowing appears to be slowing. This could signal trouble for an economy built on American consumers spending money they don’t have.
Total consumer debt grew by $9.5 billion in September, according to the most recent data released by the Federal Reserve. That represents an annualized increase of 2.8% and pushed total consumer indebtedness to a new record of $4.15 trillion (seasonally adjusted).
If you’re on social media, you’ve seen the memes. They all start with some interesting string of facts and end with “…and Epstein didn’t kill himself.”
In case you’ve been under a rock, or just have better things to do than follow the news, Jeffrey Epstein was a well-connected financier and convicted pedophile. When I say “well-connected,” I mean he hung out with the rich and powerful, including Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.
It’s been a tough week for gold and silver and a record week for stocks because of — you guessed it — optimism about a trade deal. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey breaks down the news of the week. Along the way, he also compares fickle investors obsessed with the latest trade war headline to a delusional sports fan who can only fixate on his team’s most recent game.
Stock markets made new highs on Wednesday, but as Peter Schiff explained in his latest podcast, there are a lot of cracks under the surface. The markets are surging forward even as they overlook bad economic data and chilly political winds.
