Investors got a look at the first-quarter GDP, and it wasn’t pretty. The U.S. economy contracted by 4.8%, even worse than the 3.3% decline anticipated by economists.
In addition to that bad news, 4 million more Americans filed for unemployment last week. More than 30 million people have lost jobs over the past 6 weeks, and the situation is only getting worse.
The S&P 500 lost 2.8% on Friday.
Perhaps equity investors are beginning to wonder if share prices, which have moved relentlessly higher in recent weeks, accurately reflect the dismal economic data.
Warren Buffett certainly is. The famed investor announced his company, Berkshire Hathaway, had sold all of its holdings in four U.S. Airlines and sounded a generally bearish tone in his annual letter to shareholders.
A new wave of selling and turmoil in the stock markets could drive a new wave of demand for physical gold and silver. It is something for gold bugs to watch closely.
Physical inventories remain tight, and premiums are already high. A new rush of buying will only exacerbate the scarcity problem in coins, bars, and rounds.
About the Author:
Clint Siegner is a Director at Money Metals Exchange, a precious metals dealer recently named "Best in the USA" by an independent global ratings group. A graduate of Linfield College in Oregon, Siegner puts his experience in business management along with his passion for personal liberty, limited government, and honest money into the development of Money Metals' brand and reach. This includes writing extensively on the bullion markets and their intersection with policy and world affairs.
