Like eager prospectors in a B western, many investors believe there’s gold in them hills — and that’s where they’re heading.
Gold
has often been a haven for investors, and there are plenty of reasons
to seek safety now. They include the trade war with China, weakness in
Europe, central bankers looking at subzero interest rates, turmoil in
the Middle East, the looming Brexit and uncertainty heading into the
2020 United States elections, and fears of a possible recession.
By mid-September, investors had poured nearly $8 billion this year into exchange-traded funds that hold gold.
This growing gold rush has pushed the price of the precious metal up nearly 27 percent since October 2017, to more than $1,500 an ounce. The last time gold was as expensive was April 2013, after it had declined from its August 2011 recession high of $1,917.90. Last month, analysts at Citigroup predicted that gold could hit $2,000 an ounce.
US gold futures dipped 0.3 per cent to $1,502.9 per ounce.
Reuters|Oct 03, 2019, 02.49 PM IST
Gold bars
Gold
prices were little changed on Thursday, following a jump of more than 1
per cent in the previous session, as investors awaited more data with
which to gauge US economic health and that could influence further US
Federal Reserve action on interest rates.
Spot gold was steady at $1,498.89 per ounce, as of 0758 GMT, while US gold futures dipped 0.3 per cent to $1,502.9 per ounce.
“After the sharp gains we are seeing some minor pullbacks on profit-booking, while sentiment in t ..
This article is part of the Journal’s quarterly markets review, “Investing in a Low-Yield World.”
Unlike
stocks and bonds, precious metals don’t give investors any income
simply for holding them. So why were they among the market’s best
performers in the third quarter?
The reason: In a world of falling—or outright negative—yields,
nervous investors seeking havens are less likely to miss out on returns
from bonds if they put money into gold or silver.
That eliminates the major trade-off that typically confronts those interested in owning gold: It offers no yield at all.
That
declining opportunity cost is why trillions of dollars of
negative-yielding debt around the world and sharp declines in Treasury
yields in the U.S. have sparked a rally in precious metals. The price of
silver rose 11% in the third quarter, while platinum rallied about 6%.
Gold advanced 4% in the quarter and is now up 15% for the year, headed
toward its biggest annual gain since 2010.
The sudden allure of precious metals highlights the turbulence of this year’s third quarter, in which stocks, bonds and other assets swung wildly as investors weighed the latest developments in the U.S.-China trade war. Stocks recovered from a turbulent August to creep back toward records in September, while bond yields, which move inversely to prices, stabilized after approaching record lows earlier in the month.
Buying physical gold or silver
as an investment is not always as straightforward as it sounds. Novice
investors often get lost in a variety of options: “Should I buy minted bars or sovereign coins?” “Maybe that limited edition coin would be a good investment?”
Sensible investors evaluate bullion options by the price and premium on the gold spot price. But the premium is only one part of the equation. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll get that premium back upon the sale.
Worse, there are unscrupulous dealers out there. They will try to
trick you into buying numismatics and other collectibles that have a
huge premium and won’t retain their value over time.
As a result, it’s essential to get an understanding of precious metals before dipping your toes into this market.
In this article, I’ll answer some of the most important questions you should ask yourself before buying precious metals.
(Kitco News) –
After three-straight weeks of gains, cracks are starting to appear in
gold’s bullish veneer, particularly among Wall Street analysts,
according to the latest results of the Kitco News Weekly Gold Survey.
It has been a volatile week for the precious metal as unprecedented
recession fears and new lows in bond yields drove investors from equity
markets and into alternative safe-haven assets. However, the gold
market is preparing to end Friday well off its six-year high, hit
earlier in the week.
Although sentiment, especially among Wall Street analysts, remains clearly bullish, caution continues to creep into the marketplace.
Gold was little changed on Wednesday in the wake of minutes from the
latest U.S. Federal Reserve meeting, but the precious metal was trading
above the two-week low hit in the last session as stock markets slid on
fresh trade tensions.
Spot gold was steady at $1,273.68 per ounce, having fallen to its lowest level since May 3 on Tuesday at $1,268.97.
U.S. gold futures settled 0.1% higher at $1,274.20.
The
minutes from U.S. Fed’s last meeting showed policymakers agreed that
their current patient approach to setting monetary policy could remain
in place “for some time.”
“Not many surprises here and not many
were expected. I would note though that this Fed meeting happened before
China backtracked on the trade talks. At the next meeting, almost
certainly there will be more caution,” said Tai Wong, head of base and
precious metals derivatives trading at BMO.
NJ
Top Dentist, Dr. Sunita Merriman of Westfield, New Jersey believes that
sleep, mental health and oral health are the cornerstones of systemic
health and overall wellness.
SCOTCH PLAINS, N.J., May 21, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — With over 25 years of clinical experience, Dr. Sunita Merriman
believes that sleep, mental health and oral health are the cornerstones
of systemic health, overall wellness and an optimal quality of life.
This is why Dr. Merriman bridges treatment for snoring, sleep apnea and
CPAP intolerance, and comprehensive general and cosmetic dentistry at
her Westfield, New Jersey practice.
Her
practice, the New Jersey Dental Sleep Medicine Center (NJDSMC) is
dedicated to helping the community improve their health and quality of
life by treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), snoring and CPAP
intolerance.
Dr.
Merriman is committed to educating the medical and dental community
about Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) and its role in treating Sleep
Disordered Breathing (SDB). She is also committed to exploring how OAT
could help patients who have a history of trauma and/or mental illness
and suffer from SDB and Insomnia.
Dr. Merriman graduated with honors and received multiple awards from the College of Dentistry at New York University
and successfully completed a two year residency in general dentistry
from Long Island Jewish Medical Center. She is a Diplomate of both the
American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM) and the American Board
of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine (ABCDSM). This achievement is
notable as a minority of dentists achieve Diplomate status with one
Dental Sleep Board and even fewer do so with multiple Boards.
There are only approximately 300 dentists in the United States
who have met these Board requirements. Dr. Merriman was able to attain
this prestigious recognition by successfully completing a multi-stage
process of both Boards which included meeting stringent
pre-certification requirements, a comprehensive written examination, in
addition to a thorough review of patient care skills and outcomes.
To
stay updated on emerging tools and technologies, Dr. Merriman attends
conferences, reads published materials, and regularly converses with
colleagues. She also believes that being an educator helps her to be a
life- long learner.
In
addition to her professional career, Dr. Merriman is a poet and
recently published her first book of poems, Stripping: My Fight to Find
Me. You can learn more about her mission on her personal website: http://www.SunitaMerriman.com
Red wine has previously been linked to a range of supposed health
benefits, from helping the heart to lowering the risk of diabetes. Now a
new study suggests it contains chemicals that can help in the fight
against tooth decay and gum disease.
Researchers from Spain have found compounds in red wine, known as polyphenols, help fend off harmful bacteria in the mouth.
But experts warn that the findings do not offer a ‘green light’ to drink more red wine.
Previous studies have suggested that the health benefits of
polyphenols are linked to the fact they’re antioxidants that protect the
body from harmful free radicals.
However, recent studies have indicated that polyphenols might also boost health by working with ‘good bacteria’ in our gut.
They compared the effects of two polyphenols from red wine against
grape seed and red wine extract supplements on bacteria that stick to
teeth and gums and cause dental plaque, cavities and gum disease.
They found the wine polyphenols and extracts all reduced the
bacteria’s ability to stick to the cells, but the polyphenols—caffeic
and p-coumaric acids—were more effective.
When combined with the Streptococcus dentisani—believed to be an oral
probiotic, which stimulates the growth of good bacteria—the polyphenols
were even better at inhibiting the pathogenic bacteria.
The findings, they said, could ultimately lead to new dental treatments.
This story was sourced from BBC News.Bite magazine and its associated website is published by Engage Media. All material is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission. Explore how our content marketing agency can help grow your business at Engage Content or at YourBlogPosts.com.
NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Silicon Metal Market – Overview
Silicon
metal is a grey, lustrous semi-conductive metals that is used in the
manufacturing of aluminum alloys, steel, solar cells, and microchips.The
silicon metal acts as a raw material for a large number of industrial
and consumer products such as sealants, adhesives, lubricants, coatings,
and polishes.
Increasing
demand for automobiles, portable electronics, and solar panels is
expected to be a major driver of the silicon metal market during the
forecast period.
This report analyzes and forecasts the silicon
metal market at global and regional levels.The market has been forecast
based on volume (Kilo Tons) and value (US$ Mn) from 2019 to 2027,
considering 2018 as the base year.
The study includes drivers and
restraints of the global silicon metal market.It also covers
anticipated impact of these drivers and restraints on the demand for
silicon metal during the forecast period.
The report also highlights opportunities for the silicon metal market at the global and regional levels.
The
report includes detailed value chain analysis, which provides a
comprehensive view of the global silicon metal market.Porter’s Five
Forces model for the silicon metal market has also been included to help
understand the competition landscape of the market.
The study
encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein application segments
have been benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and
general attractiveness.
The study provides a decisive view of the global silicon metal market by segmenting it in terms of application.In terms of application, the market has been classified into aluminum alloys, semiconductors, silicones & silanes, solar panels and others.
Gold prices rose on Friday and were set to post a
weekly rise as the United States raised tariffs on Chinese goods,
exacerbating fears of a global economic slowdown, while palladium surged
more than 5% on technical buying and short covering.
The United States intensified a tariff
war with China on Friday by hiking levies on $200 billion worth of
Chinese goods. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he was in no
hurry to sign a trade deal with China.
The escalation in the
U.S.-China trade dispute has weighed on stock markets worldwide and
boosted demand for assets viewed as safer.
“Gold is up today and will be up
in the short term until there is a concrete resolution to the
continuing trade tensions between the United States and China,” said Rob
Lutts, chief investment officer at Cabot Wealth Management.
Spot gold gained 0.2% to $1,286.56 per ounce and is up about 0.6% so far this week.
U.S. gold futures settled up 0.2% at $1,287.40.
“Gold is kind of inching high because of instability in the equities market,” said INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir.
Palladium climbed 4.7% to
$1,354.51 per ounce as of 1:32 pm EDT (1732 GMT), having fallen to its
lowest since Jan. 4 at $1,263.85 in the previous session. The metal was
on track for a second straight weekly decline of about 1.2%.
“The price slide (on
Thursday) temporarily made palladium cheaper than gold again for the
first time since the start of the year,” Commerzbank analysts said in a
note.
“The nice $70 bounce in
the palladium prices is on the back of some modest consumer buying after
the move below $1,300 yesterday and short-covering,” said Tai Wong,
head of base and precious metals derivatives trading at BMO.
For gold, the U.S.-China
trade conflict could also force the U.S. Federal Reserve to cut interest
rates, which could further support bullion prices.
Global anxiety has also
seen an uptick as U.S. bombers arrived at a U.S. base in Qatar to
counter what Washington describes as threats from Iran.
“The Iran situation is
not improving. Trump’s policies have led to a change in the dynamics.
We’re not sure whether the changes will make the situation safer or not
but the uncertainty will affect how investors see gold,” Lutts added.
Bullion was also
supported by a weaker dollar which fell after data showed a
smaller-than-expected rise in the U.S. consumer price index last month.
Silver was up 0.2% at $14.78 per ounce, while platinum rose 2.3% to $863.75.
Silver is on course to register a second straight week of declines, while platinum looks set for a third weekly drop in a row.
