Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at bank branch closures. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Mark Lundeen: Gold’s Price in Foreign Currencies.

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Zimbabwe turns gold-backed digital token into payment method.

Economy & Finance:

Major Banks Close Over 3,000 Branches Nationwide, With Recent 50+ Closures from Bank of America In Just One Week.

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Almost half of US-listed firms have negative profit margins. They have been able to survive in artificially low interest rates and ample liquidity environment.

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‘Don’t invest in the US’: Jeremy Grantham just issued a warning over American stocks, saying S&P 500 could crash by over 50% if ‘a couple of wheels’ fall off — here’s where to look instead.

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For those in the “worst-case” camp, here is a link found at Zero Hedge: The Sword of Damocles — An economic worst-case scenario of the Israeli-Palestine war.

Commodities:

Roland sent us this: Black mass recycling critical to battery metals supply chain’s development.

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Oops: Largest Tesla Charging Station in America Is Powered by Diesel and It’s Not Alone. (Thanks to D.S.V. for the link.)

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Citi’s Mega Metals Trade Shows Global Markets Turning to Glut.  JWR’s Comments: It is quite unusual for speculative traders to actually take delivery. Storing those metals seems counterintuitive unless it is for a very short period of time.

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From OilPrice News:  Is A Steel Slump On The Horizon?

Inflation/Deflation Watch:

At Wolf Street: Our Experience with the Collapse of the Dollar’s Purchasing Power for Used Cars, Auto Insurance, Repair Costs, Rental Cars.

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True Money Supply Is the Correct Measure of Inflation, Not Consumer Price Index.

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1970s-style stagflation may be at risk of repeating itself, Deutsche Bank warns.

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Newsmax reports: Wholesale Inflation Increases to 2.2% on Higher Energy.

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Reader C.B. sent this: Hormel Sinks Amid ‘Largest Wage Increases’ In Meatpacker’s History. JWR’s Comment: Union strikes and work slowdowns seeking higher wages will surely fuel inflation.

Forex & Cryptos:

The Fed’s Final Frontier.

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Canadian dollar claws back weekly loss as oil jumps.

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Mexican Peso trends and forecast.

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And over at Currency Thoughts: Poland’s Second Central Bank Interest Rate Cut of the Easing Cycle.

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How Ripple’s Rumored Token Burn Could Affect The XRP Price.

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Bitcoin Price Prediction as BTC Bulls Secure $26,000 Level – Is The Next Leg Up Starting?

Tangibles Investing:

House prices set to plummet for the first time in over a decade, claims analyst once dubbed the ‘Oracle of Wall Street’ – as she reveals four states expected to see values decline.

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Home prices rise for sixth consecutive month, per Case-Shiller Index. JWR’s Comment: When the crash does arrive, it will be spectacular. Hogher inrest rates

Provisos:

SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for our detailed disclaimers.

News Tips:

Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant because they come from folks who closely watch specific markets. If you spot any news that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers, then please send it in. News items from local news outlets that are missed by the news wire services are especially appreciated. Thanks!