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

India is on course to complete a remarkable turnaround … India could achieve growth of up to 8pc a year for the next decade, amazing for an economy which already accounts for 3pc of global GDP. – UK TelegraphDominant Social Theme: India rising.Free-Market Analysis: China, Brazil and now India. Among the BRICs, only Russia and South Africa receive a measure of bad press. Russia a great...Read More

Jean-Claude Juncker calls for EU army … European commission president says this military development would persuade Russia the bloc is serious about defending its values – UK GuardianDominant Social Theme: War, the health of the state.Free-Market Analysis: The current Ukraine is the gift that keeps on giving from the standpoint of the expansion of state power.As Russia is considerably...Read More

Demand-led German recovery … An economic trend, like a battle plan, often doesn't survive the first engagement. Data from euro zone countries has generally surprised on the upside since the turn of the year with Germany leading the way. German growth was robust in Q4, with domestic demand to the fore. – ReutersDominant Social Theme: Europe and Germany may surprise us with a recover...Read More

Ferguson's Conspiracy Against Black Citizens … Despite the uncertainty surrounding the killing of Michael Brown, many black residents of Ferguson, Missouri, immediately thought that he was the victim of a wrongful death at the hands of police officer Darren Wilson, who shot him after a scuffle. [But] the Department of Justice concluded that there is no evidence to disprove Officer Wilson...Read More

Demand-led German recovery … An economic trend, like a battle plan, often doesn't survive the first engagement. Data from euro zone countries has generally surprised on the upside since the turn of the year with Germany leading the way. German growth was robust in Q4, with domestic demand to the fore. – ReutersDominant Social Theme: Europe and Germany may surprise us with a recover...Read More

Ferguson's Conspiracy Against Black Citizens … Despite the uncertainty surrounding the killing of Michael Brown, many black residents of Ferguson, Missouri, immediately thought that he was the victim of a wrongful death at the hands of police officer Darren Wilson, who shot him after a scuffle. [But] the Department of Justice concluded that there is no evidence to disprove Officer Wilson...Read More

Liquidity evaporates in China as 'fiscal cliff' nears … Unless China changes course, it is set to tighten fiscal policy by 5.5pc of GDP this year, five times Britain's austerity dose annually since the Lehman crisis … Nobody can fault China's leaders for lack of bravery. The Politburo has kept its nerve as the world's most giddy experiment in credit-driven growth fa...Read More

Australia, Where One Central Bank Won't Do … Does Australia need two central banks? The dilemma that faced Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens on Tuesday certainly begs the question: The argument for hiking rates was almost as compelling as the one for cutting them. – BloombergDominant Social Theme: The wisdom of central planners never ceases to amaze.Free-Market Analy...Read More

Liquidity evaporates in China as 'fiscal cliff' nears … Unless China changes course, it is set to tighten fiscal policy by 5.5pc of GDP this year, five times Britain's austerity dose annually since the Lehman crisis … Nobody can fault China's leaders for lack of bravery. The Politburo has kept its nerve as the world's most giddy experiment in credit-driven growth fa...Read More

Australia, Where One Central Bank Won't Do … Does Australia need two central banks? The dilemma that faced Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens on Tuesday certainly begs the question: The argument for hiking rates was almost as compelling as the one for cutting them. – BloombergDominant Social Theme: The wisdom of central planners never ceases to amaze.Free-Market Analy...Read More

Giving the Fed a hard time might have a point … The transcripts of the highly significant 2009 meetings of the monetary-policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee are out today, after a five-year delay, and generating lots of headlines. These transcripts, and their release schedule, are as best I can tell unique in American government. They're also very valuable. The five-year delay is...Read More

Amid Media Blackout, Canada Lawsuit Challenges Banker Rule: Outcome could decide if Canadians have monetary sovereignty … A landmark Canadian federal appellate-court ruling could conceivably lead to the cancellation of Canada's debt-based money system, and its repercussions are expected to be felt by central banks around the world. According to American monetary-reform author and filmmak...Read More

Giving the Fed a hard time might have a point … The transcripts of the highly significant 2009 meetings of the monetary-policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee are out today, after a five-year delay, and generating lots of headlines. These transcripts, and their release schedule, are as best I can tell unique in American government. They're also very valuable. The five-year delay is...Read More

Amid Media Blackout, Canada Lawsuit Challenges Banker Rule: Outcome could decide if Canadians have monetary sovereignty … A landmark Canadian federal appellate-court ruling could conceivably lead to the cancellation of Canada's debt-based money system, and its repercussions are expected to be felt by central banks around the world. According to American monetary-reform author and filmmak...Read More

Here's why Nasdaq 5000 should spook you … The market is scarier than it looks … On Monday, the Nasdaq Composite index hit 5000 for the first time since March 9, 2000 … Back in 2000, the technology-heavy Nasdaq hovered above 5000 for just two days. After that, it plunged 75%. – FortuneDominant Social Theme: The market is a rational beast.Free-Market Analysis: This is one...Read More

Vaccine Refusal Is Like Drunken Driving … Should you get your kids vaccinated against measles? Of course you should. You shouldn't do this, however, because it is risk-free. Drugs can have side effects, and although those documented for the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine are either minor or extremely rare, the risk of something bad happening isn't zero. And although the bel...Read More

Here's why Nasdaq 5000 should spook you … The market is scarier than it looks … On Monday, the Nasdaq Composite index hit 5000 for the first time since March 9, 2000 … Back in 2000, the technology-heavy Nasdaq hovered above 5000 for just two days. After that, it plunged 75%. – FortuneDominant Social Theme: The market is a rational beast.Free-Market Analysis: This is one...Read More

Vaccine Refusal Is Like Drunken Driving … Should you get your kids vaccinated against measles? Of course you should. You shouldn't do this, however, because it is risk-free. Drugs can have side effects, and although those documented for the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine are either minor or extremely rare, the risk of something bad happening isn't zero. And although the bel...Read More

WH Plans to Develop a "Country Within a Country" of 15 Million "New Americans" … The White House has plans to legalize 13 to 15 million illegal immigrants who will then establish a "country within a country." – Independent SentinelDominant Social Theme: All that stuff about merging countries is just conspiracy theory.Free-Market Analysis: This article in t...Read More

Hundreds of Farmers Block Roads in Protest of Monsanto's GMO Crops … Poland's largest farmer uprising … Poland's largest farmer uprising ever has occurred as convoys of tractors took to the roads recently in protest of GMO infiltration and land grabs by biotech and Big Ag corporations. More than 150 farmers blocked roadways and held numerous demonstrations in order to bring...Read More