Peter's Blog

It’s Game Over if the Markets Call the Fed’s Bluff

The Federal Reserve insists inflation is “transitory” and the economy is making “progress.” Yet, it continues with the extraordinary monetary policy it launched at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, we’re seeing all kinds of data hinting that the economy may not be as great as advertised. Despite this, and even as prices continue […]

India Gold Market Shows Signs of Life as COVID Second Wave Eases

India ranks as the second-largest gold-consuming country in the world, second only behind China, but demand has languished for the last couple of years. The pandemic crushed demand, particularly for gold jewelry, but record-high gold prices in rupee terms and government policy put a drag on the gold market even before COVID-19. There were signs of […]

Russia Goes to War With Inflation

While the Federal Reserve continues to downplay inflation in the US, insisting that it is “transitory,” the Bank of Russia has gone to war with rising prices. Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina says she sees “persistent factors” to inflation, and on Friday, the Russian Central bank hiked interest rates by 100 basis points to […]

If Inflation Is “Transitory” Why Is This Happening?

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell continues to insist the surge of rising prices is “transitory. But if this is true, why are inflation projections for 2022 rapidly rising? It seems the markets aren’t buying the transitory theme.

China’s Gold Market Continues to Recover

Chinese gold imports have nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels and the world’s biggest gold market continues to recover. According to the latest data reported by the World Gold Council, China imported 67.6 tons of gold in May. That was 65 tons higher than May 2020 and only three tons lower than May 2019, before the […]

US Government Spending Sure Isn’t Transitory

The mainstream narrative is that the Fed will soon admit that inflation isn’t transitory. At that point, it will raise interest rates and taper its bond-buying program to fight rising prices. But this narrative ignores the elephant in the room – the ever-increasing national debt. In June, the US government ran another big deficit of […]

“Transitory” Inflation Comes in Hotter Than Expect. Again.

For the sixth month in a row, Consumer Price Index (CPI) data came in much higher than expected. But the question remains: how long will the Fed keep up the “transitory” inflation narrative? And when they do abandon this storyline and acknowledge inflation, what can the central bankers really do about it? The CPI surged […]

Many Indians Depend on Gold to Stay Afloat During Pandemic

Gold has served as a lifeline for Indians pummeled by the economic storm caused by the government response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Indian government’s response to the first wave of COVID-19 ravaged the economy. As a result, many banks were reluctant to extend credit due to fear of defaults. In this tight lending environment, […]

Stimulus Checks Run Out; Americans Whip Out Their Credit Cards

What do you do when that stimulus money runs out? You whip out the credit card. Consumer debt was up 10% in May, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve, and we saw a big jump in credit card balances for the first time since February 2020.

ETFs Add Over 40 Tons of Gold in Q2

Gold-backed ETFs globally added 40.7 tons of gold in the second quarter of 2021, reversing a trend of significant outflows in Q1. In 2020, gold-backed ETFs recorded record net inflows of gold. Funds added nearly 231 more tons in 2020 than they did during the previous record year (2009/646 tons). But with declines in the price […]