Gold: A Repeat Of 2008?

 | Sep 30, 2022 05:27PM ET

It has been an interesting year, with stocks down nearly 25% and the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:TLT) down over 40% since the 2020 highs. The passive buy-and-hold investor is becoming panicked, and we can see this in the stock market through the mass selling of utility stocks, dividend stocks, and bonds.

When the masses become fearful, they liquidate nearly all assets in their portfolios which is why we see the Big Blue chip stocks selling off along with precious metals. As investors liquidate around the world, they focus on where their money can still be preserved. With most currencies falling in value, there is a flood toward the U.S. dollar index as the safety play.

h2 Global Currency Trends – Monthly Charts/h2

As the US dollar index rises, we tend to see precious metals fall. As you can see from the charts below, almost all currencies are falling in value, helping to sharply increase the US dollar index. This is a headwind for precious metals until it finds resistance at the top.