1. It was a shortened week with the celebration of the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. The primary market drivers remained the U.S.-China trade war and the escalating political crisis in the United Kingdom as they continue to struggle with meeting the upcoming Brexit deadline in October. 2. Hurricane Dorian turned into a complete…
The Precious Metals Week in Review – August 30th, 2019
1. The U.S.-China trade war continued to be the primary driver for market volatility this week. The Hong Kong protests remain a thorn in the side of Beijing as the pro-democracy demonstrations expand. Chinese troops have moved closer to the region, ostensibly in a previously planned maneuver that has nothing to do with the protests,…
The Precious Metals Week in Review – August 23rd, 2019
1. Escalations in the ongoing U.S.-China trade war continued to trigger wild swings in equity markets this week. Volatility should be expected to remain elevated for the coming weeks as the trade dispute escalates further. 2. The seasonally adjusted number of Americans filing initial claims for state unemployment dropped by 12,000 claims from the previous…
The Precious Metals Week in Review – August 16th, 2019
1. Volatility remained extreme this week as the trade battle between the U.S. and China continued unabated. Global bond yields extended their plunge this week as well, increasing the downward pressure on equity markets. 2. The seasonally adjusted number of Americans filing initial claims for state unemployment surged by 9,000 claims from the previous week’s…
The Precious Metals Week in Review – August 9th, 2019
1. Volatility was extreme this week as U.S.-China trade tensions boiled over and global central banks began a “race to the bottom”, cutting their own interest rates right on the heels of last week’s rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve. 2. The seasonally adjusted number of Americans filing initial claims for state unemployment dropped…
The Precious Metals Week in Review – August 2nd, 2019
The Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision was set up to be the primary driver for market moves this week until President Trump announced further tariffs on China on Thursday. Friday’s Non-Farm Payrolls report also added to market jitters as it seemed to reinforce the idea that the Fed could place further rate cuts in a holding pattern.
The Precious Metals Week in Review – July 26th, 2019
The U.S. appears set to kick the proverbial can down the road once more as the House passed a two-year deal to increase the debt ceiling yet again, sending it to the Senate for a vote.
The Precious Metals Week in Review – July 19th, 2019
1. The battle over the U.S. debt ceiling has once again become a Congressional showdown, as was widely expected. The U.S.-China trade war also continues to remain largely unresolved and these two items alone are likely to trigger a significant increase in market volatility in the coming weeks. 2. The seasonally adjusted number of Americans…
The Precious Metals Week in Review – July 12th, 2019
Trade and speculation about the moves of the Federal Reserve moved back to the forefront of factors affecting market volatility this week. Continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East region also remains a factor.
The Precious Metals Week in Review – July 5th, 2019
The G-20 meeting appeared to result in a truce between China and the U.S. on the trade front, as was generally expected. Stock analysts eagerly awaited the release of the June Non-Farm Payrolls report on Friday for indications of what the Federal Reserve’s next monetary policy move might be. It was a shortened trading week due to the Independence Day holiday in the U.S.