Despite the cautionary tone of the keynote speakers at the 2011 San Francisco Hard Assets Investment Conference, the message was clear that if investors practice their due diligence, they can still make healthy returns.
Commodities are gaining ground as Italy and Greece exert political leadership to get their finances under control. But worries about risks remain.
Silver – Precious metals have been defying conventional wisdom in regards to the Eurozone debt crisis. For silver, the problems are exacerbated by the metal’s role as an industrial and investment metal. Silver’s price going forward depends on reduced volatility stemming from a debt relief plan.
Silver – The tumultuous global economic climates have been weighing down on the price of silver.
Silver – While silver prices made moderate gains on the day, uncertainty about the global economy continues to erode investors risk appetite. Some analysts have even called into question silver’s role as ‘poor man’s gold’ as a hedge against inflation.
Investors will observe a worthwhile exercise by examining aspects of these agencies to evaluate the nature and context of the recent US credit rating downgrade by S&P to assess the impact and potential outlook for resource investing opportunities.
Gold – Gold climbed above $1,700 an ounce Monday in the wake of a credit downgrade on the United States by Standard & Poor's, causing a plunge in stocks on the Dow Jones, TSX as well as other international markets.
Silver – As investors look for save havens in precious metals amidst fears of currency inflation across the globe, a bullish outlook is projected for silver as a more affordable alternative to gold, though some analysts warn that even if they have been following similar recent price trends, the two metals should be viewed as unique and separate assets.
Gold – Insecurity over Italy’s financial stability make it the latest target of Euro Zone contagion fears and call into question the place the role of gold.
Silver – The growing attitude towards silver as an investment tool in China is adding significant demand for the white metal. Imports of silver to China reached a record last year, and continue to be strong. As concerns about the strength of the economy grow, Chinese citizens are looking to silver as a safe haven asset.
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