29 April 2024

The Sharp Perspective

Gold prices ramp up to fresh record highs

Spot gold prices continued to push on with their advance in April, even though they faced dual headwinds from rising bond yields and a strengthening US dollar.

03 April 2024

The Sharp Perspective

Gold sails into uncharted waters

Gold prices start to reflect increased concern over the growing risks in geopolitics and financial markets.

08 December 2022

LAWRIE WILLIAMS: China’s November gold demand slips even further

Latest data from the Shanghai Gold Exchange puts Chinese retail gold demand in November lower than in 2021, and even 2020 as well, suggesting that the Covid lockdowns and reduced global demand may be having an even greater impact on the country's economy than many had realised.

08 December 2022

LAWRIE WILLIAMS: Chinese Central Bank confirms 32 tonne gold purchase

Media reports indicate that the Chinese Central Bank has reported a surprise increase in its gold reserve in November equivalent to 32 tonnes. Hitherto it has been reticent about reporting gold reserve increases, this being around the first time in 3 years it has reported any such changes

06 December 2022

LAWRIE WILLIAMS: Gold rising to $2,250, BTC falling to $5,000 - both next year!

A 'surprise' scenario from Standard Chartered Bank's Head of Research, Eric Robertsen, sees the gold price rising to $2,250 and bitcoin falling to $5,000 next year if current patterns play out.

03 December 2022

LAWRIE WILLIAMS: Gold fails to hang on to $1,800 level but still trending positive.

Gold breached the $1,800 level on December 1st, but fell back again quite sharply in early U.S. trade a day later before clawing its way back up again to end the week in the high $1,790s. Silver did rather better, although we are wary of its past somewhat erratic price performance. We remain confident on the future price performance for gold and, perhaps less so for silver, but are wary on equities and cryptos due to likely economic headwinds,

01 December 2022

LAWRIE WILLIAMS: Gold, equities, bitcoin – all open new month on the up.

The combination of a more dovish statement from Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the latest PCE data release drove gold, silver, equities and bitcoin all higher in the U.S. and globally, with gold breaking through the $1,800 barrier at one time.

27 November 2022

LAWRIE WILLIAMS:  Fed minutes boost gold and equities towards end of week

With the Thanksgiving holiday, Black Friday and the World Cup diverting attention away from the markets there was a relatively quiet week with most sectors performing mildly positively, perhaps encouraged by the release of the minutes from the November FOMC meeting which were taken as suggesting the Fed might start reducing its aggressive interest rate impositions as soon as December.

21 November 2022

LAWRIE WILLIAMS: Swiss Gold exports:  UPDATE: China still top. India slips. Singapore climbing

The Chinese mainland remained the top recipient for re-refined high purity gold exports from the Swiss gold refineries in October which continued to see the yellow metal flowing from West to East. However volumes to India slipped while exports to Turkey remained at a high level. Article updated with country-by-country destination chart.

10 November 2022

LAWRIE WILLIAMS: CPI and Midterms boost gold, equities and bitcoin

The U.S. Midterm elections which saw President Biden and the Democrats perform far less badly than anticipated, closely followed by the latest CPI figures which saw inflation come in lower than expected, saw gold, silver, pgms. equities and bitcoin all surge sharply.