What the heck is going on? I hear this a lot these days. Developments are happening too quickly to process for many folks, creating a persisting cloud of confusion. Even focusing down on any particular single event often gets nowhere because so much of what’s going on simply makes so sense Take for example, the W.H.O. which as recently as two weeks ago recommended that only sick peop... read more

Stock futures fell sharply in early trading Thursday as coronavirus cases increased in some states that are reopening up from lockdowns. Shares that have surged recently on hopes for a smooth reopening of the economy dropped in premarket trading. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 721 points, or 2.7%. The move implied an opening decline of about 740 points. S&P 500 futures f... read more

Mohamed El-Erian, who in early March correctly called a coronavirus-driven bear market, told CNBC on Monday he’s reluctant to buy the latest stock rally. “For me personally, it’s an uncomfortable bet to continue to bet on a huge recovery,” the chief economic advisor at Allianz said on “Squawk Box.” “I don’t like doing this. But I respect and admire those who can.” Dow fu... read more

All roads seem pointed in one direction at the moment. The S&P 500 SPX+0.82% closed up on Tuesday for the third-straight session, extending the rebound from the March lows to nearly 38%. Investors continued to flock to the hard-hit cyclical sectors, including energy, industrials and materials. Mike Larson, senior analyst at Weiss Ratings, said he has never seen anything like it. “I... read more

Investors hoping for years of asset purchases from the Federal Reserve are in for a rude awakening as soon as next year, Henry McVey, head of global macro, asset allocation, and balance sheet investments at KKR, said Friday. The central bank has spent billions of dollars to support market functioning and pad the economy against the coronavirus pandemic. Markets responded in kind, soaring thr... read more

(Reuters) - Gold prices rose on Friday, supported by lingering U.S.-China trade tensions, while market participants cautiously awaited Washington’s response to the Chinese parliament’s approval of a national security law for Hong Kong. FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo Spot gold was up 0.5% at $... read more

The yellow metal could be looking at nearing the $5,000 an ounce price tag in a decade and that is a conservative estimate, according to the annual In Gold We Trust Report published by Incrementum AG. The 14th annual report made some pretty bold predictions for the gold market, forecasting prices to, at least, approach $5,000 an ounce and possibly even push towards $9,000 an ounce by 2030, I... read more

LONDON, May 26 (Reuters) - Swiss exports of gold to the United States leapt to 111.7 tonnes in April -- by far the biggest monthly total on record -- while shipments to other destinations dwindled, customs data showed on Tuesday. The global gold market has been turned on its head by the novel coronavirus, with demand in China and India collapsing due to lockdowns while in the West... read more

Gold prices could reach a record by the end of the year. But don’t expect to see a smooth ride to the top, even as measures to offset the pandemic-hit economy support the precious metal’s appeal as a haven. U.S. gold prices are likely to gradually increase over time, says Darwei Kung, portfolio manager and head of commodities at asset management firm DWS Group. An increase in... read more

A popular claim is that the 1918–19 flu pandemic killed millions but no biggie, the Roaring ’20s started the following year. It’s onward and upward, baby, once we toss the masks. Wrong. Completely, totally, dead wrong. The drivers of the past 75 years of growth — globalization and financialization — are dead, and so is everything that depended on them for “growth.” Here’s w... read more