On an examination of six parameters including who is the PM face, alliances, announcement of candidates, rallies and other events, campaign themes, vision and key promises, it is the NDA that is far ahead of the INDIA bloc. The latter is clearly struggling to present a cogent national alliance
On an examination of six parameters including who is the PM face, alliances, announcement of candidates, rallies and other events, campaign themes, vision and key promises, it is the NDA that is far ahead of the INDIA bloc. The latter is clearly struggling to present a cogent national alliance
, Stock and Share Market News, Economy and Finance News, Sensex, Nifty, Global Market, NSE, BSE Live IPO News
ICICI Direct, Euro edged higher by 0.30% on Friday amid weakness in dollar and as Eurozone CPI rose more than expected. ICICI Direct, Euro edged higher by 0.30% on Friday amid weakness in dollar and as Eurozone CPI rose more than expected. , Buy EURINR; target of : 90.30 : March 04, 2024: ICICI Direct
Though the MSeva app has attempted to provide an indigenous app store, too few Indian startups have onboarded it. The absence of partnerships with phonemakers has limited the pre-installation of MSeva on devices, hindering its accessibility to users. Additionally, inadequate promotion and poorly designed user interfaces have contributed to its underutilisation
Though the MSeva app has attempted to provide an indigenous app store, too few Indian startups have onboarded it. The absence of partnerships with phonemakers has limited the pre-installation of MSeva on devices, hindering its accessibility to users. Additionally, inadequate promotion and poorly designed user interfaces have contributed to its underutilisation
, Stock and Share Market News, Economy and Finance News, Sensex, Nifty, Global Market, NSE, BSE Live IPO News
Are you ready to take your snacking game to a whole new level? Prepare to be amazed because we’re about to unveil the ultimate snack sensation: Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos! These crispy delights are not just any ordinary snack—they’re a game-changer that will revolutionize your munching experience.
Imagine sinking your teeth into a crunchy, golden shell, only to discover a tender, flavorful chicken filling waiting to tantalize your taste buds. It’s a snack lover’s dream come true, and it’s all made possible with the magic of the air fryer.
Gone are the days of greasy, unhealthy snacks. With these Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos, you can indulge guilt-free while still satisfying your cravings for something crispy and delicious. Plus, they’re incredibly simple to make, meaning you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your newfound snack obsession.
Whether you’re hosting a gathering with friends or simply craving a savory treat to enjoy on your own, these taquitos are guaranteed to be a hit. They’re versatile, customizable, and downright addictive—once you try them, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them.
But wait, it gets even better. Not only are these taquitos incredibly tasty, but they’re also packed with protein, making them a satisfying snack that will keep you fueled and energized throughout the day. Say goodbye to the mid-afternoon slump and hello to snack time bliss!
So, are you ready to embark on a snacking adventure like never before? Grab your air fryer, gather your ingredients, and get ready to experience the crispy perfection of Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos. Trust us, once you try them, you’ll never look at snacking the same way again.
Craving the creamiest cheesecake without the hassle of a crust? This recipe will blow your mind!
Picture this: a decadent New York cheesecake without a single crumb of crust. Sounds impossible, right? Wrong! With this genius hack, you’ll have a dessert sensation that defies expectations.
Forget everything you know about traditional cheesecake recipes. This one takes a daring twist that will leave your taste buds begging for more. Creamy, rich, and utterly irresistible, it’s a game-changer in the world of desserts.
But that’s not even the best part. This crustless masterpiece is not only easy to make but also guaranteed to steal the show at any gathering. Imagine the looks on your guests’ faces when they take their first bite and realize there’s no crust. Pure shock and delight!
Now, you might be wondering, what’s the secret behind this culinary wizardry? It’s all about the perfect combination of creamy cheeses, a touch of sour cream, and just the right amount of sweetness. Plus, a few unexpected ingredients that elevate the flavor to new heights.
And the best news? You don’t need any fancy equipment or hours of prep time. With just a few simple steps, you’ll have a cheesecake that rivals those from the finest New York bakeries.
So, are you ready to revolutionize your dessert game? Say goodbye to boring crusts and hello to a whole new world of cheesecake perfection. Get ready to impress your friends and family with this unbelievable cheesecake hack—they won’t believe what’s missing!
Most investors have a conceptual understanding of gold’s value. However, many people still wonder: Why is gold so expensive? After all, this yellow metal has very minimal practical applications when compared to more functional precious metals such as silver. Yet, gold prices far outpace the values of other investment-grade metals.
In reality, gold’s value is the result of a millennia-long human fascination that has overseen the evolution of a shiny metal into one of society’s most enduring and valuable assets. Understanding the history of gold’s value can shed some light on its current price and future evaluations.
Early significance among humans
For thousands of years, humans have imbued gold with tremendous symbolic, cultural, and religious significance. A combination of gold’s aesthetic luster, durability, malleability, and rarity made it a popular choice for societies throughout time. The ancient Egyptians and Aztecs considered gold a byproduct of the gods. This link between gold and divinity is echoed by various ancient civilizations worldwide.
In its earliest uses, gold was used for decoration on jewelry, artifacts, ornaments, and buildings. Typically, only the most affluent and highest-ranking members of society had access to gold, further cementing its association with wealth and prestige. This deep-rooted connection between humanity and gold laid the foundations for this metal’s eventual rise as the preeminent force in economics.
Use as a medium of exchange and currency
Gold’s connotation with wealth, status, and power made it the perfect medium of exchange for burgeoning economies. It was highly coveted and widely recognized among members of early civilizations. The earliest examples of gold used as a store of value and means of trade date back to Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley Civilization around 3,000 to 2,500 BCE.
It would be another several hundred years until gold was used in official currency. The Kingdom of Lydia is famous for minting the first gold coin in 630 BCE. These early coins were created with an alloy of gold and silver, owing to gold’s malleability. Eventually, neighboring and succeeding civilizations followed suit, spreading the use of gold in government-issued currency across the globe.
Advantageous properties and characteristics
The preference for gold as a principal component in currency isn’t exclusively explained by its aesthetic appeal and association with wealth. Gold also exhibits several unique characteristics that make it a practical choice for coinage:
Durability – Resistant to various forms of corrosion including tarnishing and rust.
Malleability – Easily shaped into coins of various fractional sizes without breaking or cracking
Portability – A high value-to-weight ratio makes it a practical form of daily currency
Scarcity – Exists in relatively scarce amounts which underpins its value and status as a store of wealth
These properties helped cement gold’s use in the production of currency throughout the development of civilizations.
Gold standardization in economies
When modern economies began issuing paper forms of currency, governments looked to gold to provide a solid foundation of value. This tether between bills and the yellow metal led to the establishment of the gold standard. The United Kingdom was the first country to formalize a tie between its paper currency and this precious metal in 1821, followed by the United States and other major world economies throughout the 20th century. The economic cost of World War II led to the global abandonment of the gold standard, but the resulting Bretton-Woods Agreement still tied the US dollar, as the world reserve currency, to gold.
The transition to a fiat economy and the dissolution of the gold standard didn’t diminish the importance of gold in the global economy. Despite the move away from a gold-backed currency, governments worldwide have continued to accumulate and maintain substantial gold reserves to support their currencies, which have become increasingly devalued over time. Far from offering a viable replacement, the shortcomings of paper currency systems have only underscored gold’s enduring value as a cornerstone of economic stability.
Since the 1930s, the US dollar has lost 99% of its value against gold. The economic consequences of an untethered currency and limitless government spending have driven central banks to buy up record amounts of gold over the past few years. The gold standard and the Bretton Woods Agreement played a pivotal role in solidifying gold’s significance, acceptance, and utility on the global economic stage. The momentum created by these frameworks has carried on long after their demise.
Limited industrial demand
Ironically, gold’s low industrial demand when compared to silver or palladium contributes to its strong price action. While high industrial demand consumes a significant portion of other precious metals’ availability, the gold supply is protected by its limited application. The overwhelming majority of gold ever mined remains in an accessible form and can always be recycled into different forms. This results in greater price stability and steady demand. In contrast, more industrially dependent metals experience greater demand inconsistencies and price volatility, harming their reputation as reliable stores of value.
Natural supply constraints
The relatively inelastic global gold supply is one of the primary reasons it’s so expensive. If gold resources were abundant, the saturated market would lead to significantly lower prices. Not only is the natural supply of gold limited, but the process of exploring, mining, and manufacturing gold is costly and time-consuming. This results in a fixed supply of gold which contributes to stable price movement.
On the flip side, gold demand has been steadily increasing for years as central banks and retail investors diversify with precious metals in the face of waning economic conditions. The combination of a static supply and a growing demand results in higher gold prices as the market adjusts to these dynamics, further reinforcing gold’s value as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty.
View as a safe haven asset
Gold’s premium value isn’t only driven by demand at the global or national level. For centuries, everyday investors have viewed gold as a safe-haven asset, providing a backstop against the volatility of paper currency and paper-backed assets such as stocks, bonds, and ETFs. Historically, gold prices maintain their strength and even increase in value as the rest of the economy slides. The widespread view of gold as a hedge against economic pressures results in steady demand which strengthens prices and reinforces its status as a stable asset. This positive feedback loop strengthens gold’s well-earned reputation
Why gold is never too expensive.
Seeing the impressive spot price of gold can lead some budget-conscious investors to assume this asset is out of their reach. However, gold’s divisibility ensures it’s never too expensive for any investor to own. This metal’s malleability allows it to be broken down into various fractional sizes which is anything smaller than the traditional one troy ounce size. The resulting spectrum of gold coins, bars, and other physical products provides various entry points for investors below the current spot price of gold.
If you’re eager to make the most out of your gold investment, claim a FREE copy of our Precious Metals Investment Guide. It covers everything you need to know about diversifying your portfolio with gold, silver, and other precious metals.
Most investors have a conceptual understanding of gold’s value. However, many people still wonder: Why is gold so expensive? After all, this yellow metal has very minimal practical applications when compared to more functional precious metals such as silver. Yet, gold prices far outpace the values of other investment-grade metals.
In reality, gold’s value is the result of a millennia-long human fascination that has overseen the evolution of a shiny metal into one of society’s most enduring and valuable assets. Understanding the history of gold’s value can shed some light on its current price and future evaluations.
Early significance among humans
For thousands of years, humans have imbued gold with tremendous symbolic, cultural, and religious significance. A combination of gold’s aesthetic luster, durability, malleability, and rarity made it a popular choice for societies throughout time. The ancient Egyptians and Aztecs considered gold a byproduct of the gods. This link between gold and divinity is echoed by various ancient civilizations worldwide.
In its earliest uses, gold was used for decoration on jewelry, artifacts, ornaments, and buildings. Typically, only the most affluent and highest-ranking members of society had access to gold, further cementing its association with wealth and prestige. This deep-rooted connection between humanity and gold laid the foundations for this metal’s eventual rise as the preeminent force in economics.
Use as a medium of exchange and currency
Gold’s connotation with wealth, status, and power made it the perfect medium of exchange for burgeoning economies. It was highly coveted and widely recognized among members of early civilizations. The earliest examples of gold used as a store of value and means of trade date back to Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley Civilization around 3,000 to 2,500 BCE.
It would be another several hundred years until gold was used in official currency. The Kingdom of Lydia is famous for minting the first gold coin in 630 BCE. These early coins were created with an alloy of gold and silver, owing to gold’s malleability. Eventually, neighboring and succeeding civilizations followed suit, spreading the use of gold in government-issued currency across the globe.
Advantageous properties and characteristics
The preference for gold as a principal component in currency isn’t exclusively explained by its aesthetic appeal and association with wealth. Gold also exhibits several unique characteristics that make it a practical choice for coinage:
Durability – Resistant to various forms of corrosion including tarnishing and rust.
Malleability – Easily shaped into coins of various fractional sizes without breaking or cracking
Portability – A high value-to-weight ratio makes it a practical form of daily currency
Scarcity – Exists in relatively scarce amounts which underpins its value and status as a store of wealth
These properties helped cement gold’s use in the production of currency throughout the development of civilizations.
Gold standardization in economies
When modern economies began issuing paper forms of currency, governments looked to gold to provide a solid foundation of value. This tether between bills and the yellow metal led to the establishment of the gold standard. The United Kingdom was the first country to formalize a tie between its paper currency and this precious metal in 1821, followed by the United States and other major world economies throughout the 20th century. The economic cost of World War II led to the global abandonment of the gold standard, but the resulting Bretton-Woods Agreement still tied the US dollar, as the world reserve currency, to gold.
The transition to a fiat economy and the dissolution of the gold standard didn’t diminish the importance of gold in the global economy. Despite the move away from a gold-backed currency, governments worldwide have continued to accumulate and maintain substantial gold reserves to support their currencies, which have become increasingly devalued over time. Far from offering a viable replacement, the shortcomings of paper currency systems have only underscored gold’s enduring value as a cornerstone of economic stability.
Since the 1930s, the US dollar has lost 99% of its value against gold. The economic consequences of an untethered currency and limitless government spending have driven central banks to buy up record amounts of gold over the past few years. The gold standard and the Bretton Woods Agreement played a pivotal role in solidifying gold’s significance, acceptance, and utility on the global economic stage. The momentum created by these frameworks has carried on long after their demise.
Limited industrial demand
Ironically, gold’s low industrial demand when compared to silver or palladium contributes to its strong price action. While high industrial demand consumes a significant portion of other precious metals’ availability, the gold supply is protected by its limited application. The overwhelming majority of gold ever mined remains in an accessible form and can always be recycled into different forms. This results in greater price stability and steady demand. In contrast, more industrially dependent metals experience greater demand inconsistencies and price volatility, harming their reputation as reliable stores of value.
Natural supply constraints
The relatively inelastic global gold supply is one of the primary reasons it’s so expensive. If gold resources were abundant, the saturated market would lead to significantly lower prices. Not only is the natural supply of gold limited, but the process of exploring, mining, and manufacturing gold is costly and time-consuming. This results in a fixed supply of gold which contributes to stable price movement.
On the flip side, gold demand has been steadily increasing for years as central banks and retail investors diversify with precious metals in the face of waning economic conditions. The combination of a static supply and a growing demand results in higher gold prices as the market adjusts to these dynamics, further reinforcing gold’s value as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty.
View as a safe haven asset
Gold’s premium value isn’t only driven by demand at the global or national level. For centuries, everyday investors have viewed gold as a safe-haven asset, providing a backstop against the volatility of paper currency and paper-backed assets such as stocks, bonds, and ETFs. Historically, gold prices maintain their strength and even increase in value as the rest of the economy slides. The widespread view of gold as a hedge against economic pressures results in steady demand which strengthens prices and reinforces its status as a stable asset. This positive feedback loop strengthens gold’s well-earned reputation
Why gold is never too expensive.
Seeing the impressive spot price of gold can lead some budget-conscious investors to assume this asset is out of their reach. However, gold’s divisibility ensures it’s never too expensive for any investor to own. This metal’s malleability allows it to be broken down into various fractional sizes which is anything smaller than the traditional one troy ounce size. The resulting spectrum of gold coins, bars, and other physical products provides various entry points for investors below the current spot price of gold.
If you’re eager to make the most out of your gold investment, claim a FREE copy of our Precious Metals Investment Guide. It covers everything you need to know about diversifying your portfolio with gold, silver, and other precious metals.
, Is Gold Expensive? The Shiny History of Gold’s Value
While the talking heads try to convince the American public that the economy is firing on all cylinders, smart investors are taking their financial fate into their own hands. Instead of tossing their hard-earned dollars on top of an inflated stock market, they’re diversifying with gold and silver.
In this week’s The Gold Spot, Scottsdale Bullion & Coin Sr. Precious Metals Advisor Damian White and Precious Metals Advisor Todd Graf explain why investors are strategically reallocating some of their portfolio and why NOW is an opportune time to buy physical gold and silver.
Approach the Stock Market with Caution
The stock market has never been a reliable indicator of the health of the broader economy, especially for everyday Americans. That’s why the recent highs across stock indices aren’t shaking any concerns investors have about the economy. Recent Gallup surveys reveal that 74% of people don’t have a positive view of the economy. With a historically low approval rating of 38%, the Biden administration’s incompetence isn’t generating much hope for a turnaround.
The US economy still faces a series of obstacles such as stubborn inflation, record levels of personal debt, and a looming US debt crisis. As the wealth gap expands, the middle class is getting crushed. The rich keep getting richer, and the poor keep getting poorer. For perspective, the average American is currently spending 11% of their disposable income on food which is at its highest point in decades.
Time to Reallocate Investments?
In light of the underlying economic risks, many investors are taking profits while the stock market is surging. They’re preemptively reallocating their wealth to more stable assets such as precious metals in anticipation of an economic downturn or full-blown recession.
Things look good on the surface right now, but…things can go south very quickly.
–Precious Metals Advisor Todd Graf
Gold Demand vs Gold Prices
Over the past four to five years, there’s been a widespread shift away from paper assets and into gold bars and coins. This considerable surge in precious metals demand was sparked by the pandemic and maintained by a gauntlet of economic and geological challenges including bank collapses, hot wars, ongoing inflation, and the southern border crisis.
Every time there’s a boom in gold buying, gold prices and premiums reach relative highs. The friction between heightened demand and dwindling supplies forces precious metals and coin dealers to increase their premiums as it costs more to locate and source physical metal assets. As a result, buying into surging demand isn’t ideal.
A Short-Term Buying Opportunity
Interestingly, while central banks continue to buy up gold bullion at record rates, there’s been a lull in retail investor gold demand as investors are distracted by a booming stock market and the siren calls of politicians promising a full economic recovery. This is a welcomed opportunity for investors looking to accumulate more physical gold at relatively low prices before the next rush into precious metals.
“Right now…is the opportune time to be buying precious metals. Prices are relatively stable…and…premiums have compressed to levels we haven’t seen in years.”
Of course, this buying window is going to close soon as more investors wake up to the growing risk of traditional assets. Time is of the essence.
Don’t Wait to Buy Gold, Buy Gold and Wait
Gold has remained the most effective and proven insurance policy for your wealth. Everyone can see and feel the economic turmoil. Forward-thinking investors are taking advantage of the surging stock market to take profits and shift into precious metals to hedge against the incoming flood of economic pressures.
Waiting around until the economy turns south will result in higher costs and higher premiums as gold and silver prices inevitably rise. Right now,we’re in the calm before the economic storm. It’s an ideal time to start accumulating or adding to your stockpiles.
While the talking heads try to convince the American public that the economy is firing on all cylinders, smart investors are taking their financial fate into their own hands. Instead of tossing their hard-earned dollars on top of an inflated stock market, they’re diversifying with gold and silver.
In this week’s The Gold Spot, Scottsdale Bullion & Coin Sr. Precious Metals Advisor Damian White and Precious Metals Advisor Todd Graf explain why investors are strategically reallocating some of their portfolio and why NOW is an opportune time to buy physical gold and silver.
Approach the Stock Market with Caution
The stock market has never been a reliable indicator of the health of the broader economy, especially for everyday Americans. That’s why the recent highs across stock indices aren’t shaking any concerns investors have about the economy. Recent Gallup surveys reveal that 74% of people don’t have a positive view of the economy. With a historically low approval rating of 38%, the Biden administration’s incompetence isn’t generating much hope for a turnaround.
The US economy still faces a series of obstacles such as stubborn inflation, record levels of personal debt, and a looming US debt crisis. As the wealth gap expands, the middle class is getting crushed. The rich keep getting richer, and the poor keep getting poorer. For perspective, the average American is currently spending 11% of their disposable income on food which is at its highest point in decades.
Time to Reallocate Investments?
In light of the underlying economic risks, many investors are taking profits while the stock market is surging. They’re preemptively reallocating their wealth to more stable assets such as precious metals in anticipation of an economic downturn or full-blown recession.
Things look good on the surface right now, but…things can go south very quickly.
–Precious Metals Advisor Todd Graf
Gold Demand vs Gold Prices
Over the past four to five years, there’s been a widespread shift away from paper assets and into gold bars and coins. This considerable surge in precious metals demand was sparked by the pandemic and maintained by a gauntlet of economic and geological challenges including bank collapses, hot wars, ongoing inflation, and the southern border crisis.
Every time there’s a boom in gold buying, gold prices and premiums reach relative highs. The friction between heightened demand and dwindling supplies forces precious metals and coin dealers to increase their premiums as it costs more to locate and source physical metal assets. As a result, buying into surging demand isn’t ideal.
A Short-Term Buying Opportunity
Interestingly, while central banks continue to buy up gold bullion at record rates, there’s been a lull in retail investor gold demand as investors are distracted by a booming stock market and the siren calls of politicians promising a full economic recovery. This is a welcomed opportunity for investors looking to accumulate more physical gold at relatively low prices before the next rush into precious metals.
“Right now…is the opportune time to be buying precious metals. Prices are relatively stable…and…premiums have compressed to levels we haven’t seen in years.”
Of course, this buying window is going to close soon as more investors wake up to the growing risk of traditional assets. Time is of the essence.
Don’t Wait to Buy Gold, Buy Gold and Wait
Gold has remained the most effective and proven insurance policy for your wealth. Everyone can see and feel the economic turmoil. Forward-thinking investors are taking advantage of the surging stock market to take profits and shift into precious metals to hedge against the incoming flood of economic pressures.
Waiting around until the economy turns south will result in higher costs and higher premiums as gold and silver prices inevitably rise. Right now,we’re in the calm before the economic storm. It’s an ideal time to start accumulating or adding to your stockpiles.
, All Signals Green: Why Now Is the Prime Time to Invest in Physical Gold and Silver
Gold eyes second weekly gain in Friday morning trading after hitting a one-month high earlier in the market day as the latest U.S. data pointed to signs of slowing inflation, bolstering investor expectations of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve in June.
The yellow metal rose Thursday and the dollar slipped following the release of the latest U.S. inflation data, the personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE), which showed that the cost of goods rose in line with expectations in January. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core-PCE increased 0.4% month on month in January and 2.8% from a year earlier, in line with economists’ expectations. Top-line PCE, including food and energy costs, increased 0.3% for the month and 2.4% on a 12-month basis, also in line with the consensus.
A weaker dollar is bullish for gold because it makes the yellow metal more affordable for holders of other currencies. But high interest rates are considered bearish because they make gold a less attractive asset for investors. The key ISM manufacturing report is due out Friday with February data and may provide further direction.
Front-month gold futures rose 0.6% Thursday to settle at $2,054.70 an ounce on Comex, and the most-active April contract gained 0.3% in the first four days of the week. Bullion dropped 0.6% in February after declining 0.2% in January and gaining 0.7% in December. The metal rose 13% in 2023. The April contract is currently up $7.10 (+0.35%) an ounce to $2061.80 and the DG spot price is $2053.50.
U.S. GDP has topped 2% for six consecutive quarters, according to data out Wednesday, a signal that the economy is tolerating the high interest rates.
Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic reiterated Thursday that the central bank can probably begin cutting interest rates this summer, as inflation nears the Fed’s 2% target.
“The slope of the line is still going down,” he said, according to Bloomberg. “I’m of the view that it will probably be appropriate if things go the way that I expect to see us start to reduce rates in the summertime.”
Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said Thursday that she still anticipates three rate cuts in 2024, but “there is a little more work for the Fed to do here in terms of making sure that we can get all the way back to that 2% goal,” she told Yahoo News in an interview.
Bostic and San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly are scheduled to speak Friday.
About 97% of the investors tracked by the CME FedWatch Tool are betting that the Fed will keep rates unchanged next month, while 3% expect a 25 basis point cut. Most investors tracked by the tool now also anticipate the Fed will hold rates steady at the following policy meeting in May. Most are now looking to June for a rate cut.
The central bank has raised interest rates by 5.25 percentage points since March 2022 in an effort to cut inflation, but kept rates unchanged at 5.25% to 5.50% earlier this month. High interest rates are typically considered bearish for gold.
Front-month silver futures, which rolled to May from March last week, rose 1.1% Thursday to settle at $22.89 an ounce on Comex, though the May contract is down 1.3% so far this week. Silver lost 1.2% in February after falling 3.8% in January and dropping 6.1% in December. It ticked up 0.2% in 2023. The May contract is currently down $0.005 (-0.02%) an ounce to $22.880 and the DG spot price is $22.71.
Spot palladium increased 1.8% Thursday to $954.00 an ounce but is down 4.6% so far this week. Palladium fell 4.6% in February after tumbling 11% in January and advancing 8.6% in December. Palladium plummeted 38% last year. The current DG spot price is down $2.80 an ounce to $950.00.
Spot platinum slipped 70 cents Thursday to $885.50 an ounce, though it’s down 2.7% so far this week. Platinum decreased 4.9% in February after falling 8% in January and rising 8.1% in December. Platinum dropped 6.8% in 2023. The DG spot price is currently down $8.40 an ounce to $878.60.
Disclaimer: This editorial has been prepared by Dillon Gage Metals for information and thought-provoking purposes only and does not purport to predict or forecast actual results. This editorial opinion is not to be construed as investment advice or a recommendation regarding any particular security, commodity, or course of action. Opinions expressed herein cannot be attributable to Dillon Gage. Reasonable people may disagree about the events discussed or opinions expressed herein. In the event any of the assumptions used herein do not come to fruition, results are likely to vary substantially. It is not a solicitation or advice to make any exchange in commodities, securities, or other financial instruments. No part of this editorial may be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of Dillon Gage Metals. Dillon Gage Metals shall not have any liability for any damages of any kind whatsoever relating to this editorial. You should consult your advisers with respect to these areas. By posting this editorial, you acknowledge, understand, and accept this disclaimer.
Gold eyes second weekly gain in Friday morning trading after hitting a one-month high earlier in the market day as the latest U.S. data pointed to signs of slowing inflation, bolstering investor expectations of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve in June.
The yellow metal rose Thursday and the dollar slipped following the release of the latest U.S. inflation data, the personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE), which showed that the cost of goods rose in line with expectations in January. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core-PCE increased 0.4% month on month in January and 2.8% from a year earlier, in line with economists’ expectations. Top-line PCE, including food and energy costs, increased 0.3% for the month and 2.4% on a 12-month basis, also in line with the consensus.
A weaker dollar is bullish for gold because it makes the yellow metal more affordable for holders of other currencies. But high interest rates are considered bearish because they make gold a less attractive asset for investors. The key ISM manufacturing report is due out Friday with February data and may provide further direction.
Front-month gold futures rose 0.6% Thursday to settle at $2,054.70 an ounce on Comex, and the most-active April contract gained 0.3% in the first four days of the week. Bullion dropped 0.6% in February after declining 0.2% in January and gaining 0.7% in December. The metal rose 13% in 2023. The April contract is currently up $7.10 (+0.35%) an ounce to $2061.80 and the DG spot price is $2053.50.
U.S. GDP has topped 2% for six consecutive quarters, according to data out Wednesday, a signal that the economy is tolerating the high interest rates.
Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic reiterated Thursday that the central bank can probably begin cutting interest rates this summer, as inflation nears the Fed’s 2% target.
“The slope of the line is still going down,” he said, according to Bloomberg. “I’m of the view that it will probably be appropriate if things go the way that I expect to see us start to reduce rates in the summertime.”
Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said Thursday that she still anticipates three rate cuts in 2024, but “there is a little more work for the Fed to do here in terms of making sure that we can get all the way back to that 2% goal,” she told Yahoo News in an interview.
Bostic and San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly are scheduled to speak Friday.
About 97% of the investors tracked by the CME FedWatch Tool are betting that the Fed will keep rates unchanged next month, while 3% expect a 25 basis point cut. Most investors tracked by the tool now also anticipate the Fed will hold rates steady at the following policy meeting in May. Most are now looking to June for a rate cut.
The central bank has raised interest rates by 5.25 percentage points since March 2022 in an effort to cut inflation, but kept rates unchanged at 5.25% to 5.50% earlier this month. High interest rates are typically considered bearish for gold.
Front-month silver futures, which rolled to May from March last week, rose 1.1% Thursday to settle at $22.89 an ounce on Comex, though the May contract is down 1.3% so far this week. Silver lost 1.2% in February after falling 3.8% in January and dropping 6.1% in December. It ticked up 0.2% in 2023. The May contract is currently down $0.005 (-0.02%) an ounce to $22.880 and the DG spot price is $22.71.
Spot palladium increased 1.8% Thursday to $954.00 an ounce but is down 4.6% so far this week. Palladium fell 4.6% in February after tumbling 11% in January and advancing 8.6% in December. Palladium plummeted 38% last year. The current DG spot price is down $2.80 an ounce to $950.00.
Spot platinum slipped 70 cents Thursday to $885.50 an ounce, though it’s down 2.7% so far this week. Platinum decreased 4.9% in February after falling 8% in January and rising 8.1% in December. Platinum dropped 6.8% in 2023. The DG spot price is currently down $8.40 an ounce to $878.60.
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