In 2020, gold-backed ETFs recorded record net inflows of gold. Funds added nearly 231 more tons in 2020 than they did during the previous record year (2009/646 tons). But with declines in the price of gold and investors pivoting to riskier investments as economies improve, we’ve seen net outflows of gold from ETFs over the last three months.
That trend reversed in May as gold-backed funds globally added 61.3 tons of gold, according to the latest data from the World Gold Council.
With some positive economic data coming out this week, investors suddenly went bullish on the economy again and decided that the Fed is surely going to deal with inflation now. Will it though? In this Friday Gold Wrap Podcast episode, host Mike Maharrey speculates about the Fed’s next move. He also looks ahead and talks about the long-term future of the dollar. Can we assume it will always be the reserve currency?
For months, the markets have responded to inflationary pressures by piling into dollars and selling gold. They’ve taken this counterintuitive approach because they believe the Fed will tighten monetary policy to fight inflation sooner rather than later. But we’re starting to see a shift in sentiment. Traders seem to be realizing that inflation might be here to stay, and that is bullish for gold and bearish for the dollar.
The Fed wants us to believe everything is under control. The economy is improving. Inflation is transitory. Good times are ahead. But behind the scenes, central bankers and government officials are scrambling to keep all the economic props in place. As they intervene in one area of the economy, they create problems in another. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey talks about some of these interventions along with gold’s recent rally above $1,900.
It’s dawning on many investors that our post-Covid financial problems may not be as easily solved as Washington claims.
The latest clue that trouble is brewing has come from the sudden and dramatic arrival of inflation. On May 12, it was revealed that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) had risen 4.2% year-over-year, the fastest pace since 2008.
Some tried to downplay concern by pointing out that the gains resulted from the “base effect” of comparing current prices with the artificially depressed “Covid lockdown” prices of March and April of last year. But that ignores the more alarming trend of near-term price acceleration.
Over the last several months, gold and silver have faced strong tailwinds due to market expectations that the Fed would tighten monetary policy sooner rather than later to fight price inflation. But after April’s hotter than expected CPI, that sentiment seems to have shifted and the markets are acting the way you would expect in an inflationary environment. Gold and silver have rallied and the dollar has shown weakness. In fact, gold pushed above the $1,900 an ounce level.
In this Gold Videocast, Peter Schiff explains why he thinks this is just the lull before the real storm and now is the time to buy gold and silver.
After last week’s hotter than expected CPI data, gold sold off, following a pattern we’ve seen over the last few months. But in the last week, gold has rallied, knocking on the door of $1,900. In fact, there has been a broader pivot in the market that could indicate the mainstream is ready to face the reality of inflation. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey talks about the big pivot. He also discusses some bullish fundamentals in the silver market.
The price of silver is up over 70% year on year. Investment demand was at record levels during the pandemic, but industrial outtake plunged. As economies have opened up, industrial demand for silver has rebounded, helping to support rising prices. And there are reasons for continued bullishness on silver in the long term.
According to a recent report from the Silver Institute, silver demand for printed and flexible electronics is forecast to increase 54% over the next 10 years.
Silver pushed above $27 an ounce last week and rallied to over $28.50 on May 18. There has been some selling since, but as of the morning of May 19, the white metal was trading around $27.40 an ounce. That’s a better than 70% increase year-on-year. Even the mainstream is bullish on silver with many commodity analysts saying the rally will likely continue.
CPI came in much hotter than expected. Fed Vice Chairman Richard Clarida actually said, “We were surprised by higher than expected inflation data.” But should we really be surprised by this? In this episode, Friday Gold Wrap host Mike Maharrey talks about inflation and suggests maybe you shouldn’t be shocked. He also discusses the whacked-out labor market.
