The Hidden Costs of Precious-Metals Miners’ Optimism By Andrey Dashkov, Research Analyst The junior resource sector is struggling financially, something most investors seem to agree on – and rightly be wary of. Here at Casey Research, we've analyzed both producers and explorers to see how profitable (or value-adding) they may be under current market conditions. The rather obvious conclusion, shared by many company executives, is that now is the time to be frugal.> Producers have started to focus on cutting costs and pulling back from development projects that have diminished prospective returns or otherwise unacceptable risk profiles. Developers have sinned in their own way, … [Read more...]
Should You Buy an Annuity?
For many cash strapped seniors an annuity sounds like the perfect solution. And it can be if you think you’ll outlive your mortality date. The only trouble is that the insurance companies offering annuities have perfected estimating your mortality date based on factors like gender, birth year, where you live, where you were born, the age your parents died, and your health (or unhealthy) habits. One disadvantage of an annuity is that when you die there is nothing left for your heirs. On the other hand, with an insurance policy you (or your heirs actually) come out ahead if you live less than your mortality date. So in addition to Dennis Miller's advice in the following article you might … [Read more...]
Investing In Silver
Investing In Silver can be extremely profitable when the common man decides he wants to invest in precious metals and thinks he can't afford gold. If a major spike in investment demand if it were to occur there wouldn't be enough silver to meet demand and prices would skyrocket. In today's post Jeff Clark looks at the case for investing in silver. ~Tim McMahon, editor. Hi Ho Silver: Making the Case for This Precious Metal By Jeff Clark, Senior Precious Metals Analyst Even though the newsletter I write for Casey Research is focused primarily on gold, our metals investments cover all the precious metals, and when warranted, some base-metals plays too. And with the markets in the state … [Read more...]
One Chart Explains Why Government Debt Is Dragging on the Economy
By Dan Steinhart, Casey Research The US has too much debt. This is no longer a controversial statement. Some may believe other problems are more urgent, or that we need to grow our way out rather than slash spending. But even the most spendthrift pundits acknowledge that the debt-to-GDP ratio of the US must decrease if we are to have a stable, prosperous economy. The private sector has reacted to this over-indebted reality as you would expect: by deleveraging. Since 2008, households and businesses have extinguished of 67% of their debt when measured against GDP. Some paid debt down purposefully, and others defaulted. For our purposes, it doesn't matter how the debt went away. Only that … [Read more...]
Are Businesses Quietly Preparing for a Financial Apocalypse?
By Dan Steinhart, Casey Research US corporations are sitting on more cash than at any point since World War 2. That's without including banks. I'm only talking about non-financial corporations – the ones that sell goods and services and make the economy go. Those businesses hold $1.4 trillion. In absolute terms, that's the most ever. In relative terms, it's the most since World War II. As investors, we can infer quite a bit from corporations' inability (or unwillingness) to deploy their cash. For one, it indicates that business have assumed a very defensive stance. Cash, of course, is a buffer against uncertainty - the uncertainty that business slows for any reason. … [Read more...]
What is the Real Purpose of the Federal Reserve?
The Federal Reserve- Is the Federal Reserve really doing such a bad job… or does it actually do exactly what it's supposed to do, but the average American is in the dark about what that is? The Federal Reserve is merely a "Cartel" of Bankers whose primary purpose is to promote their own interests and not the interests of the American public. "They create money out of nothing, move it around a bit and then collect interest on it." If your or I tried to do that we'd be arrested. “The Fed’s sole purpose: keeping the banks afloat” – G. Edward Griffin In this explosive video, Casey Summit speaker G. Edward Griffin, author of The Creature from Jekyll Island, talks about the Fed's real role … [Read more...]
Be Prepared If – Inflation Gets Out of Hand
By Jeff Clark, Casey Research The cheek of it! They raised the price of my favorite ice cream. Actually, they didn't increase the price; they reduced the container size. I can now only get three servings for the same amount of money that used to give me four, so I'm buying ice cream more often. Raising prices is one thing. I understand raw-ingredient price rises will be passed on. But underhandedly reducing the amount they give you… that's another thing entirely. It just doesn't feel… honest. You've noticed, I'm sure, how much gasoline is going up. Food costs too are edging up. My kids' college expenses, up. Car prices, insurance premiums, household items – a list … [Read more...]
Will Bernanke Save the Equity Markets?
Equity Markets get no stimulus How far is the Fed from reaching the bottom of its ammunition box? Well, both Mario Draghi and Ben Bernanke said no to yet more monetary stimulus last week. Wall Street unsurprisingly was disappointed. Wall Street expected more stimulus, as institutional investors are analyzing monetary policy from their own perspective rather than the central bank's viewpoint – understandable, but a big mistake. Wall Street's Conundrum: with the S&P 500 up less than 7% in 2012, the year is almost over, and the investment firms have little to show for it. This 7% return might be OK in calmer markets, but instead investors have been taken on a rollercoaster … [Read more...]
How the Dollar Affects Gold Prices
Interview with Jim Puplava, by Jeff Clark, Casey Research Jim Puplava has robust convictions….The CEO of Financial Sense News Hour, Jim is a man you should listen to carefully if gold factors in your portfolio or if you are thinking about adding gold anytime soon. In this interview, Jim talks about how the dollar affects gold prices. He discusses whether we are moving into a phase of deflation or inflation and gives his views on what exactly that will mean to gold investors. He discusses the likely impact of inflationary or deflationary forces, which one he believes will win out, and the effect it will have on our economy. Finally, he makes a very interesting prediction. Of course, … [Read more...]
The US Economy Puzzle- Is the U.S. Really Capitalist?
Is the United States really a "free market" economy and the bastion of "capitalism" as we claim? Or is it a Bureaucratic mess? Is it a "command economy"? Obviously we haven't reached the depths of socialism or communism that China and Russia reached before their fall and reemergence as capitalists but none-the-less our economy is not as free as it once was. There is burdensome regulations that prevent competition, political cronyism, corruption, and as David Galland contends in the following article "Europe and the economy of the United States is – and has been for decades – increasingly under the control of central planners at the expense of the free market." ~ Tim McMahon, editor The … [Read more...]