The past year was a difficult one overall for the metals, with the main standouts to the upside being a geopolitical risk-driven gain in gold, a China-driven rise in iron ore and a surge in uranium on broadening global support for nuclear power (Figure 1). A jump in global interest rates to near two-decade highs saw recession fears persist all year, and while one still did not actually eru...Read More

This year the post-global health crisis boom was brought to an end by a surge in inflation to forty-year highs, a major rise in global interest rates in an attempt to curb the rising prices and surging geopolitical risk after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While precious metals held up reasonably well as markets turned to them as a risk hedge, by Q2/22 the higher interest rates put an end t...Read More

Chile is the world leader in copper production, at 28.5% of the total in 2020, and this looks set to continue, with the country having the largest global reserves, at 23.0% of total. It is also the global leader for molybdenum, which is often found along with copper, and is a major lithium player, holding 51.1% of global reserves. Read More

Newfoundland has become a gold exploration hotspot over the past few years, with the sector seeing some of its strongest activity ever. While the province remains a small contributor to Canadian gold production, it has a substantial mineral industry well supported by the government, focused on iron ore, copper and nickel, and the surge in exploration suggests that gold output from the...Read More

Nevada is the core of the U.S. gold output, accounting for by far the majority, at 75.4% on average for the past year. The state looks set to remain a dominant player in U.S. gold, as it accounts for 49% of total U.S. reserves, with Alaska slightly ahead with 51% of reserves, but just 8.6% of current production. The U.S. accounts for 6.1% of global gold output, making Nevada one of the largest gol...Read More

The Golden Triangle in northwestern British Columbia has historically been a major site of Canadian gold production, beginning as early as the mid 1800s. There was a wave of production in the 1990s which cooled as the gold price declined, but larger scale production resumed in 2017, and the area has seen surging exploration interest over the past year, given that the region has some of the largest...Read More

In this report we outline the Quebec gold mining industry, including its major producers, and a survey of many of the junior miners focused on the province. Quebec accounts for 34% of Canadian gold production (second to Ontario, with 44%) and remains a major focus for both producers and junior miners.Read More

Red Lake has been one of the most prolific gold mining districts in Canada and the world, with exploration having started in the 1920s, and production, which began in the 1930s, continuing to the present day. The district is known for the high grade of its gold, its infrastructure, and strong institutional support, given the long history of mining in the area.Read More

China's Real Property Problem … As China slows down, leaders in Beijing are understandably turning to one of their favored growth stabilizers: housing. A record decline in new-home prices in January has, as my Bloomberg News colleagues reported this week, prompted Chinese officials to contemplate additional stimulus measures, including reducing the required down payments on second homes...Read More

Fed Gives Cover to Bumbling Congress … Consider the critique of the Fed by some members of Congress. As the New York Times described it, the three-hour hearing was "testy" as "Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee accused Janet L. Yellen, chairwoman of the Fed, of using her office to advance liberal policy goals." – BloombergDominant Social Theme: Do...Read More

Russia's Khodorkovsky: Putin is a 'naked king' facing economic ruin … Former Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky said on Thursday Vladimir Putin was a "naked king" presiding over an economy that will weaken further, eventually provoking a battle between rival clans in Moscow. – ReutersDominant Social Theme: Putin is finished and so is Russia.Free-Market Analysis:...Read More

Fed Gives Cover to Bumbling Congress … Consider the critique of the Fed by some members of Congress. As the New York Times described it, the three-hour hearing was "testy" as "Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee accused Janet L. Yellen, chairwoman of the Fed, of using her office to advance liberal policy goals." – BloombergDominant Social Theme: Do...Read More

Russia's Khodorkovsky: Putin is a 'naked king' facing economic ruin … Former Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky said on Thursday Vladimir Putin was a "naked king" presiding over an economy that will weaken further, eventually provoking a battle between rival clans in Moscow. – ReutersDominant Social Theme: Putin is finished and so is Russia.Free-Market Analysis:...Read More

Bitcoin revolution could be the next internet, says Bank of England … The Bank of England has unveiled analysis of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin that suggests electronic money could cause a tectonic shift in the payments industry. – UK TelegraphDominant Social Theme: Bitcoin could be the next national money.Free-Market Analysis: We don't see how central banks can issue bitcoin-styl...Read More

£430m flagship hospital slammed after patients are issued with 'Downtown Abbey-style' HANDBELLS to attract attention … Families of patients being cared for at a £430 million flagship hospital are outraged after their loved ones were given 'Downtown Abbey-style' handbells to attract attention. Those given the metal bells at Southmead Hospital in Bristol include a f...Read More

Bitcoin revolution could be the next internet, says Bank of England … The Bank of England has unveiled analysis of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin that suggests electronic money could cause a tectonic shift in the payments industry. – UK TelegraphDominant Social Theme: Bitcoin could be the next national money.Free-Market Analysis: We don't see how central banks can issue bitcoin-styl...Read More

£430m flagship hospital slammed after patients are issued with 'Downtown Abbey-style' HANDBELLS to attract attention … Families of patients being cared for at a £430 million flagship hospital are outraged after their loved ones were given 'Downtown Abbey-style' handbells to attract attention. Those given the metal bells at Southmead Hospital in Bristol include a f...Read More

Janet Yellen's Advice to Rand Paul … Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen mostly succeeded in her attempt to be vague about Fed policy in her semiannual appearance before Congress on Tuesday. On one issue, however, she was unequivocal – and correct: A congressional audit of the Fed's interest-rate decisions is a very bad idea. – BloombergDominant Social Theme: Rand Paul &nd...Read More

Organic Food Movement Threatens Big Brands … The food industry is inexorably tied to the marketing industry. Whether or not they believe it, consumers are influenced by advertisements and the ways in which companies portray their products. Food is likely one of the most demonstrable examples of the power of suggestion. Especially as health foods gain traction, a company can highlight or hide...Read More

Janet Yellen's Advice to Rand Paul … Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen mostly succeeded in her attempt to be vague about Fed policy in her semiannual appearance before Congress on Tuesday. On one issue, however, she was unequivocal – and correct: A congressional audit of the Fed's interest-rate decisions is a very bad idea. – BloombergDominant Social Theme: Rand Paul &nd...Read More

Organic Food Movement Threatens Big Brands … The food industry is inexorably tied to the marketing industry. Whether or not they believe it, consumers are influenced by advertisements and the ways in which companies portray their products. Food is likely one of the most demonstrable examples of the power of suggestion. Especially as health foods gain traction, a company can highlight or hide...Read More

Canada's oil sands cash flows are set to drop by $21 billion in the next two years, a report published Tuesday by energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie shows.According to the analysts, current operational costs for producers have reached $37 per barrel for in-situ projects and $40 per barrel for mining projects.And with benchmark U.S. crude trading around $50 a barrel, down from more than $100 in Ju...Read More

California Should Have an Embassy in Washington, Lawmaker Says … California Governor Jerry Brown said in his annual state-of-the-state speech yesterday, "We are leaders in renewable energy and efficiency; we have extended health care to millions; we are transforming our educational and criminal justice systems; we are building the nation's only high-speed rail system." –...Read More

One fifth of Germans want revolution: report … One in five Germans believe that a revolution would be the only way to truly reform society, a study released by the Free University of Berlin on Monday shows. Anti-capitalism, anti-fascism and anti-racism were all are prominent positions according to the study entitled 'Against state and capital – for the revolution', which has re...Read More

California Should Have an Embassy in Washington, Lawmaker Says … California Governor Jerry Brown said in his annual state-of-the-state speech yesterday, "We are leaders in renewable energy and efficiency; we have extended health care to millions; we are transforming our educational and criminal justice systems; we are building the nation's only high-speed rail system." –...Read More

One fifth of Germans want revolution: report … One in five Germans believe that a revolution would be the only way to truly reform society, a study released by the Free University of Berlin on Monday shows. Anti-capitalism, anti-fascism and anti-racism were all are prominent positions according to the study entitled 'Against state and capital – for the revolution', which has re...Read More

Greece readies list of reforms to dodge bankruptcy … Yanis Varoufakis says a bail-out extension will be "dead and buried" if international creditors do not ratify Athens' proposals … The Greek government will put forward plans to root out tax evasion and overhaul the country's labour laws in a bid to convince creditors it should be granted a vital extension of its bai...Read More

Big Tobacco's Future: Big Pot … You may like technology (who doesn't these days) or the energy sector (where would we be without it) – but if you're making a long-term bet as an investor, there's a lot going for Big Tobacco. It's not just that tobacco boasts the best historical performance of all U.S. industries. The industry's future seems especially bright. As...Read More