Peter’s Blog

Gold-backed funds reported an inflow of gold for the third straight month in May, flipping global ETF demand positive on the year.

Most people in the mainstream concede that the economy is heading for a recession, but the consensus seems to be that downturn will be short and shallow. Projections by the World Bank undercut that optimism. According to the World Bank, global growth in 2023 will slow to the lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis.

A large sale by Turkey in April caused global central bank reserves to fall for the first time in over a year, even as central bank gold buying continued. Official global reserves dropped by 71 tons in April, according to the latest data collected by the World Gold Council.

With a debt ceiling deal done, the threat of a US government default is off the table for the time being. But a wave of corporate defaults is on the horizon according to Deutsche Bank’s annual default study. This is the inevitable consequence of central bank monetary policy and it was entirely predictable.

Over the last several years, central banks globally have added gold to their reserves at a historically high rate. It doesn’t appear the buying spree will end anytime soon. According to the World Gold Council 2023 Central Bank Gold Reserve survey, 24% of central banks plan to add more gold to their reserves in the […]

When we talk about the spot price of gold and silver, or the return on precious metals investments, some people are quick to remind me that I’m not factoring in premiums. What exactly are premiums?

The Indian central bank has announced another round of demonetization with a plan to withdraw 2,000-rupee notes from circulation. The announcement led to a big jump in gold bullion sales. The 2,000-rupee note will remain legal tender, but they will have to be deposited or exchanged for smaller denominations by Sept. 30.

Americans consider gold the second-best long-term investment option, according to a recent Gallup poll. Gold beat out stocks, bonds and savings accounts. The perception that gold is the best investment over the long term rose from 15% in 2022 to 26% in the 2023 poll, overtaking stocks at the number two spot.

Citigroup projects silver could rise to $30 an ounce in the next six months to a year. With silver currently in the $23.00 range, this represents a possible 30% return.

Poland is buying gold again. The  National Bank of Poland added nearly 15 tons of gold to its reserves in April, according to data published by the bank last week. It was the largest increase in the country’s reserves since June 2019 when the bank boosted reserves by almost 100 tons.