fred hickey
Editor of The High-Tech Strategist, Since 1987
China's physical buying near $4,000 and a Fed lagging inflation support gold despite rising rates. Per Bloomberg, the Shanghai Gold Exchange's Au99.99 contract traded roughly 430 tons last week, its busiest week since April; buyers pay in full and take delivery. Gold historically does very well when rates rise while the Fed is behind the curve, as it is now. Warsh is no Volcker, and heavy US debt would constrain him even if he were. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Gold gains another reason to own it as AI models on conventional computers become a potential, more immediate threat to crypto security than quantum computing. That may explain crypto's pressure this week. Per a Gemini summary, Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake warned that AI-generated mathematics could break the ECDSA cryptography used by Bitcoin and Ethereum before quantum computers arrive, urging the industry to prepare for "bunker mode." x.comÂ
Gold is set to take off as energy-driven stagflation traps the Fed and negative real rates favor it. Today's dovish hold was likely its last chance to hike: once the AI bubble bursts, the Fed loses that option, while current debt-to-GDP rules out Volcker-style hikes without fiscal insolvency. Per Macrotrends' chart, gold rose eightfold from its 1976 low to its 1980 high, equivalent to $32,000 gold over five years in today's terms. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Central-bank gold accumulation may be an early warning of inflation, adding to gold's reserve-demand case. Gold's share of non-US central-bank reserves has risen to 24%; the last comparable surge preceded double-digit inflation. Inflation is nowhere near that level today, but central banks buying about 1,000 tonnes a year suggest they do not consider it settled and see debt rising. x.com x.com x.com x.comÂ
Rising oil worsens inflation and puts Fed rate hikes back in focus, making non-yielding gold and silver less attractive. Investors are also selling metals to meet margin calls. An estimated $1.83 trillion in combined value was wiped out over recent sessions; both metals remain under pressure as long as oil keeps rising and rate-hike expectations stay high. x.comÂ
Central-bank stockpiling adds demand for gold amid market weakness. WatcherGuru, citing Fortune, reports central banks buying four times more gold than usual and moving it out of the US. Similar silver buying is suspected, not established; both metals remain favored. x.comÂ
Gold's next major run may have already begun, as the threat of higher rates fades just as China accelerates buying. Gold rose 7.7% in a week, its best since March 2020, after the US lost 23,000 jobs, inflation cooled, retail sales fell 0.6% and September rate-hike odds dropped from about 50% to 31%. China's central bank bought 20 tonnes in July, its largest since 2023 and 21st straight month; Chinese gold ETFs added 8 tonnes in 12 days and imports are up 138% year on year. x.comÂ
Rising Treasury yields make non-yielding gold less attractive, setting up one major selloff before the next big rally. Oil above $100 adds inflation and rate pressure; higher yields could lift the dollar, while gold ETF outflows and forced selling in a liquidity crisis add risk. The Benner Cycle flags 2026 as a potential selling period. The long-term bull market is not necessarily over: central banks are still buying and long-term demand remains strong. Gold is not worth chasing at these levels. … Show more
Gold has years of central-bank demand ahead because China is still far behind in gold reserves. China's reserves are just 9% gold versus 69% for the US. Per the Sound Money Report, China's central bank added 20 tonnes in July, its largest monthly purchase since October 2023 and its 21st straight month of buying, right through gold's worst quarterly slide in over a decade; that is balance-sheet strategy, not dip-buying. x.comÂ
Gold's long-term bull case holds because rising defense spending and higher US rates increase the risk from US fiscal deficits, reinforcing gold as a store of value. Per VanEck's Jan van Eck, the pullback reflects short-term forces: stretched positioning, Middle East energy producers likely selling Treasuries and gold for cash as the Iran war disrupts revenue, and an unwind of speculative ETF positions. Global wealth growth should return and lift private and central bank demand. x.comÂ
Gold faces continued selling pressure as GLD records its biggest weekly outflow since March. November seasonality often favors gold, but gold is still not bullish beyond a bounce. x.com x.comÂ
Gold and silver may benefit if yields ease a little further from their local high for a while longer. The FOMC meeting and minutes could be good for both. x.comÂ
