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The recent increase in gold prices in the United States and around the world has been driven by a confluence of economic, financial, and political factors. This environment, where gold has outperformed U.S. GDP and the four major U.S. stock markets, began in 2000 and has continued to date (see Exhibits 1, 2, 3). We outline 13 reasons why gold has outperformed most major investments and why it is likely to continue attracting individual and institutional investors. 1. A haven during uncertain times. Throughout history, people —…
It is said that in times of great division, a common enemy can be a force for unification. And that common enemy has arrived, in the form of energy-sucking data centers and their wholesale attack on energy prices. As the artificial intelligence boom continues to pick up speed, massive data center projects are being greenlit left and right, and the communities expected to foot the bill for this expansion are starting to fight back — even if it means reaching across the aisle. While political debates over data centers are not yet cropping…
The dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the mineral-rich Essequibo escalated after ExxonMobil made over 30 world-class discoveries, containing 11 billion barrels of crude oil, in the prolific Stabroek Block. By late 2023, Guyana was a regular target of Caracas’ bellicose saber rattling with threats of annexation and invasion, forcing the government in Georgetown to seek security assurances from Washington. While the White House’s deployment of U.S. warships off the coast of Venezuela sparked considerable consternation across Latin…
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is placing unprecedented strain on global energy sources and grid infrastructure. In response to runaway projected growth trends, public and private investors are fast-tracking new data center projects at a massive scale. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global investment in data centers reached half a trillion dollars in 2024, representing a nearly two-fold increase over the course of two years. But this rate data center addition has produced a new problem, as their construction is currently…
Oil prices wiped out earlier gains to dip by more than 2% in early U.S. trade on Tuesday amid renewed concerns that the trade war between the United States and China could slow global economy. As of 7:21 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, the U.S. benchmark, WTI Crude, fell to the $58 per barrel threshold, down by 2.30% on the day at $58.12. The international benchmark, Brent Crude, was trading below the $62 a barrel mark, and was down by 2.181% at $61.94. Oil had stabilized in early Asian trade on Tuesday, as hopes of a diplomatic thaw…
