The price of gold continued to rally hitting another record high on Friday, as the impact of trade tariffs, fears of a recession and a weaker dollar rattled global financial markets. Many reckon further upside might be on the horizon. At 10:45 a.m. EDT on Friday, traders stateside saw the COMEX Gold June contract up 2.18% or $69.20 to $3,246.70 per troy ounce — a record high. Meanwhile, gold spot trading in Dubai saw highs of its own with the yellow metal changing hands at $3,228, up 1.66% or $52.64. Courtesy of interest rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve…

The Market’s Wild Ride Over the last few trading days, the stock market has delivered a masterclass in volatility: April 2nd: President Trump announced a universal 10% tariff on imports and sweeping reciprocal tariffs. The S&P 500 dropped more than 12% over four trading days. April 9th: Trump declared a 90-day pause on most reciprocal tariffs (excluding China). The market rebounded an astonishing 9.5% in a single day—a one-day move roughly equivalent to the market’s average annual return of about 10%. April 10th: Investors again panicked, sending the market down over 5% intraday, ultimately closing down 3.5%. If you’re feeling…

“Most CEOs I talk to would say we are probably in a recession right now,” Blackrock CEO Larry Fink explained at an event for the Economic Club of New York on April 7. “I think probably [a recession is] a likely outcome, because markets, I mean, when you see a 2000-point decline [in the Dow Jones Industrial Average], it sort of feeds on itself, doesn’t it,” Jamie Dimon said on Fox Business’ “Mornings With Maria” show on April 9. “It makes you feel like you’re losing money in your 401(k), you’re losing money in your pension. You’ve got to cut…

By the time Marco Polo journeyed along the Silk Road connecting China and India to Europe in the 13th century, ancient civilizations had already been trading goods ranging from silk, tea, cinnamon and rice to honey and horses for a thousand years. Globalization, even in ancient times, opened civilizations to new products, ideas and technologies, generally improving standards of living worldwide. President Trump’s tariff plan appears determined to turn back the clock, and nowhere does his plan defy common sense more than with those same spices that Marco Polo and countless others in the ancient world journeyed for years to…

“Americans prepping for retirement aren’t watching the markets,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday. Scotty, please. At least try to pretend you have some connection with reality. Sure, we income investors have it better than most hopeful and current retirees. We do not rely on stock prices for income, per se. Our dividend portfolios provide us with cash flow that we use to pay our bills. Imagine living by the “4% withdrawal rule” right now, selling 4% of our stocks every year, hoping we don’t run out of money—while the S&P 500 is dropping 4% every day as Wall…

European automakers and suppliers are under pressure as traditional markets fade and new technology threatens. But instead of workers finding themselves on the dole, they are in demand as defense industries take up the slack. President Donald Trump’s tariffs aren’t helping the auto business either but his demand that Europeans finally face up to their NATO spending commitments is providing a serendipitous lifeline for engineering workers losing jobs at mainly German companies like Volkswagen and suppliers like Continental and Bosch. The defense industry is coming to the rescue, according to Berenberg Bank. “We estimate that the European defense industry may…

Key News Asian equity markets had a very strong day after President Donald Trump hit the pause button on tariff implementation, except for Mainland China, with a near double-digit return in Japan and Taiwan. However, India missed out on the fun due to a market holiday for Mahavir Jayanti, a festive in Jainism celebrating the birth of Lord Mahavira. The crack in the tariff façade, driven by the U.S. Treasury 10-Year yield hitting 5% Tuesday night, fueled Hong Kong and Mainland China’s broad beta rally, led by growth stocks, as advancers outpaced decliners significantly on high volumes. It it great…

Amid macroeconomic concerns, Delta Air Lines seems to be a more solid bet compared to its peer American Airlines for three fundamental reasons. By DM Martins’ Research Summary Airline stocks tend to be highly sensitive to the business cycles, and the sector has already started to correct in the face of macroeconomic concerns But if I were to invest in a US-based airline in hopes of an eventual rebound, or maybe to set up a long-short trade, which would be my chosen winner? I will present below three reasons why I believe that Delta has an edge over American, including…

Buoyant bullion appetite in North America drove further inflows into gold-backed exchange-traded funds in March, according to the World Gold Council. Global funds added 92 tonnes of material last month worth a total of $8 billion, the organization said. The WGC noted that “after four monthly inflows in a row, total [assets under management, or AUM] of global gold ETFs reached another month-end peak of $345 billion and holdings rose 3% to 3,445 tonnes.” Physical holdings ended March at their highest level since May 2023, the WGC said. The current record stands at around 3,915 tonnes recorded in October 2020…

Key News Asian equities experienced another deep drawdown, except for Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Thailand, as the Philippines missed the fun due to “Araw ng Kagitingan,” which celebrates the heroism of Filipino and American soldiers in World War II. This morning, China’s government reciprocated the U.S. government’s tariff increase by increasing tariffs on U.S. goods to a whopping 84%. Is not being at the U.S.’ level of 104% a sign of willingness to cooperate? The offshore Renminbi (CNH), which trades during U.S. hours, is stable this morning at 7.37 CNH per USD, after rising to 7.42 yesterday and from…