{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Is the Gold Collapse Over?","description":"\ud83c\udf0d Worldwide Markets \u2013 Episode 664 \ud83d\udcc5 Recorded: Tuesday midday | \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f Host: Simon Brown This week on Worldwide Markets, we unpack a wild ride across commodities, central banks, tech titans, and global trade \u2014 with gold stealing the spotlight once again. \ud83d\udfe1 Has Gold Bottomed? Gold went vertical \u2014 and then snapped back hard. \ud83d\udcc8 Ran from around $4,300 \u2192 $5,600, before a brutal sell-off \ud83d\udcc9 Dropped to $4,600, now stabilising near $4,900 \ud83d\udd6f\ufe0f That giant red \u201ckangaroo tail\u201d candle looks ugly \u2014 but\u2026 The bigger picture hasn\u2019t changed: \ud83d\udcb5 Debasement trade still intact \ud83c\udf0d Central banks bought ~800 tonnes last year \ud83c\udfe6 ETF investors were big buyers again after selling in 2024 \u27a1\ufe0f Verdict: Likely consolidation, not collapse. Sideways is the base case. Gold |Weekly | 03 February 2026 \ud83e\uddf1 Commodities Ran Too Hot It wasn\u2019t just gold: \ud83d\udd29 Copper, silver, platinum, palladium all surged \ud83d\udee2\ufe0f Brent crude nearly hit $70 \ud83e\udea8 Aluminium hit US record prices, creating transatlantic arbitrage Nothing goes straight up forever \u2014 profit-taking was inevitable. \ud83e\ude99 What About Silver? Simon stays honest here: \u2753 Industrial demand and price dislocations matter \u26a0\ufe0f But silver remains complex and opaque \ud83d\udca1 Portfolio stance: \u2705 Holding gold miners \u2705 Holding gold ETFs (local & offshore) \u274c No silver exposure \u2014 and comfortable with that \ud83c\udfe6 Fed Drama: Enter Steve Walsh Trump\u2019s Fed chair nominee spooked markets \u2014 but context matters: \ud83d\udd04 Walsh is not a hawk, more a rate flip-flopper \ud83d\uddf3\ufe0f Previously opposed rate cuts\u2026 until Trump won \ud83d\udcc9 Trump wants lower rates \u2014 Walsh says he\u2019ll deliver The challenge? \ud83e\udde0 Convincing the rest of the FOMC \ud83e\ude91 Jerome Powell still has influence for now \u27a1\ufe0f Expect noise, not an instant policy pivot. \ud83d\ude80 SpaceX + xAI = Trillion-Dollar IPO? Big Elon energy this week: \ud83d\udef0\ufe0f SpaceX acquires xAI \ud83e\udde0 Grok + data + power + space = big ambitions \ud83d\udcca IPO rumoured for mid-2026 \ud83d\udcb0 Valuation likely north of $1 trillion Simon likes SpaceX\u2026 less excited by the social-media side. \ud83d\ude97 SA Vehicle Sales: Still Strong January numbers surprised again: \ud83d\udcca Sales near levels last seen in 2019 \/ early 2022 \ud83c\udfc6 Toyota leads, but Chinese brands keep climbing \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\uddf3 Chery, GWM, JAC & friends reshaping the market Consumers are still buying \u2014 despite high rates. \ud83e\udd1d US\u2013India Trade \u201cPeace\u201d\u2026 Sort Of A deal was announced, but details are fuzzy: \ud83d\udcc9 Tariffs reduced (somewhat) \ud83d\udee2\ufe0f India supposedly to stop buying Russian oil (\ud83d\udc40) \ud83d\udcb8 India to buy $500bn of US goods (timeline unclear) History lesson: \ud83c\udf2e Trump tariff threats turn real only ~20% of the time \u2696\ufe0f Supreme Court still deciding if Trump even has the authority \u27a1\ufe0f Lots of headlines, fewer guarantees. \ud83c\udf93 Upcoming Event: Power Hour \ud83d\udcc5 19 February \ud83d\udccd Rosebank (in-person) + webcast \ud83d\udca1 Topic: Tax-Free Investing & ETFs \ud83d\udc49 Book at justonelap.com\/events \ud83d\udc4b Closing Thoughts Markets are noisy, emotional, and fast \u2014 but the big-picture trends still matter more than the candles. Until next week: \ud83e\udd0d Look after yourself \ud83e\udd0d And if you can, look after someone else too Cheers! \ud83c\udf7b Simon Brown * I hold ungeared positions. All charts by KoyFin | Get 10% off your order ","author_name":"WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown","author_url":"http:\/\/www.justonelap.com","html":"