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The German DAX Index wavered near its all-time high, mirroring the performance of most global indices. It ended the week at €24,290, a few points below the year-to-date high of €24,635. This price is about 33% above its lowest point in April. Here are the top catalysts for the index this week. 

European Central Bank (ECB) decision

A key catalyst for the German DAX will be the European Central Bank’s decision on Thursday. Economists expect the bank to leave interest rates unchanged at 2.15%. This will be the first time that it has left them intact for so long.

The decision to leave rates unchanged will not necessarily move the DAX and other European indices. Instead, what will move these indices will be the guidance on what to expect later this year. Signs that the bank will cut rates will be bullish to the DAX Index as analysts expect it to leave rates unchanged.

Top German corporate earnings

The other key catalyst for the DAX Index will be reports by many of its constituent companies. The most important one will be SAP, the biggest constituent company that will publish its results on July 22.

Its results are notable because it is one of the biggest European companies and is also a major competitor to American giants like Amazon and Microsoft. 

READ MORE: Here’s why SAP share price may crash to €208 soon

Another notable company to watch is Deutsche Bank, the country’s largest bank. Its results will come at a time when its stock is in a strong uptend, mirroring the performance of other European banks. 

The other DAX Index companies that will publish their earnings are Deutsche Börse, Satorius, MTU Aero Engines, and Volkswagen. VW is also notable as its results will provide more information on the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs on German automobiles.

The DAX Index will also react to companies by some of the biggest American companies like Microsoft and Tesla. While these are all American firms, they consistently have a significant impact on global indices.

The DAX will also be influenced by reports from some of the other major European companies, such as LVMH, BNP Paribas, and Thales.

US and European trade talks

The other most notable catalyst for the DAX Index is the ongoing trade talks between the US and the European Union as the August 1st deadline nears.

Recent reporting by the FT shows that the two sides are still in talks, with the US pushing for a minimum tariff of between 15% and 20% on European goods. That baseline is much higher than the minimum 10% tariff that the US reached with the UK.

Trump has consistently criticized the European Union and its substantial $231 billion trade surplus with the US. He has always complained that the EU sells so much to the US without buying US-made cars and agricultural products.

The EU has offered a zero-to-zero tariff with the US, which Trump rejects because of the other non-tariff barriers. A trade deal with the EU will boost the DAX Index.

The post Top catalysts for the German DAX Index this week appeared first on Invezz

Statistics Canada released June’s consumer price index (CPI) data on Tuesday (July 15). The report showed that year-over-year inflation gained momentum during the month, rising to 1.9 percent from the 1.7 percent recorded in May.

The increase was attributed in part to the 13.4 percent year-over-year decline in gas prices seen in June, as it was a smaller drop than May’s 15.5 percent decrease caused by the removal of the consumer carbon tax.

Other factors contributing to the rise included a 2.7 percent increase in durable goods, with passenger vehicles posting the largest gains at 4.1 percent. Grocery prices also increased 2.8 percent, although they eased off from a 3.3 percent increase in May.

While economists had predicted a larger 2 percent rise in CPI, the figures still make it unlikely that the Bank of Canada will cut its benchmark rate at its next meeting on July 30. Canada’s central bank has cut its interest rates seven times since June 2024, lowering it from 5 percent to 2.75 percent in March.

South of the border, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics also released its June CPI data the same day, reporting year-over-year growth of 2.7 percent, sharply up from the 2.4 percent gain posted in May. On a monthly basis, CPI rose 0.3 percent, also higher than May’s 0.1 percent.

Analysts have attributed the gain to an increase in prices resulting from US President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, as vendors restocked shelves with inventories purchased after tariffs were applied.

Goods and services increased across the board, except for new and used vehicles, which declined by 0.3 percent and 0.7 percent on a monthly basis. Energy rose 0.9 percent, including a 1 percent increase in gasoline prices, a reversal from May’s energy and gas price decreases of 1 percent and 2.6 percent respectively.

The data will likely play a role in what the US Federal Reserve decides during its next rate meeting on July 29 and 30. Economist consensus is that the central bank will continue to hold at the current 4.25 to 4.5 percent range.

Markets and commodities react

In Canada, equity markets were mostly positive this week. The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) gained 1 percent to close at 27,314.01 on Friday (July 18) and set a new all-time high during the week. The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) fared even better this week, gaining 2.53 percent to 797.75. However, the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) fell 2.6 percent to 126.84.

As for US equity markets, the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) gained 0.66 percent to close Friday at 6,296.78 and the Nasdaq 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) climbed 1.35 percent to 23,065.47, with both also setting new record highs during the week. On the other hand, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) fell 0.1 percent to 44,342.20.

In precious metals, the gold price rose 0.78 percent over the week to US$3,349.66 by Friday at 5 p.m. EDT. Meanwhile, the silver price continued to trade near 11-year highs, climbing 3.13 percent on the week to US$38.15 per ounce.

In base metals, copper ended the week were it started out, but was still trading near all time highs at US$5.60 per pound. The S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) posted a 1.26 percent gain to finish the week at 551.61.

Top Canadian mining stocks this week

How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?

Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

Stock data for this article was retrieved at 4 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.

1. Altima Energy (TSXV:ARH)

Weekly gain: 97.96 percent
Market cap: C$43.99 million
Share price: C$0.97

Altima Energy is a light oil and natural gas exploration and development company with operations in Alberta, Canada.

Its primary asset is the Richdale property in Central Alberta. The property consists of five producing light oil wells and sits on 5,920 acres of long-term reserves. The property hosts combined proved and probable reserves of just under 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, with a pre-tax net present value of C$25.8 million.

The company also owns two wells at its Twinning light oil site near Nisku, seven producing wells at its Red Earth property in Northern Alberta and two multi-zone wells at its Chambers Ferrier liquid gas production property.

Shares in Altima started to gain after it released news on July 8 that it had completed a private placement for proceeds of up to C$5.5 million. Under the terms of the deal, the company will issue 20 million units at C$0.275 per unit, which each include one common share and one warrant allowing the holder to purchase a common share for C$0.40.

The company said that part of the proceeds would be used to complete field upgrades at its Red Earth and Richdale properties.

2. Kirkland Lake Discoveries (TSXV:KLDC)

Weekly gain: 81.82 percent
Market cap: C$11.26 million
Share price: C$0.10

Kirkland Lake Discoveries is a gold and copper exploration company focused on projects in its district-scale land package located in the Kirkland Lake area of Ontario, Canada.

Its holdings span an area of approximately 38,000 hectares in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt that has been host to past-producing gold and copper mines. It is broadly divided into KL West and KL East, which contain the Goodfish-Kirana and Lucky Strike gold projects, respectively, among others.

On April 29, the company announced it entered into a mining option agreement with Val-d’Or Mining (TSXV:VZZ) to acquire a 100 percent interest in the Winnie Lake and Amikougami properties, as well as mining claim purchase agreements with two vendors to acquire further claims around the Winnie Lake Pluton. The properties expand KL West’s southern portion.

Following the agreement, the company conducted grab samples at the Winnie Lake property and reported the results on July 9. One grab sample collected near the historic Winnie Shaft zone yielded grades of 1.6 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold, 28.2 g/t silver, 5.7 percent copper, 5.3 percent zinc and 1.65 g/t tellurium.

The company also discovered a quartz-veined intrusive outcrop 150 meters west of the shaft during field prospecting, with samples displaying characteristics of magmatic-hydrothermal copper-gold systems, including visible malachite and strong potassic alteration.

Additionally, Kirkland Lake reported it has received full drill permits for Winnie Lake and plans to initiate activities at the site this summer, focusing on the newly defined zones.

3. Happy Creek Minerals (TSXV:HPY)

Weekly gain: 70 percent
Market cap: C$10.33 million
Share price: C$0.085

Happy Creek Minerals is an exploration company focused on advancing a portfolio of assets in British Columbia, Canada.

Its primary focus has been on its Fox tungsten property located in the South Caribou region of the province. It comprises 135.9 square kilometers of mineral tenure and hosts deposits containing tungsten, molybdenum, zinc, indium, gold and silver. In total, 21,125 meters of exploration drilling have been carried out at the site, primarily in shallow holes, for resource definition.

Happy Creek’s share price began climbing Tuesday after the company announced a non-brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds of up to C$3.25 million in flow-through units at C$0.07 per share and non-flow-through units at C$0.05 per share.

The following day, Happy Creek upsized the offering to C$3.75 million.

The company plans to use the gross proceeds for drilling, exploration and development at Fox, as well as other exploration work in the Caribou.

4. Camino Minerals (TSXV:COR)

Weekly gain: 56.52 percent
Market cap: C$13.5 million
Share price: C$0.36

Camino Minerals is a copper exploration and development company with a portfolio of projects in Chile and Peru.

Earlier in 2025, the company shifted its focus to its newly acquired, construction-ready Puquois copper project in Chile.

In October 2024, Camino entered a definitive agreement to create a 50/50 joint venture with Nittetsu Mining (TSE:1515) that would acquire Cuprum Resources, which owns the Puquios project. The partners completed the acquisition April 17 and said they would turn their attention to project financing.

On March 17, Camino filed a prefeasibility study for the project. The study results demonstrate a post-tax net present value of US$118 million, with an internal rate of return of 23.4 percent and a payback period of 3.1 years at a fixed copper price of US$4.28. It also outlines all-in sustaining costs of US$2.00 per pound over a 14.2 year mine life.

In addition to the economic details, the included mineral resource estimate shows a measured and indicated resource of 149,000 metric tons of copper from 32.16 million metric tons of ore grading 0.46 percent copper.

Camino also owns the Los Chapitos project, which has been a long-time focus of the company. The project covers approximately 22,000 hectares near the coastal town of Chala, Peru, and hosts near-surface mineralization.

Camino has been conducting exploration efforts at Los Chapitos throughout the first half of 2025. On Wednesday, it reported trench results from the newly identified Mirador zone, including 1.07 percent copper over 90 meters, with a four-meter section containing 3.05 percent copper.

5. Solstice Gold (TSXV:SGC)

Weekly gain: 56.25 percent
Market cap: C$29.38 million
Share price: C$0.125

Solstice Gold is an exploration company focused on its flagship Strathy gold project in Ontario, which it acquired in June 2024.

The project consists of 45 claims covering an area of 45 square kilometers in the Temagami Greenstone belt. Historical documents report six gold showings in the central portion of the project areas, with documented mineralization at the Leckie prospect.

In its latest project update on July 2, Solstice announced it had wrapped up its spring drill program, which focused on four target areas. In total, the company completed 3,125 meters of drilling across 14 holes, and results are expected in July.

The company also reported that it had entered into an agreement to acquire 17 additional claims, which would increase the project area by 50 percent. It added that targets identified from its IP program may extend along strike into these claims.

FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?

The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.

How many mining companies are listed on the TSX and TSXV?

As of February 2025, there were 1,572 companies listed on the TSXV, 905 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,859 companies, with 181 of those being mining companies.

Together the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.

How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?

There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.

The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.

These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.

How do you trade on the TSXV?

Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.

Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.

Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The U.S. shipbuilding industry is looking for help. A South Korean company is answering the call.

Hanwha Philly Shipyard CEO David Kim, nodding to the gargantuan vessels under construction just off the Delaware River, on Wednesday offered the kind of vision that has brought some optimism back to the U.S. shipbuilding community.

“You take that level of experience, the technology that we have, the know-how, the process expertise, and so clearly, we believe we have a lot to bring to the Philly Shipyard, as well as to the U.S. maritime industrial base, in terms of modernization capacity,” he said on a walkthrough of the shipyard.

Hanwha Philly Shipyard CEO David Kim.Obtained by NBC News

Hanwha Group bought the Philly Shipyard in December for $100 million and plans to invest multiple times that amount in the yard, training over a thousand new workers and bringing in new high-tech equipment. The company hopes to build naval ships and become the first U.S. builder of specialized liquefied natural gas tankers.

Shipbuilding in the United States has been all but dormant. China, South Korea, Japan and Europe all produce far more ships than the United States, with the few shipyards still operating in the country concentrating on military ships.

Revitalizing shipbuilding has been one of the areas President Donald Trump has pointed to as part of a broader effort to bring manufacturing back to the United States — a move some see as shortsighted considering the costs associated with building the kind of gigantic modern ships that remain a core part of how goods and commodities move around the planet.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

President Trump has been in office for six months, delivering on campaign promises, securing his ‘big beautiful bill’ by his self-imposed deadline and taking decisive action on the world stage.

The president was sworn into office Jan. 20, and the Trump administration has operated at warp speed since Day One.

Key tenets of Trump’s first 100 days included imposing harsh tariffs on Chinese imports, starting and continuing peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and cracking down on border security amid a mass deportation initiative. 

The next chapter of the second Trump administration began, with the House of Representatives, as promised, passing Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ before Memorial Day, sending it to the Senate for weeks of negotiations.

The Senate made its changes, approved the legislation and kicked it back to the House just in time for the lower chamber to pass the bill before Trump’s self-imposed Fourth of July deadline. 

The president welcomed House and Senate Republican leadership to the White House July 4 for a signing ceremony on his landmark legislation, which included key provisions that would permanently establish individual and business tax breaks included in his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and incorporate new tax deductions to cut duties on tips and overtime pay. 

Trump’s second administration has also focused on the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was run by Elon Musk. DOGE proposed cuts to programs that the Trump administration chalked up to wasteful and excessive government spending.

Congressional lawmakers prepped a rescissions package — a bill to codify those DOGE cuts into law. Congress passed that package by its deadline. 

Trump signed the package Friday, which blocks $8 billion in funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and $1 billion to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the remainder of the fiscal year. The dollars had been allocated by Congress for the duration of fiscal year 2025.

As for Musk, his ‘special government employee’ window expired, and he returned to the private sector. Shortly after, Musk started a short-lived feud with the president, who chose not to prolong the tensions. Trump only hit his former ally briefly, and carried on with business as usual, leaving Musk to a lonely rant on social media.

Meanwhile, on the world stage, the president ordered strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. 

Trump’s historic precision strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in June hit their targets and ‘destroyed’ and ‘badly damaged’ the facilities’ critical infrastructure — an assessment agreed upon by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Israel and the United States. 

But Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently issued his latest threat against the U.S. and ‘its dog on a leash, the Zionist regime (Israel),’ saying that Iran’s attack on U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar was just the beginning of what Tehran could throw at Washington. He warned that ‘an even bigger blow could be inflicted on the U.S. and others.’

Iran has until the end of August to agree to a nuclear deal with the United States and its allies, Fox News has learned. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom set the de facto deadline, according to three sources with knowledge of a call Wednesday among the officials. 

If Iran fails to agree to a deal, it would trigger the ‘snapback’ mechanism that automatically reimposes all sanctions previously imposed by the United Nations Security Council. 

The sanctions were lifted under the 2015 Iran deal. 

In his first six months as president, Trump also signed a sweeping order blocking travel to the U.S. from nearly 20 countries identified as high-risk for terrorism, visa abuse and failure to share security information.

The travel restrictions — announced under executive order 14161 — apply to nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, all deemed ‘very high risk’ due to terrorist activity, weak or hostile governments, and high visa overstay rates. 

Domestically, the president has focused efforts on securing the border, with border crossings at a record low.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported the lowest number of border crossings in recorded history in June. Nationwide, there were 25,228 CBP encounters, the lowest monthly number the agency has recorded, including a ‘historical low’ of 8,024 apprehensions. Encounters include legal ports of entry, whereas apprehensions are arrests of those coming into the United States illegally. 

As for tariffs, the Trump administration had leveled tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods following the president’s reciprocal tariff plans in April, when China retaliated against the U.S. with tariffs of its own. China and the U.S. reached a preliminary trade agreement in May, which Trump said China violated in a Truth Social post at the end of May.  

An agreement was reached between the U.S. and China in June, which includes China supplying rare earth materials to the U.S., and that Trump will ‘work closely’ with Chinese President Xi Jinping ‘to open up China to American Trade.’

‘Full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China,’ Trump said in June. ‘Likewise, we will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities (which has always been good with me!). We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%. Relationship is excellent!’ 

The president also celebrated the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday with a massive parade in Washington June 14 — kicking off a yearlong extravaganza leading up to America’s 250th birthday.

Outside the White House, Trump administration agencies have delivered on promises. 

The Department of Education unveiled plans to scale down its workforce, terminating nearly 1,400 Education Department employees. The Supreme Court upheld Trump’s move.

The Justice Department released the audio of former President Joe Biden’s interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur. Hur was investigating Biden for alleged improper retention of classified records.

Congressional lawmakers had been demanding the audio of that interview be released since 2024, after the transcript of Biden’s interview was littered with mistakes and revealed significant memory lapses.

The Department of Justice also has started an investigation into Biden’s pardons his final days in office to determine whether they are valid. Fox News Digital has learned the pardons, in his final weeks in office, were signed by autopen, with just one signed by hand — the pardon for his son Hunter. 

Trump has also directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to make public any relevant grand jury testimony relating to the Jeffrey Epstein case. 

Over at the FBI, CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, intelligence officials and political appointees are in the process of declassifying all records related to the Trump–Russia investigation, also known as ‘Crossfire Hurricane.’

Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan are under criminal investigation relating to their actions tied to the Trump–Russia probe.

Fox News’ Emma Colton, Diana Stancy, Elizabeth Elkind and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Donald Trump filed a sweeping lawsuit against media magnate Rupert Murdoch, News Corp, Dow Jones, and two Wall Street Journal reporters on Friday, escalating the fallout from a story that detailed a risqué letter allegedly written by Trump to Jeffrey Epstein.

The suit, filed in federal court in southern Florida, accuses the Journal’s parent companies and Murdoch of assault, libel, and slander, according to court documents.

Specifics of the formal complaint are not yet public, but the legal action comes a day after the publication of a Wall Street Journal report that has reignited controversy over Trump’s ties to the disgraced financier.

WSJ report reveals provocative letter

On Thursday evening, the Wall Street Journal revealed it had reviewed a 2003 birthday letter from Trump to celebrate Epstein’s 50th birthday.

According to the report, the letter contained typed text bordered by a sketch of a naked woman, and concluded with Trump’s signature and a note: “Happy Birthday — may every day be another wonderful secret”.

The letter was reportedly part of an album compiled for Epstein by associates, including convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell.

Trump calls letter “fake,” threatens lawsuit

In the hours before publication, Trump and his team repeatedly lobbied Murdoch, WSJ editor Emma Tucker, and News Corp CEO Robert Thomson to halt the story, calling the allegations “false, malicious, and defamatory”.

After the article appeared, Trump denounced the story on his Truth Social platform, insisting the letter was fabricated and that he never used such language or drew the illustration.

He warned he would “sue [Murdoch’s] ass off, and that of his third-rate newspaper.”

Murdoch and WSJ decline public comment

Spokespeople for Murdoch, News Corp, and Dow Jones declined to comment on the lawsuit or the report.

The White House also did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the president’s reaction.

Broader context: Epstein fallout and DOJ memo

The lawsuit surfaces as the Trump administration works to manage repercussions from a recent Department of Justice and FBI memo that stated there is no substantiated “client list” linked to Epstein or credible evidence of blackmail involving prominent figures—a reversal from Trump’s prior pledges to release related files.

Attorney General Pam Bondi noted earlier in the year that a so-called “client list” was under her review, further fueling speculation and political tension.

Next steps in legal battle remain unclear

With the full details of Trump’s lawsuit under seal, it’s uncertain how quickly the case will move forward in Florida’s Southern District.

Legal experts say the high-profile legal standoff underscores the fraught relationship between Trump and Murdoch’s media empire.

The Wall Street Journal maintains it stands by its reporting, while Trump vows to pursue the matter in court, calling for Murdoch himself to testify.

The post Trump sues Murdoch and News Corp over Wall Street Journal’s Epstein report appeared first on Invezz

This opinion piece was submitted to the Investing News Network (INN) by Darren Brady Nelson, who is an external contributor. INN believes it may be of interest to readers and has copy edited the material to ensure adherence to the company’s style guide; however, INN does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported by external contributors. The opinions expressed by external contributors do not reflect the opinions of INN and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.

By Darren Brady Nelson

As an economist, I, perhaps somewhat sadly, have many economist friends. One of them recently alerted me to a post on X that was even a shock to me in the toxic 2020s. That being: “Almost all political donations by Fed employees go to one party. The Fed is already politicized.”

The post had a link to the data supporting this assertion, which was published at OpenSecrets. They are a “501(c)3” devoted to: “tracking money in US politics and its effect on elections and public policy.” Their theme is appropriately “Follow the Money,” as it is for this story.

Political money contributions, since 2016, from those at the Fed, range between 92 to 93 percent for Democrats and 8 to 9 percent for Republicans. As Public Choice economics teaches, it is crucial to “Follow the Money” in politics. Austrian and Chicago schools of economics teach the same for gold.

Gold pricing 101

Gold pricing is often characterized as being driven by “fear and uncertainty,” at least in the short run, including geopolitical fears like war and economic uncertainties such as recession. It is also typically recognized to be an “inflation hedge,” in the long run anyway.

Gold is an asset with a price determined in a 24/7/365 global auction, most often quoted per troy ounce, in the world’s reserve currency of US dollars. New supply plays an unusually small role compared to almost all other commodities, goods or services. Thus, highest bid wins.

Perhaps none of these things about gold, and its price, are new nor surprising. But what might be, despite the end of the gold standard in 1971 and legalization of gold investment in 1974, is that gold is still a shadow currency to fiat ones, especially US dollar, in the ‘always run.’

The annual gold price from 1960 to 2024 is displayed below, as sourced from the World Bank. Rises include: late 1970s; late 2000s; and mid 2020s. Slides include: early 1980s; late 1990s; and early 2010s. Overall growth was: Sum 555 percent; Ave 8.7 percent; Max 98 percent; Min 24 percent; and CAGR 6.8 percent.

Gold yearly growth ($).

Source: World Bank.

Money supply 101

Gold is the inflation hedge, precisely because it is shadow currency. Money supply is the inflation source, precisely because it is fiat currency. As Chicago economist Milton Friedman wrote in Money Mischief (1994): “In the modern world, inflation is a printing-press phenomenon.”

There are multiple money supply measures, such as M0, M1, M2 and M3. M1 includes paper and coin currency held by the general public as well as liquid bank deposits (e.g. checking accounts). M3 includes M1, plus less liquid bank deposits (e.g. savings accounts) as well as “repos.”

Austrian economist Robert Murphy details in Understanding Money Mechanics (2021) just how the Fed’s printing, Treasury bonds and bank loans create US money supply, through open market operations. Since 2008 and 2020, the Fed has expanded to buying and selling just about anything.

Speaking on behalf of the Fed, and all major central banks, the Bank of England wrote in Money Creation in the Modern Economy (2014): “(B)ank lending creates deposits. At that moment, new money is created. (This is) ‘fountain pen money,’ created at the stroke of bankers’ pens(.)”

Annual M1 and M3 money supply from 1960 to 2024 are displayed below, as sourced from the OECD. M3 starts to take off from the mid 1990s. Both blast off in the early 2020s, M1 in part due to redefinition. Combined growth was: Sum 533 percent; Ave 8.3 percent; Max 126 percent; Min 6.4 percent; and CAGR 7.4 percent.

Money yearly growth ($).

Source: OECD.

Gold inflation 101

Christian economist Gary North points out in Honest Money (2011) that businesses have three choices in the face of money inflation: A) profit deflation; B) price inflation; C) quality shrinkflation. Investors have a fourth: D) gold inflation. A, B, and C are all bad options. D is good.

The chart below shows cumulative annual growth of gold versus M1 and M3. Gold performs and protects against both M1 and M3 from 1974 to 2019, even in 2001, but not against M1 from 2020 to 2024. In 2019, gold had a 150 percent lead on M1 and 92 percent on M3. By 2022, it shrunk to 110 percent and 80 percent.

Cumulative yearly growth (percent).

Sources: OECD and World Bank.

A 2020 regression study found: “When the Federal Reserve increases money supply by 1%, gold prices increase by 0.94%.” A 2023 academic paper: “Confirms a long-term relationship between gold price and US M2.” Note that M1’s 2021 redefinition has now made it nearly identical to M1.

Period yearly change (percent).

Sources: OECD and World Bank.

However, the authors of Austrian School for Investors (2015) wrote: “Gold does not correlate with the rate of inflation as such, but with the rate of change of the inflation rate. In order to buttress this hypothesis, we calculated the regression depicted in (the chart below).”

Source: Austrian School for Investors: Austrian Investing between Inflation and Deflation.

In conclusion, as per my Wokenomics 101 (2023) ghost blog, money inflation by: “increasing demand puts upward pressure on price and quantity and downward pressure on quality.” That puts upward pressure on: nominal CPI and GDP statistics; as well as real gold investment and price.

Inflation doesn’t harm all. It helps some. They are the “Bootleggers and Baptists,” as Public Choice economist Bruce Yandle dubbed them in 1983. Bootleggers are crony capitalists, politicians and bureaucrats whose inflated revenue outpaces costs. Baptists are the “useful idiots.”

Thus, “Follow the Money” back to the “inflationistas” of: Big Business; Big Government; and Big Banks. All gain supernormal profits from easy money: one, making more money; two, collecting more money; and three, creating more money. Also, “Follow the Money” when it comes to gold.

And, sadly, there is one policy that is always bipartisan; print more money. But, gladly, gold will always win.

About Darren Brady Nelson

Darren Brady Nelson is chief economist with Fisher Liberty Gold and policy advisor to The Heartland Institute. He previously was economic advisor to Australian Senator Malcolm Roberts. He authored the Ten Principles of Regulation and Reform, and the CPI-X approach to budget cuts.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Coca-Cola in the United States will begin to be made with cane sugar, but the company did not explicitly say that was the case when it was asked later about Trump’s claim.

Trump said Wednesday afternoon on Truth Social that he had been speaking to Coca-Cola about using cane sugar in the sodas sold in the United States and that the company agreed to his idea.

‘This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!’ Trump wrote in the post.

But Coca-Cola did not commit to the change when NBC News asked it later about Trump’s post.

‘We appreciate President Trump’s enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand,’ a company spokesperson said in a statement. ‘More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon.’

Donald Trump drinks a Diet Coke during the ProAm of the LIV Golf Team Championship at Trump National Doral Golf Club, on Oct. 27, 2022, in Doral, Fla.Lynne Sladky / AP file

It remains unclear whether Coca-Cola agreed to Trump’s proposal or whether the beloved soda will still be made with corn syrup.

The Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, named for the social movement aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has pushed food companies to alter their formulations to remove ingredients like artificial dyes.

Coca-Cola produced for the U.S. market is typically sweetened with corn syrup, while the company uses cane sugar in some other countries, including Mexico and various European countries.

Coca-Cola announced in 1984 it was going to “significantly increase” the amount of corn syrup it was using in its U.S. products, The New York Times reported at the time.

Coca-Cola said it would use corn syrup to sweeten bottled and canned Coke, as well as caffeine-free Coke, but left itself “flexibility” to use other sweeteners, like sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, the Times reported.

Kennedy has criticized how much sugar is consumed in the American diet and has said updated dietary guidelines released this summer will advise people to ‘eat whole food.’

Trump has been known to enjoy Coca-Cola products. The Wall Street Journal reported that a Diet Coke button, which allows him to order the soda on demand, has joined him in the Oval Office for both of his terms.

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Slovenian lawmakers became the first Eastern European country to legalize a law on Friday to allow medically-assisted suicide for terminally-ill adults, in a shift in regional end-of-life policy. 

The country’s lawmakers passed the bill following a closely watched parliamentary vote with 50 votes in favor, 34 against and three abstaining. The vote also focused on a national referendum demanding expanded end-of-life rights. 

The legislation comes after a consultative referendum last year in which 55% of voters supported the right to end-of-life autonomy. While the move is being praised as historic, the law’s implementation will not be immediate as the procedures and oversight mechanisms are still being developed.

The law applies to terminally ill adults who are experiencing unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement. In order for candidates to qualify, they must be mentally competent and have already exhausted their available treatment options. Individuals suffering solely from mental illness will be excluded from eligibility. The patient has to provide informed, voluntary, and repeated consent. It is believed that the process may require evaluation by multiple medical professionals.

Although it is being hailed as a landmark move, it will not be immediately implemented as the detailed procedures and oversight mechanisms are still being finalized. 

‘This is a victory for compassion and dignity,’ said one lawmaker in support of the bill. A civil rights group opposed to the law referendum to overturn the measure.

A civil rights group opposing the new law pledged on Friday to seek public backing for a potential attempt to force a referendum on the measure.

Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia and Colombia, have legalized the so-called death with dignity.

Last month, Britain’s parliament voted to legalize assisted dying, although the bill must still clear the upper chamber of parliament.

In the U.S., 11 states allow medical aid in dying: Delaware, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Lawmakers in some other states are considering similar legislation.

Washington, D.C., also permits physician-assisted suicide.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Swedish defense group Saab reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings and raised its 2025 sales guidance, as rising global defense budgets continue to fuel demand for its combat systems and aircraft.

Shares rose over 12% after the company posted operating income of 1.98 billion Swedish kronor ($204 million), comfortably ahead of analyst expectations of 1.71 billion kronor.

Revenue for the quarter surged 30% year-on-year to 19.79 billion kronor, driven largely by its high-margin Dynamics business, which includes ground combat weapons and missile systems.

The unit delivered a 73% rise in sales and an operating margin of 20.9%. Net profit rose to 1.53 billion kronor, beating forecasts and up from 1 billion kronor a year earlier.

Saab now expects organic sales growth in 2025 to reach between 16% and 20%, up from its earlier forecast of 12% to 16%.

The company also reaffirmed expectations that operating income will grow faster than sales.

Russian invasion of Ukraine, middle east conflict drive industry boom

Saab’s upbeat outlook reflects a broader surge in global military spending since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

NATO allies have pledged to boost defense spending to 5% of GDP, while individual countries are restocking arsenals depleted by aid to Ukraine.

In Sweden, the government has committed to invest an additional 300 billion kronor in defense to meet NATO requirements.

CEO Micael Johansson noted that while demand is high, transitioning from planning to procurement takes time.

“We are continuing to invest in capacity increases and are proactively working in close cooperation with our suppliers to secure future deliveries,” he said.

Johansson also pointed to heightened conflict in the Middle East and Eastern Europe as further justification for long-term defense investments, emphasizing that unity and deterrence remain key goals for Europe.

AI and digital transformation central to future strategy

Saab is also expanding its investments in artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

It recently completed a test mission of its Gripen fighter jet with integrated AI and announced plans to deepen its participation in Sweden’s AI Factory consortium.

The project, involving firms such as AstraZeneca, Ericsson, and SEB, and using Nvidia technology, aims to build the infrastructure for advanced AI innovation in defense and other sectors.

The Gripen continues to attract interest globally, with Peru and the Philippines assessing the aircraft following sales to Thailand and Colombia.

Saab said demand remains strong across its portfolio, particularly for its surveillance systems and training and simulation solutions.

In the second quarter, new orders totaled 28.4 billion kronor, above analyst expectations and bringing the company’s total backlog to nearly 198 billion kronor, up from 183 billion a year earlier.

Analyst confidence rises after earnings beat

Analysts responded positively to the results.

SEB noted that adjusted EBIT came in 11% above expectations and estimated consensus earnings revisions of 2% to 4% for the full year.

Kepler Cheuvreux said Saab’s dynamics division was once again the standout performer and expects earnings adjustments in the low to mid-single digits.

Despite a year-on-year decline in order intake, the figure still landed 5% above analyst consensus.

Saab reaffirmed its forecast of positive operational cash flow for the year.

The company emphasized it would continue prioritizing R&D and digital transformation to sustain its competitive edge amid rapidly changing defense needs.

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The global transition to a green economy has been a boon for the cleantech market — it’s helping investment in renewable energy and clean technology continue to grow, allowing the sector to keep building momentum.

Though cleantech’s long-term outlook is stable, the industry is facing challenges in Western markets as US policy shifts have sparked climate finance concerns. With US leadership on climate finance appearing to recede, there’s an opportunity for the Canadian market to take a leading role.

As we enter the second half of 2025, here’s a look at the best-performing Canadian cleantech stocks on the TSX and TSXV year-to-date; CSE companies were considered, but none made the list at this time.

Data for this article was gathered on July 14, 2025, using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies with market capitalizations greater than C$50 million were considered.

1. Tantalus Systems (TSX:GRID)

Year-to-date gain: 76.32 percent
Market cap: C$179.48 million
Share price: C$3.35

Tantalus Systems provides technology that gives utilities greater control and insight into their electric grids.

This includes advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), load management systems and grid analytics, all of which contribute to a more efficient and reliable power grid.

One of its key products, TRUConnect AMI, provides real-time data on energy consumption and grid conditions. The TRUFlex Load+DER Management system helps manage energy demand and integrate distributed energy resources like solar power, while TRUGrid Automation optimizes grid operations and improves response to events like power failures.

On July 7, Tantalus announced that it was extending its partnership with EPB in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to deploy 20,000 TRUSense Ethernet Gateways over the next five years, integrating with EPB’s fiber network to enhance grid modernization and operational efficiency.

2. Anaergia (TSX:ANRG)

Year-to-date gain: 44.68 percent
Market cap: C$229.36 million
Share price: C$1.36

Anaergia is a global company that specializes in converting waste, including wastewater and agricultural and municipal solid waste, into renewable energy, clean water and organic fertilizer.

In July 2024, Anaeriga announced the completion of a strategic investment, saying it had closed the third tranche of a C$40.8 million investment deal with Marny Investissement that gave Marny a controlling interest of about 60 percent in Anaergia. The investment supported Anaergia’s strategic pivot to prioritizing capital-efficient growth and streamlined operations, with a greater focus on technology sales and operation and maintenance contracts.

The company has operations in 17 countries spanning North America, Africa, Asia and Europe. So far in 2025, Anaergia has expanded its global reach through partnerships with companies in Italy and Spain, as well as through a partnership agreement to build a biogas facility in South Korea.

3. CVW CleanTech (TSXV:CVW)

Year-to-date gain: 18.82 percent
Market cap: C$148.28 million
Share price: C$1.01

CVW CleanTech is focused on making the Canadian oil sands industry more sustainable.

The company’s Creating Value from Waste (CVW) technology recovers bitumen and valuable minerals like titanium and zircon from oil sands tailings ponds, reducing the environmental impact of oil and gas production.

In 2024, the company transitioned to a royalty-based model, investing in other cleantech companies in exchange for a share of their revenue. Its first royalty investment was in Northstar Clean Technologies (TSXV:ROOF,OTC:ROOOF), a company with technology that processes end-of-life asphalt shingles into components including liquid asphalt, as well as aggregate and fiber for industrial use. The deal was finalized in September.

Now, the company is seeking shareholder approval to change its name to CVW Sustainable Royalties and switch its TSX Venture exchange listing from a technology issuer to an investment issuer, further solidifying its change in focus. However, it is still committed to commercializing its CVW technology.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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