Peter's Blog

Bad News and Really Bad News: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap March 11, 2022

We got the February CPI data yesterday. There is some bad news in the report and then there is some really bad news. In this episode, SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Host Mike Maharrey breaks it all down. He also talks about gold’s rollercoaster ride this week in the context of inflation and the Russia-Ukraine situation.

Comex Update: First Gold and Now Silver

Weeks before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I highlighted Comex data points that could signal a big move ahead in gold. The invasion may have been the spark to light the fire, but the data showed the groundwork was being laid back in January. Silver has now sent up its own flare that may be […]

Inflation Up 0.8% Month-on-Month and Shows No Sign of Slowing

The latest seasonally adjusted inflation rate for January was 0.8% month over month. The non-seasonally adjusted annual rate came in at 7.87%. Both of these numbers were slightly above expectations. Unlike last year, where one component made up the bulk of the move, the past several months have shown increases more evenly spread across the […]

Trade Deficit: Another Record Shattered

January saw another record trade deficit. The $89.7 billion deficit shattered the $82 billion record set in December by 9.4%! Before March 2021, the Trade Deficit monthly record had been set in August 2006 at -$68B. This record stood for nearly 15 years! Records are now being broken almost every single month.

Treasury Adds Another $94B in Short-Term Debt and $278B Overall

Debt issuance by the US Treasury has fallen since the binge in December when the Treasury had to replenish its “extraordinary measures” stockpiles (government employee retirement funds) after the end of the “debt ceiling” debate. Still, issuance remains relatively high. The Treasury added another $278 billion in debt during February. Similar to January, the Treasury […]

February was a Strong Jobs Report Across All Measures

February was another very strong jobs month with the economy adding an estimated 678,000 jobs vs an expected 400,000. The unemployment rate came in at 3.8%, down from 4%. Labor force participation also improved, rising from 62.2% to 62.3%. Both December and January numbers were revised upwards.

Less for More: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap March 4, 2022

You’re getting less for more every time you pull out your wallet. Inflation is chewing up the average person’s paycheck. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey talks about the real pain of inflation. He also talks about Jerome Powell’s testimony before Congress, the trajectory of monetary policy, the strength […]

Global Silver Demand Expected to Reach All-Time High and Other Silver News

Global silver demand is expected to reach a record high of 1.112 billion ounces in 2022. This is one of several silver-related stories in the latest edition of Silver News published by the Silver Institute.

Comex Results February Becomes the Month of Adjustments

There have been some major adjustments to headline data numbers so far in February from the BLS, the Fed, and now the Comex. This analysis focuses on gold and silver delivery volume on the Comex. See the article What is the Comex for more detail.

COTs Analysis: Will Hedge Funds Stick Around This Time?

The previous Commitment of Traders analysis showed how much influence Managed Money has over the short-term price movement of gold and silver. The table below summarizes this influence by comparing the Managed Money Net Positioning with “Other”, the next largest category. Swap is not considered because it typically sits opposite the other two.