Investors got lulled into a state of inflation complacency. Persistently low official inflation rates in recent years depressed bond yields along with risk premiums on all financial assets.That's changing in 2018. Five drivers of higher inflation rates are now starting to kick in.Inflation Driver #1: Rising CPIThe Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a notoriously flawed measure of inflation. It tends to...Read More

The "pension crisis" is one of those things - like flying cars and nuclear fusion - that's always coming but never arrives. But the reason it hasn't yet happened is also the reason that it will happen, and soon:Continue...Read More

By Ira EpsteinGold at first up but then down off of FOMC Minutes. https://www.iraepstein.com/ Read More

Full Article: SWOT Analysis: Will Gold Shine During Volatile Times?By: Frank HolmesStrengthsThe best performing metal this week was gold, down 1.26 percent. China's demand for gold jewelry rose 10 percent last year to around 700 metric tons due to increasing wealth of residents. China is the largest market for gold in the world. Gold demand is also on the rise in India, the second largest cons...Read More

- Bitcoin has 'pretty much failed' as a currency says Bank of England Carney- Bitcoin is neither a store of value nor a useful way to buy things - BOE's Carney- Project fear against crypto-currencies or an out of control investing bubble?- Bitcoin will likely recover in value but is speculative and not for widows and orphans- British pound has been a terrible store of value - unlike gold- Pound c...Read More

The "pension crisis" is one of those things - like flying cars and nuclear fusion - that's always coming but never arrives. But for pension funds reason it hasn't yet happened is also the reason that it will happen, and soon: The Risk Pension Funds Can't Escape(Wall Street Journal) - Public pension funds that lost hundreds of billions during the last financial crisis still face significant risk...Read More

Iron ore prices held steady at $78 per tonne cfr China on Wednesday February 21, with China on the last day of its weeklong break for the Chinese New Year.Metal Bulletin's 62% Fe Iron Ore Index Today: $78.43 per tonne cfr Qingdao Daily change: unchanged Month-to-date average: $76.83 per tonne...Read More

Remember how mining stocks soared on Valentine's Day and how we wrote that a rally is not necessarily bullish? Guess what - this rally has been more than erased. Miners not only closed below the February 14th opening price, but also below the February 13th and 12th closing prices. Mining stocks big rally turned out to be nothing more than just a regular 50% retracement during a decline - somethi...Read More

Indian steel product export prices could fall if high import tariffs are applied to steel from countries such as South Korea, Turkey and Japan by the United States, sources have told Metal Bulletin.Any price drops for steel from South Korea, Turkey and Japan - which depend on steel exports to the US more than Indian steel mills do - would depress market conditions for Indian steel exporters too, s...Read More

By Dave KranzlerA colleague of mine pointed out that Trump has not been tweeting his flatulence about the economy recently. This thankful hiatus is after he just passed a tax cuts and a spending budget that is supposed to be stimulative. As it turns out, the economy is hitting the headwinds of marginally higher interest rates and a consumer that is bulging from the eyeballs with debt. W...Read More

By Stefan GleasonInvestors got lulled into a state of inflation complacency. Persistently low official inflation rates in recent years depressed bond yields along with risk premiums on all financial assets.That's changing in 2018. Five drivers of higher inflation rates are now starting to kick in.Inflation Driver #1: Rising CPIThe Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a notoriously flawed measure of inf...Read More

Iranian export billet prices went up by $5-15 per tonne on an fob basis in the week ended Wednesday February 21 with higher offers being accepted by customers.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for Iranian billet exports was $495-510 per tonne fob on February 21, against $490-495 per tonne fob a week earlier.Late last week, offers of Iranian billet were reported within the range of $495-510...Read More

By Gary SavageThis video examines the current cyclical setup of both the US Dollar and gold and details specific time and price projections for each in the upcoming 4 weeks.https://blog.smartmoneytrackerpremium.com/ Read More

Indian steel product export prices could fall if high import tariffs are applied to steel from countries such as South Korea, Turkey and Japan by the United States, sources have told Metal Bulletin.Any price drops for steel from South Korea, Turkey and Japan - which depend on steel exports to the US more than Indian steel mills do - would depress market conditions for Indian steel exporters too, s...Read More

By Frank HolmesLast Friday marked the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, China's most important holiday. The fire rooster struts off-stage, clearing the way for the loyal earth dog. According to CLSA's tongue-in-cheek Feng Shui Index, health care, consumer and paper products are favored to outperform early this year, followed by internet, utilities and te...Read More

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 21, 2018) - Zinc One Resources Inc. (TSXV: Z) (OTC Pink: ZZOF) (FSE: RH33) ("Zinc One" or the "Company") has received results from the final batch of surface and pit samples at its Bongar? Zinc Mine Project in north-central Peru. The program included a total of 446 samples from historic pits and surface channel samples from the Bongarita, M...Read More

- Bitcoin has 'pretty much failed' as a currency says Bank of England Carney- Bitcoin is neither a store of value nor a useful way to buy things - BOE's Carney- Project fear against crypto-currencies or an out of control investing bubble?- Bitcoin will likely recover in value but is speculative and not for widows and orphans- British pound has been a terrible store of value - unlike gold- Pound...Read More

Peter KrauthSilver prices this week are rallying after a dramatic market correction in February. In fact, the precious metal has outperformed the S&P 500 over the last week, and the gains are likely to continue…While the U.S. dollar weakens in the face of strengthening global currencies, it's possible that silver could climb dramatically higher in the short term. Increased volatility fro...Read More

Southern European tube mills have increased their prices for commodity-grade hollow steel sections again this week in an attempt to offset the pressures of higher prices and low availability in steel coil, sources told Metal Bulletin.Metal Bulletin's price assessment for Southern Europe-origin hollow sections was ?,?625-660 ($772-816) per tonne on Wednesday February 21, compared with ?,?625-655 pe...Read More

Southern Copper Corp was declared the winner on Tuesday of the Peruvian government's first auction of the Michiquillay copper project, the first tender in nearly a decade.According to a statement by Southern Copper, controlled by conglomerate Grupo Mexico won the tender with a proposal to transfer $400 million to the government and pay 3% royalties.Southern Copper affirmed Peruvian investmen...Read More