1/ Over the past 12 months, #gold has reached new all-time highs in almost all currencies.
With a gain of 24.6%, gold’s performance in 2020 was stellar in US dollar terms.
It was weaker in euro terms at 14.3%, but still well into double digits.
2/ At the same time the global macroeconomic situation has worsened.
The Covid-19 pandemic added about $24trn to the global debt mountain last year.
It has now reached a record level of $281trn, and the global debt-to-GDP ratio now exceeds 355%.
3/ Over the past decade, the actions of central banks have pushed yields on $12.2trn of government bonds into negative territory: an amount approaching the GDP of the entire Eurozone.
For bondholders, inflation is likely to be the pain trade of the decade ahead.
4/ Fiscal dominance is accelerating the merging of monetary and fiscal policy.
Emblematic of this is the appointment of former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen as US Treasury secretary and former ECB President Mario Draghi as Italian prime minister.
5/ The political independence of central banks has always been the institutional guarantor of confidence in the stability of the currency.
The closer this liaison between monetary and fiscal policy grows, the greater the likelihood of a loss of confidence.
6/ Over the past year it seems as if the excitement around “digital assets” is being exploited to market central bank digital currencies.
In our view, CBDCs are a wolf in sheep’s clothing, allowing for more authoritarian control over money.
As is customary at every BRICS Summit, the leaders have accepted a declaration this year at Kazan, outlining decisions, goals, and agreements between the parties.
Here is a thread outlining everything in the declaration of importance to currency and banking:
1. The leaders of the BRICS countries express their commitment to enhancing financial cooperation within BRICS. They support the use of local currencies in financial transactions between BRICS countries and their trading partners.
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2. The document tasks the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the BRICS countries to continue considering local currencies, payment instruments, and platforms. They are to report back to the BRICS leaders by the next Presidency.(next year)
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3. The BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is recognized as an important mechanism to forestall short-term balance of payments pressures and strengthen financial stability. The document expresses support for the CRA mechanism improvement via envisaging alternative eligible currencies and welcomes the finalization of the amendments to the CRA documents.
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1. The high inverse correlation between US real yields and the gold price is history (for now). Despite the rise in real yields, the rise in the gold price could not be halted.
2. Central banks are a decisive factor in the demand for gold: Demand from these institutions is not very price-sensitive. Central banks are likely to have put a floor under the gold price.
3. The weaponization of fiat money has lasting consequences: The confiscation of Russian reserves and assets of Russian oligarchs in 2022 was a wake-up call for numerous states, as well as wealthy private individuals from the Gulf states, Russia, and China. (Luxury) real estate in London, New York or Vancouver has always been the preferred destination for savings
from emerging markets, but this has changed in 2022.
We feature quite a few charts, but our favourite remains the gold/Okteberfest beer ratio.
Gold has not only maintained its beer purchasing power over the last 12 months, the ratio even increased from 121 to 123 Maß Oktoberfestbier, despite the price increases in euros. 1/
We also feature the iPhone/gold ratio. Every year, the latest Iphone is more expensive than the previous year.
But not if you hold gold. The first iPhone sold for 0.92 ounces of gold in 2007. Fifteen years later, only 0.75 ounces of gold are due for the iPhone 14 Pro. 2/
Not only do holders of gold pay less than 15 years ago, but they also get a vastly superior product to that of the past, proving that gold is an excellent store of value. 3/
Introducing The Incrementum Recession Phase Model.
What assets perform well during a recession?
We look at 5 different phases of a recession and the performance of various assets during each phase. 1/
We analyzed eight recessions since 1970. Turns out that gold and mining stocks tend to perform quite well during a recession. 2/
We also look at different leading economic indicators to establish if a recession is imminent. Currently, all of
them are signalling an imminent recession. 3/
The top 10 facts in the 2023 #IGWT report.
A thread:
1. If the U.S debt ceiling is raised again, it will be the 79th increase since 1960, the 21st since 2000, and the 30th under a Democratic president. Republican Presidents have raised the debt ceiling 49 times. 1/
2. Gold, you are the apple of my eye… in terms of purchasing power! In 2007, the first iPhone cost $599 or the equivalent of 0.92 ounces of gold. Fifteen years later, only 0.75 ounces of gold are due for the iPhone 14 Pro, which cost $1,499 at its launch in September 2022. 2/
3. Despite US equities becoming more undervalued in the last year (Shiller P/E ratio 38.3 in 2021 vs 2022’s figure of 28.3), gold is still historically undervalued compared to US equities. The Gold/S&P 500 ratio of 0.49 is significantly lower than the long term average of 1.66 3/
Gold as International Reserves: A Barbarous Relic No More?
This is the title of a working paper released by the IMF on the 27th of Jan 2023.
We summarized their findings for you below: 1/
In the past, the IMF considered gold to be a "barbarous relic" and advocated for its replacement with a more modern and flexible reserve asset, such as its own Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). However, in recent years, the IMF has changed its stance on gold.
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They now recognise the importance of gold in a diversified international reserve portfolio and the organisation now allows its member countries to hold gold as part of their official foreign exchange reserves.
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