Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid defended the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep the federal funds rate in the current 4.25%–4.5% range, saying that the Fed’s modestly restrictive policy stance is “exactly where we want to be.” Schmid made his remarks while acknowledging ongoing inflationary pressures and a generally strong economy. He emphasized that policy … Read more

Republican lawmakers argue that many Americans are willing to accept higher prices as a trade-off for the economic direction set by President Donald Trump, particularly his new tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada. Economists including analysts at Goldman Sachs have warned that these tariffs could push inflation up by around 1 percentage point, which would … Read more

Gold prices held modest gains after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called on the Federal Reserve to reduce interest rates by at least 1.5 percentage points. Earlier in the session the metal climbed as much as 0.6% before settling near $3,365 per ounce. Lower interest rates tend to support gold because it does not yield … Read more

US producer prices unexpectedly fell 0.5% in April, the sharpest monthly decline in five years, driven largely by shrinking profit margins rather than lower input costs. The data indicate many companies are absorbing higher expenses — including tariff-related costs — instead of passing them on to customers, at least for now. Surveys of business sentiment … Read more

Wall Street is confronting a sobering reality as investor Bill Ackman publicly acknowledged a major misjudgment about the economic direction under President Trump. In a candid admission, Ackman conceded that his expectations about policy outcomes did not match what unfolded in Washington. Markets suffered a sharp decline, with global equity values dropping sharply over a … Read more

Oil markets have held up well this week despite a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty. Brent crude climbed, edging closer to a 1% weekly gain and trading near $75.43 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) hovered around $71.06. Two main developments underpin the recent strength. First, the U.S. Treasury has announced a forceful policy aimed … Read more

This analysis covers the May 2026 gold market. For the latest outlook — including June CPI data, the Warsh Fed meeting, and current bank forecasts — read our Gold Price Outlook: June 2026 → The 2026 gold correction has pulled prices down roughly 16% from the January all-time high of $5,589. The U.S. Bureau of … Read more

The Federal Reserve is likely to adopt a cautious “wait and see” stance on interest rates after April’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed inflation remaining stubborn even as some measures cool. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, held steady at 2.8% year-over-year for the second month in a row—well above the Fed’s 2% target. … Read more

In June, China sharply increased exports of rare earth magnets, with overall shipments rising 158% and exports to the United States jumping more than sevenfold. The increase followed a trade truce intended to reduce international tensions and stabilize supply chains. Despite the surge, current shipment levels remain below long-term averages. China still supplies roughly 90% … Read more

Key Takeaways Since 1970 the gold-to-oil ratio has averaged roughly 15–20 barrels per ounce. Extended moves well above or below that band have historically coincided with major monetary or energy turning points. Gold and oil react to different drivers: oil reflects economic activity and energy supply, while gold reflects monetary confidence, real interest rates, and … Read more