The AOCE and WB have moderate overall forecasts for the metals in 2025 inline with IMF forecasts for a decline in economic growth and inflation, although we see the probability of a stagflationary scenario as still reasonably high.Read More

The past year was a difficult one overall for the metals, with the main standouts to the upside being a geopolitical risk-driven gain in gold, a China-driven rise in iron ore and a surge in uranium on broadening global support for nuclear power (Figure 1). A jump in global interest rates to near two-decade highs saw recession fears persist all year, and while one still did not actually eru...Read More

This year the post-global health crisis boom was brought to an end by a surge in inflation to forty-year highs, a major rise in global interest rates in an attempt to curb the rising prices and surging geopolitical risk after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While precious metals held up reasonably well as markets turned to them as a risk hedge, by Q2/22 the higher interest rates put an end t...Read More

Chile is the world leader in copper production, at 28.5% of the total in 2020, and this looks set to continue, with the country having the largest global reserves, at 23.0% of total. It is also the global leader for molybdenum, which is often found along with copper, and is a major lithium player, holding 51.1% of global reserves. Read More

Newfoundland has become a gold exploration hotspot over the past few years, with the sector seeing some of its strongest activity ever. While the province remains a small contributor to Canadian gold production, it has a substantial mineral industry well supported by the government, focused on iron ore, copper and nickel, and the surge in exploration suggests that gold output from the...Read More

Nevada is the core of the U.S. gold output, accounting for by far the majority, at 75.4% on average for the past year. The state looks set to remain a dominant player in U.S. gold, as it accounts for 49% of total U.S. reserves, with Alaska slightly ahead with 51% of reserves, but just 8.6% of current production. The U.S. accounts for 6.1% of global gold output, making Nevada one of the largest gol...Read More

The Golden Triangle in northwestern British Columbia has historically been a major site of Canadian gold production, beginning as early as the mid 1800s. There was a wave of production in the 1990s which cooled as the gold price declined, but larger scale production resumed in 2017, and the area has seen surging exploration interest over the past year, given that the region has some of the largest...Read More

In this report we outline the Quebec gold mining industry, including its major producers, and a survey of many of the junior miners focused on the province. Quebec accounts for 34% of Canadian gold production (second to Ontario, with 44%) and remains a major focus for both producers and junior miners.Read More

Red Lake has been one of the most prolific gold mining districts in Canada and the world, with exploration having started in the 1920s, and production, which began in the 1930s, continuing to the present day. The district is known for the high grade of its gold, its infrastructure, and strong institutional support, given the long history of mining in the area.Read More

Barring any big sell-offs this week, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) is pacing for a monthly gain -- a rarity, considering September is one of the weakest months for stocks. Looking ahead to October, the SPX has averaged a monthly gain of 0.9% -- near the top of the pack. Drilling down on specific names, Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) and Delta Air Lines, Inc.(NYSE:DAL) are two of the best stocks to o...Read More

Delivery expert United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) has been grinding higher since the financial crisis, touching a record high in late 2016. And while UPS stock experienced a significant bear gap in early 2017, the shares have been rising fast in recent months, as rival FedEx trades near all-time highs. Options traders appear extremely hopeful of the security's continued ascent, too. Starti...Read More

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is lower at midday,as markets eye another threat from North Korea. The country's foreign minister said President Trump's recent comments that Kim Jong Un's regime "won't be around much longer" were a declaration of war. As such, the isolated nation said it has "every right to make countermeasures, including the right to shoot down United States strategic bom...Read More

It's the tail end of earnings season, but there are still a handful of high-profile names left to report. Athletic apparel retailer Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE), for instance, is scheduled to release its quarterly results after tomorrow's close. Today, NKE call options are trading at an accelerated clip, and it looks like one trader may be hoping to capitalize on inflated implied volatility levels ahead of...Read More

The following is a reprint of the market commentary from the October 2017 edition of The Option Advisor, published on September 22. For more information, or to subscribe to The Option Advisor -- featuring 10 new option trades each month -- visit our online store.It was just a couple of months ago in this space that we touched on the predictive powers of the group of investors known in the weekl...Read More

Analysts are weighing in on healthcare stocks Quest Diagnostics Inc (NYSE:DGX) and Tenet Healthcare Corp (NYSE:THC), as well as clothing designer VF Corp (NYSE:VFC). Here's a quick roundup of today's bearish brokerage notes on shares of DGX, THC, and VFC.Raymond James Downgrades Quest Diagnostics StockQuest Diagnostics shares are down 7.1% out of the gate at $94.89, after Raymond James downgraded...Read More

U.S. stocks are pulling back this morning as the dollar weakens. Among specific stocks in focus today are social media site Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), as well as biotech stocks Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:ICPT) and NewLink Genetics Corp (NASDAQ:NLNK). Here's a closer look at what's moving shares of FB, ICPT, and NLNK. FB Shares Dip on Stock Plan UpdateFacebook stock is down 0.6% at...Read More

Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are pointed lower this morning, as traders await the onslaught of Fed speeches scheduled for this week. Just today, New York Fed President William Dudley, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, and Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari are slated to deliver speeches. Investors will likely be looking for fresh insight into the Fed's much-anticipated u...Read More

Analysts are weighing in on automaker General Motors Company (NYSE:GM), offshore driller Transocean Ltd (NYSE:RIG), and Amazon meal-delivery rival Blue Apron Holdings Inc (NYSE:APRN). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on shares of GM, RIG, and APRN. GM Revs Higher on Upgrade to "Buy"Deutsche Bank upgraded GM to "buy" from "hold" and hiked its price target to $51 from $36,...Read More

If you're a long-time reader of Monday Morning Outlook, I apologize for what I'm about to say, as it is a refrain that you have heard before: We enter this week's trading with multiple benchmarks trading at psychological round-number levels that have historically marked hesitation points or profit-taking levels. Specifically, perhaps the benchmark on most radars is the S&P 500 Index (SPX - 2,502.2...Read More

$60 Billion plus is the U.S. dollar equivalent to how much Bitcoin is currently in circulation. That amount of money would keep the Estonian government running at current expenditures for almost 60 years.$60 billion is more than double Estonia’s Gross Domestic Product.So what if Estonia released a cryptocurrency that was that successful? It’s not a stretch to think the first governmen...Read More

$60 Billion plus is the U.S. dollar equivalent to how much Bitcoin is currently in circulation. That amount of money would keep the Estonian government running at current expenditures for almost 60 years.$60 billion is more than double Estonia’s Gross Domestic Product.So what if Estonia released a cryptocurrency that was that successful? It’s not a stretch to think the first governmen...Read More

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) struggled today, pulling back from record highs, as investors considered escalating tensions with North Korea and Apple's worst week since April 2016. However, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (COMP) eked out gains in the final minutes of trading, as healthcare stocks came off their session lows after Senator John McCain said he couldn't...Read More

U.S. stocks are lower this afternoon, with the Dow down as Apple paces for its worst week in more than a year. Among the names in the spotlight today are e-commerce car platform Carvana Co (NYSE:CVNA), technology solutions provider Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co (NYSE:HPE), and credit agency Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX). Here's a quick look at what is moving shares of CVNA, HPE, and EFX.Analyst: 'S...Read More

It's been a busy week for Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA). After the stock got hit with a lackluster rating from Jefferies, reports of a potential union with Advanced Micro Devices swirled around the electric car company -- though the story was later refuted by GlobalFoundries. Additionally, the automaker announced it would be discontinuing the cheapest version of its Model S, while SolarCity, which...Read More

The week started off strong for the major stock indexes, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and S&P 500 Index (SPX) climbing to record highs leading up to and just after the Fed's highly anticipated September meeting. However, the Dow's win streak was snapped at nine sessions, and its string of record closes ended at seven, as expectations for a December rate hike grew. In addition, an u...Read More

Solar stocks are getting a lift today thanks to news the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) found cheap imports were harming domestic solar panel producers. One of the biggest beneficiaries so far is First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR), which is trading 5.2% higher at $51.28, earlier hitting an annual high of $53. This move is coming at the expense of options traders, who had been betting bear...Read More

Solar stocks are flying high today, after the U.S. International Trade Commission found that solar panel imports were negatively impacting domestic manufacturers. The agency will now pass along it recommendations to the Trump administration, which will decide whether to impose tariffs on the solar imports -- with China one of the main manufacturers. One alternative energy name getting a big boost...Read More

It's been a rough week for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). With today's 1.6% drop to trade at $150.94, the shares are pacing for a nearly 6% weekly decline -- their worst weekly loss since April 2016 -- amid pressure from negative Apple Watch reviews. And while iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus go on sale today -- an event that could spark a "rocky day" for Apple due to lackluster sales, according to Loup Vent...Read More

Put options are usually thought of as bearish trading vehicles. However, puts can be utilized forbearish, bullish, and directionally neutral trading strategies. To gain more insight on the subject of put selling and all it has to offer, I spoke with Schaeffer's Senior V.P. of Research Todd Salamone.We issue at least two put-sell recommendations in our monthly Option Advisor newsletter. What indi...Read More