The second quarter GDP number released Friday came in at 4.1%. It represents the fastest rate of growth since 2014. President Trump called the number “amazing,” bragging that, “We’ve accomplished an economic turnaround of historic proportions.”
Peter Schiff wasn’t quite as impressed. In his latest podcast, he said this “peak GDP” is an aberration and it’s setting the stage for a major economic fail.
The International Monetary Fund dissed the dollar in its annual External Sector Report, saying the greenback is overvalued.
According to a Reuters report, the IMF report also said that “nearly half of global current account balances are now excessive, adding to growth risks and trade tensions.”
Could China be secretly pumping up its gold reserves?
Officially, the People’s Bank of China hasn’t added any gold to its hoard since October 2016. But some analysts don’t think the Chinese have stopped accumulating gold. They think they’ve just gone silent.
Last month, we reported that the global yield curve inverted, signaling the possibility of a looming recession. While narrowing to levels not seen since right before the 2008 financial crisis, the yield curve has not inverted in the US. In his most recent podcast, Peter Schiff said he doesn’t think it’s going to happen. He said we may even see a steepening yield curve in the coming months. But this is not because there’s not going to be a recession.
Analysts expect demand for gold in India to surge in the second half of the year thanks to a good outlook for farmers.
A good start to the rainy season along with higher minimum support (MSP) for summer crops should boost the gold trade, according to a report in the Economic Times of India. Analysts expect a 25% increase in gold demand compared to the second half of last year.
Gold production in China fell nearly 8% year-on-year in the first half of 2018, according to data released by the China Gold Association.
China ranks as the world’s leading gold producer.
After Pres Trump signed a bill raising the debt ceiling last fall, we warned that rising interest rates could crush the US federal budget under interest payments. Well, interest rates are going up and so is the cost of servicing the US government’s $21-plus trillion debt.
Not too long ago, my wife came home with two big flats of Powerade.
We didn’t need Powerade. We had plenty.
And yet I praised her for her shopping prowess. Why? Because she got the stuff dirt cheap and we’re going to need more Powerade down the road.
Smart shoppers look for bargains. And right now, gold is a bargain. If you’re a smart shopper, you’re going to want to take advantage of this.
It’s time to get real. This grand economy everybody keeps telling us about is actually a house of cards built out of cheap money and debt. And it won’t take much to blow it over.
A recent article by Reuters reveals just how precarious the so-called economic recovery really is. According to the report, the bottom 60% of American income-earners accounted for most of the rise in spending over the past two years even as their finances worsened. The data shows that the rise in median expenditures has outpaced before-tax income for the lower 40% of earners in the five years to mid-2017. In other words, poor and middle-class Americans are driving the US economy by spending more than they earn.
The dollar declined sharply, pushing gold up late last week as Pres. Trump criticized the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy. Trump took aim at the Fed during an interview on CNBC, saying he’s “not thrilled” with the central bank’s push to raise rates.
Because we go up and every time you go up they want to raise rates again. I don’t really — I am not happy about it. But at the same time, I’m letting them do what they feel is best.”
Trump also blasted the European Central Bank and the Bank of China, accusing them of currency manipulation. Trump says the two banks are intentionally weakening their currency to disadvantage the US.
In his latest podcast, Peter Schiff said he thinks the president is saying all of this in order to have a place to put the blame when the economy tanks.
