Peter's Blog

Is a Zombie (Company) Apocalypse Upon Us?

Rising interest rates could unleash a zombie company apocalypse – if the Fed lets it happen. Corporate bankruptcy levels in the US hit seven-year highs last month. New Chapter 11 bankruptcies surged 63% year-over-year in March. All-told 770 companies filed for Chapter 11 protection last month. That is the highest level since April 2011.

Imports of Gold into China via Hong Kong Surged Last Month

Imports of gold into China via Hong Kong surged in March, rising 78.67% compared to February. The amount of the yellow metal moving into mainland China via Hong Kong rose to 59.4 tons in March, up from 33.25 tons in February, according to data emailed to Reuters by the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department. 

Peter Schiff: Why Own US Stocks?

Stock markets had another bad day Tuesday. The Dow Jones fell over 400 points as the 10-year Treasury yield broke through 3%. Several “marquee” companies warned of higher costs, including Google-parent Alphabet and Caterpillar. In his latest podcast, Peter Schiff said he thinks the correction is over. Not the downward move. That is not the […]

Fed’s Underlying Inflation Measure Close to 12-Year High

Inflation is low – so we’re told. But this simply isn’t true. Now, it is true that the consumer price index (CPI) has remained relatively low. But rising prices aren’t in-and-of themselves inflation. In fact, we can have inflation without a corresponding rise in CPI – at least in the short-term. That’s exactly what we’ve […]

WGC Report: Weakening Dollar Tends to Support Rising Gold Price

Conventional wisdom holds that rising interest rates are bad for gold. The fact that the Federal Reserve has been nudging rates up over the last couple of years has accounted for a lot of the bearishness in the gold market. But the conventional wisdom doesn’t line up with the current reality. Even as the Fed […]

Peter Schiff: The Fed Is Like Mr. Magoo

Last week, Peter Schiff said we may well be in the calm before the economic storm. In his latest podcast, he said the storm may be on the horizon. But most people are still oblivious, including the Federal Reserve.

Can the Auto Industry Survive in a High Interest Rate Environment?

Can the auto industry survive in a high interest rate environment? We’re about to find out. Earlier this month, we reported that the air has started to come out of the subprime auto bubble. Nevertheless, Americans are still buying cars. Last week, we got a Commerce Department report that consumer spending was up thanks in […]

Troubling Signs in the Bond Market: Yield Curves Going Flat

There are some troubling signs for the economy in the bond market. Yield curves are going flat. On Wednesday, the yield curve from 5 to 30 year bonds flattened to as little as 29 basis points. That represents the narrowest spread since 2007. The yield curve between 2-year and 10-year Treasuries also narrowed, touching 41 […]

Gold Could Play Key Role in Cancer Treatment

In recent years, gold has been increasingly valued for its use in various technological applications. In a report late last year, the World Gold Council reported the demand for gold in the technology sector has been growing since 2016 and that growth is continuing to accelerate due to new innovations. Some of the most amazing developments utilizing […]

In a World Drowning in Debt the US Stands Out

In a world drowning in debt, the US stands out, according to the International Monetary Fund. Global debt has reached record levels. According to a recent IMF report, the world has amassed $164 trillion of debt. That comes to 225% of global debt to GDP, levels not seen since the peak of the 2008 financial […]