Proposed designs for the obverses of the Proof 2027 and 2028 American Eagle platinum $100 coins — for the second and third years in the three-coin Charters of Freedom series — were recommended Feb. 18 by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
Source – Coin World
The closely watched final number had not previously been reported but Chairman Maximo Pacheco said earlier this week that 2024 output was “slightly higher” than the 1.325 million tons produced in 2023.
Source – Reuters
The U.S. Federal Reserve jolted markets with an unexpectedly hawkish set of projections for the path of interest rates next year, setting gold prices up for a blow — but analysts told CNBC they still see solid support for the precious metal in 2025.
The Fed’s “dot plot,” a gauge of policymakers’ outlook, now suggests the Fed will cut interest rates twice in 2025, compared with four quarter-point cuts previously expected in September, when concerns about the weakening labor market were front-of-mind. The big concern for the central bank is now whether the policies of incoming President-elect Donald Trump — particularly his threat of sweeping trade tariffs — will prove inflationary.
Source – CNBC
Copper is generally a good indicator because it’s used all over the economy — in factories, houses, electronics and streetlights, per Chris Berry, founder and president of House Mountain Partners.
“The next time you’re on an airplane at night, and you’re coming in for a landing, and you see any lights or anything like that, every single one of those lights is working because of the electrical conductivity of copper,” he said.
So, if the economy is growing, and we’re building more, we’ll need more copper.
Source – Market Place
Spot gold was up 0.2% at $3,374.54 an ounce, as of 0505 GMT. U.S. gold futures eased 0.5% to $3,391.90.
“Gold has made a modest bounce as we await the next steps in the Israel-Iran conflict. If the U.S. does decide to get directly involved in the conflict this could raise the geopolitical stakes,” KCM Trade Chief Market Analyst Tim Waterer said.
“The Fed was not as dovish as some had hoped, and I’d argue Powell was a tad more hawkish than many would like. The U.S. dollar is likely at oversold levels, and that is likely to cap gains on gold over the next few weeks,” said Matt Simpson, a senior analyst at City Index.
Source – Reuters
“The white metal may get squeezed, as recovering Asian demand absorbs recent inventory builds in the aftermath of the Chinese slowdown and the base metal concentrate processing capacity increases,”
“We project the metal to average $36/oz in the final months of next year, making it a commodity outperformer as the XAU/XAG ratio challenges yearly lows.”
“With its low correlation to traditional assets such as equities and bonds, silver offers powerful diversification benefits,” Silver Institute said. “Historically, silver has proven its value during times of economic and geopolitical crises, serving as a reliable hedge against inflation, currency devaluation, and systemic financial instability. In the context of the modern global landscape, this role has become even more pronounced.”
Copper futures have pared losses and now sit roughly unchanged on the day at $4.25.
Source – Market Watch
