February 25, 2019 -- Gold and silver prices edged higher last week. The U.S. dollar did weaken a bit, which helped.

Speculative and safe-haven demand for precious metals is growing, despite strength in the stock markets.

This week’s trading may reveal just how disconnected stock prices are from reality.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway announced a whopping $25 billion in unrealized 4th quarter losses after markets closed on Friday.

Recent economic data has been weak, with housing, autos, retail sales and GDP all missing expectations. Despite that, U.S. stock market indexes have been ripping higher – off to their best annual start in more than 5 decades.

Investors will get a look at the latest estimates of GDP along with personal incomes and consumer spending. The outlook is not very rosy, with experts expecting 4th quarter GDP to clock in at 2%, down from 3.4% in Q3. The consensus estimate for spending in December is -0.3%, the first decline reported since February last year.

Once again, palladium is the metal to watch. It closed just above $1,500/oz for the first time in history last week. Lease rates for the metal remain extraordinarily high, signaling the physical shortage is not yet abating.



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