It was a steeper increase than the projected 0.2 percent. More alarming is the fact that consumer prices have gone up over half a percent (0.6 percent) in just two months.
Hemke expresses optimism about gold and silver prices, citing their resilience despite recent fluctuations, dismissing extreme downward forecasts, and highlighting the role of hedge funds and bullion banks.
Sorry, pivots only happen in policy not in whispers about remote hypothetical possibilities months into the future, so NO PIVOT. Nada one. Not even a slow curve in the general direction.
Due to strong demand coupled with a stable gold price, assets under management by Chinese-based gold ETFs rose by $113 million to $4 billion in January. An all-time high.
Where the rot is probably greatest, but more veiled for the moment, is in the operations of organized capital, the banks and money systems, including financial markets.
Since the year 2000, gold has outperformed the S&P 500. You would never know that by watching what people say about the S&P vs. what they don't say about gold.
The political class wants you to believe higher shipping costs, or rising oil prices, or greedy corporations, or "Putin's price hikes" or perhaps Vodoo is causing price inflation. That lets them off the hook.
Economists today selectively choose the largely incorrect data that has the ability to tell a politician his preferred policy is correct, even when it's horrible.