GLD

The Fed looks to be planning for slowly growing inflation–as the only way out of a fiscal disaster

The Fed looks to be planning for slowly growing inflation–as the only way out of a fiscal disaster

Watch what they do and not what the say is always good advice for investors trying to figure out what’s going on in the financial markets.

Sure, the Federal Reserve has said that it has a target of no more than 2% inflation. And Jerome Powell & Co. has professed their disappointment that inflation remains so stubbornly elevated above that target,

Since the start of the year, the Fed has expanded its balance sheet by $170 billion. That translates to a staggering $510 billion annualized run-rate. The Fed is currently expanding its balance sheet at almost 8% a year during a period when the U.S. economy is supposedly not in a recession.At the same time, U.S. money supply M2 grew by $1.65 trillion in 2025, which is roughly 6.3% over the year.

Adding two gold stocks on short-term weakness for long-term gains

Adding two gold stocks on short-term weakness for long-term gains

I don’t know how long the weakness in gold might last–gold is down 8.4% from the start of the Iran war on February 28 through the close on April 20. Or how big any further decline from here might be-—my crystal ball is not doing a bang-up job of predicting the twists, turns, ultimatums, and reversals in this crisis. But I would once again use the short-term selling as an opportunity to build long-term gold positions. On the assumption that you’ve got a basic gold position in place, I’m going to look beyond ETFs that hold physical gold and silver to suggest two gold mining stocks that have significant leverage to the price of gold.

Why gold is a long-term winning and safe bet

Why gold is a long-term winning and safe bet

February The argument for owning gold for the long term comes down to simple supply and demand. Unlike the world’s supply of fiat currencies where supply will soar as the wold’s indebted countries–just about everyone–print more money to pay their bills, the global supply of gold is increasing by just 1% a year or less. Unlike demand for the U.S. dollar, world’s fiat money flagship currency–where every day more investors want to hedge their risks by diversifying out of the dollar, demand for gold from global central banks is climbing and Wall Street strategist have modestly but noticeably increased their recommended allocation to gold for individual portfolios.

Saturday Night Quarterback says, on a Sunday, for the week ahead expect…

Saturday Night Quarterback says, on a Sunday, for the week ahead expect…

I expect the huge 2025 rally in gold and silver to finish the year strong. But with the possibility of volatility as institutional investors try to game the next move in precious metals. In case you’re not up to date on this rally, gold was up 76% for 2025 as of December 26. Silver was up 160%. Gains like those inevitably fill investors heads with thoughts of corrections and reversions to the mean. But I think selling now is premature.

Please watch my new YouTube video Hot Money moves: China buys gold

Please watch my new YouTube video Hot Money moves: China buys gold

Today’s Hot Money Moves NOW is China Buys More Gold. Gold seems like a good asset to own right now but it’s also trading at record highs. So while gold is safe, especially if inflation goes up, how much higher do you expect gold to go? One thing to look at it is who is emerging as a buyer. Central banks have been buying gold to hedge risks and diversify, which has contributed to the record highs. Recently, the Chinese government announced that 10 big Chinese insurance companies will now be allowed to put up to 1% of their portfolios into gold. This hasn’t been allowed in the past and will provide about $27 billion for new gold buying. This is also just another sign that countries and businesses are looking to hedge risk by buying gold and it’s one of the safer places to be in an uncertain market.

Please watch my new YouTube Hot Money Moves video: Gold via 747

Please watch my new YouTube Hot Money Moves video: Gold via 747

Today’s Hot Money Moves NOW is “Gold via 747.” It is extraordinary when big New York banks like Goldman Sachs have hired 747s to fly physical gold from London (where it’s cheaper) to New York. Most investors don’t own a 747 and may not be able to do this trade, but it is indicative of the high degree of uncertainty in the market. Flying gold from London to New York is a truly extreme move, and you wouldn’t see that without an underlying fundamental stress in the market. Gold is trading near all-time highs and you may not make a whole lot of money buying gold ETFs from here, but you would be avoiding some risk in the rest of the market. I have the GLD ETF in my Jubak Picks portfolio and will likely look for another to add.

Jobs surprise–economy delivers stronger than expected performance in December

Jobs surprise–economy delivers stronger than expected performance in December

In December U.S. economy in December added the most jobs since March and the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell. Nonfarm payrolls increased 256,000, exceeding all but one forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists. The unemployment rate fell to 4.1%, while average hourly earnings rose 0.3% from November, a Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed Friday. For 2024 as a whole, the economy added 2.2 million jobs—-below the 3 million increase in 2023 but above the 2 million created in 2019. The data almost certainly assured that the Federal Reserve would not cut interest rates at its January 29 meeting. As of 11 a.m. New York time, the yield on the 10-year Treasury had climbed another 5 basis points to 4.74%.