If you look back through history, money has three primary roles…
Firstly, it's a form of exchange. Secondly, it allows a way of pricing different things, including commodities. And thirdly, it allows a way for you to store value.
Think about currencies, whether it's the dollar, the euro, the pound or the rand. By themselves, they're not worth the paper they're printed on.
Until the 1970... ››› more
This may come as a surprise, but in the 12-months before the US Federal Reserve (Fed) starts to raise interest rates, historically the price of gold soars.
Expectations are that the Fed will begin hiking interest rates in 2015. So that means now is the time to start buying gold.
Let's take a closer look at why you should get into gold now…
How the gold price responds to the Fed’s i... ››› more
At the end of July, Rand Refinery revealed it will receive a shareholder loan to make up for loss of 87,000 ounces or 2.7 tons of gold.
Rand Refinery in Germiston is one of the largest gold refineries in the world. It's the largest in Africa. It's also the largest single site for precious metals refining and smelting in the world.
At the current gold price, that's around $114 million (R1.2 ... ››› more
“What's the best share to buy on the JSE today Francois?”
I get this question a lot… And to tell you the truth the answer changes all the time. Markets aren't static and share prices move - changing what's a good buy all the time.
But if there's a small cap miner that excites me RIGHT NOW, it's the one I'm about to share with you today!
A hot junior miner you need to own right now
... ››› more
There could be trouble afoot in Africa's largest producer of oil. Issues here will just add to production supply woes.
There are already threats to production in Iraq. And Libya is running at a reduced capacity.
And with elections scheduled for the turn of the year in this oil producing country, there could be major disruptions to supply.
Let's take a closer look at what could be in stor... ››› more
There have been a number of factors pushing the palladium price higher.
The precious metal has benefitted from the five-month platinum sector strike in South Africa. Ongoing tensions with Russia, the world's top palladium producer, have added impetus. And an eight-year supply and demand deficit has played its part.
But with the precious metal trading at such a high price, is there room left... ››› more
This year will see global platinum supply touch its lowest level in 14 years. This as demand for the precious metal is reaching its highest level in six years.
The supply squeeze on platinum is mostly down to the five-month strike that affected the top three producers of the metal.
So where is the platinum price headed? And how can you get in on a platinum play? Read on to find out…
... ››› more
Last year saw the production of 3,018 tonnes of gold. That's over 100 million ounces. The sector managed to achieve this even though the price of gold was falling.
Now the gold sector is facing a very big problem: A lack of new gold discoveries.
Let's take a closer look at what's going on…
Gold production has been ramping up over the years
Let’s take a closer look at what’s be... ››› more
Over the last couple of months, the gold price hasn't done very much. While bouncing around, the price is just 2% higher.
But it looks like a change is on the cards.
The gold price is showing strong signs that it's going to rally. Let's take a closer look at why…
The gold price has strong support levels
Have a look at the chart below of the gold price…
At the moment, gold i... ››› more
Over the past month or so, the price of gold has been edging higher, albeit in a volatile way.
If you want to invest in gold, what are your options? Read on to find out…
Way #1: Invest in gold producers
You need to do your homework here and gold producers are notoriously volatile, but you could uncover a gold producer or two to invest in.
Gold mining isn’t an easy business and margin... ››› more
Silver is currently trading at around 60% less than its peak back in April 2011. Silver's had a worse time of it than gold.
And silver is now presenting itself as a great opportunity to buy into.
Let's take a closer look…
The silver price slumped
Silver has fallen 60% since 2011. Gold is only down 20% in comparison.
When assets fall like silver has, investors tend to give up on it. ... ››› more
The gold sector is starting to rally. With this, it looks like it's time to buy into gold producers. But gold producers are notoriously risky. And with that in mind, investing in gold stocks might not be the right investment choice for you.
So why is the gold sector rallying? Why is investing in gold shares a mistake? And what's the best way to get exposure to the move up?
Let's take a close... ››› more
Come 14 August, the London Silver Fix is no longer. That's after 117 years of its existence.
This has come as good news to investors who want a free market. They believe silver prices have been the victim of manipulation.
So what is the London Silver Fix? And what will the price of silver do after the London Silver Fix comes to an end?
Let's take a closer look…
Why the London Silve... ››› more
There are a number of fundamentals suggesting the time is nearing to start buying miners.
This includes the large diversified miners like Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Glencore Xstrata.
So what's changed? Why are these companies now looking like good investments?
Read on to find out…
The mining sector has went from excess supply to famine
The mining sector as a whole is very cyc... ››› more
So far, 2014 has been the year for palladium. The platinum group metal (PGM) is easily outperforming its precious metal counterparts. Palladium is up over 19% so far this year.
But can palladium keep on rising? Or is it destined for a fall?
Read on to find out and how you can get on palladium's move…
The platinum sector strike hit palladium production hard
Helping the price of palladi... ››› more