We know what’s coming and we are prepared.
2023 Gold Demand Peaks Amid Global Uncertainties
The Global Gold Council's 2023 report unveils the complex dynamics of gold demand. Louise Street, a senior analyst, predicts that ongoing conflicts, trade tensions, and numerous global elections will likely steer investors towards gold.
This year, gold demand, excluding the over-the-counter (OTC) market, fell slightly to 4,448 tons, down 5% from last year. Yet, when including OTC and other sources, demand hit a record high of 4,899 tons, pushing the average annual gold price to its peak for 2023.
Central bank purchases maintained a swift pace, reaching 1,037 tons, the second-highest ever, only 45 tons below last year's record.
Despite strong demand from OTC and central banks, ETFs saw a third year of net outflows, totaling 244 tons, mainly in Europe.
Bar and coin investments dropped by 3%, balancing out with varying market strengths. European demand notably decreased by 59%, while China saw a 28% increase to 280 tons. India, Turkey, and the United States also reported significant rises.
The jewelry sector remained robust despite high prices, with a slight annual increase. China, recovering from COVID-19 lockdowns, saw a 17% rise in demand, contrasting with a 9% fall in India.
Mining output was stable with a 1% growth, and recycling went up by 9%, leading to a 3% increase in overall supply, which was lower than anticipated considering the high gold prices.
Street highlighted central banks' steady demand as a crucial support for the gold market, compensating for other market areas' weakness. She pointed out that geopolitical uncertainties often boost gold demand. With the expected influence of conflicts, trade tensions, and elections in 2024, investors might turn to gold as a safe asset.
Street also noted that central banks frequently mention gold's crisis performance as a purchase rationale, implying that this sector's demand is likely to stay strong.
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Police in Winona Minnesota are stunned after every single one of their Flock cameras were suddenly removed in a single night.
According to the police department, all 8 of the town's cameras were cut down and hauled away.
Police are asking for the public's help to identify the individual, but the public has been responding with comments such as:
"The Flock cameras tore themselves down"
"Whoever did it, was fishing with me"
"Whoever it was, was at Bible study with me"
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Nearly 20,000 people are publicly vouching for a man accused of cutting down Flock cameras in a small West Virginia town.
People commented:
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"He was saving my neighbor's dog from a fire all day, couldn't be him."
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"This man is innocent. I saw him serving at a soup kitchen."
-"Couldn't be him. He was helping me replace the roof on a homeless shelter."
The man, Wesley Jackson, has pleaded Not Guilty.
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US diesel crack surpasses $100 a barrel for the first time on supply disruptions
... and the supply of refined fuels is already nearly exhausted. A hard landing is visible ahead, for farmers, for trucking, and ... well, for everything that requires food (people) and energy (the entire economy).
These are very likely the final days of relative normalcy during which to prepare. Get ready.
🌾 🌍 🚜 JPMorgan warns a massive global food supply crisis could begin next year as fertilizer shortages tighten agricultural supply.
JPMorgan is the latest institutional research desk to warn that the next global food crisis may already be taking shape, driven by what its analysts describe as the "Five Ws": War, Weather, Warehousing, Water, and Waste.
In a new report titled Food Security Is National Security: A Compounding Storm, a team led by London-based senior global economist Nora Szentivanyi warned that disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and the emergence of a potentially historic El Niño could weaken crop yields, constrain agricultural production, and keep food inflation elevated through the first half of 2027.
"Successive shocks since COVID have compounded, eroding food production capacity and keeping food price pressures elevated into 2027," Szentivanyi said, warning that "this is not a short-lived shock; it has reduced the likelihood of near-term disinflation, and the food ...
