matejmo/iStock via Getty Images By Anthony Storer, James Hop, Patrick O’Keefe, Timothy G. Nash Geopolitical tensions and the global financial system have changed dramatically since 2000. Markets rise and fall; what’s propelling gold? For over two decades, gold’s role as a staple investment has grown more pronounced in the global financial system. Since 2000, the commodity has outperformed all majo...
matejmo/iStock via Getty Images By Anthony Storer, James Hop, Patrick O’Keefe, Timothy G. Nash Geopolitical tensions and the global financial system have changed dramatically since 2000. Markets rise and fall; what’s propelling gold? For over two decades, gold’s role as a staple investment has grown more pronounced in the global financial system. Since 2000, the commodity has outperformed all major US stock indices. It has preserved purchasing power, protected investors during crises, and hedged against policy shifts. The forces propelling gold higher today extend beyond its safe-haven status. A mix of technological change and geopolitical restructuring is reshaping how investors view gold. The result is a powerful combination of structural demand and constrained supply. These conditions help explain gold’s strong performance and why many believe its appeal is far from over. Below are thirteen major forces shaping the modern gold market. 1. Safe Haven in a Crisis Gold is a store of value . When currencies depreciate and governments falter, gold is the primary place of refuge for concerned investors. That reputation drives demand and pushes capital flows into gold during uncertain times. 2. Geopolitical Concerns Global tensions remain a powerful catalyst. Conflicts in Eastern Europe, instability in the Middle East, and shifting power dynamics in Asia have increased demand for assets that exist outside political control. Gold has been a major beneficiary from this environment. 3. Preservation of Purchasing Power History offers a striking comparison: roughly 200 ounces of gold bought an average home decades ago, and roughly the same amount still does today . While prices in dollars have changed dramatically, gold has preserved long-term real value. This property continues to attract investors seeking protection from currency debasement. 4. Central Bank Accumulation Some of the biggest buyers of gold are central banks and governments. Many of them are diversifying their...
xijian/iStock via Getty Images The performance of the Krane Shares Global Carbon ETF ( KRBN ) is roughly flat since I recommended it in July 2025. That article explains how the fund works and its objectives. The key for my investment thesis with this ETF is not a stand alone bet the price of the ETF will go up but that it provides for excellent portfolio diversification and a hedge against rising ...
xijian/iStock via Getty Images The performance of the Krane Shares Global Carbon ETF ( KRBN ) is roughly flat since I recommended it in July 2025. That article explains how the fund works and its objectives. The key for my investment thesis with this ETF is not a stand alone bet the price of the ETF will go up but that it provides for excellent portfolio diversification and a hedge against rising carbon costs for industrial assets, especially useful if you are very long energy investments like me. That said, despite likely short term headwinds for this ETF and its underlying investments, the longer term picture remains solid. The KRBN ETF is an index tracker fund. It tracks the S&P Global Carbon Credit Index . S&P Global Carbon Credit Index This is an index of the world's major carbon futures markets. According to Krane Shares the index weightings are: European Union Allowances with a weight of 60%, California Carbon Allowances with a weight of 25%, and 5% weightings in each of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, UK Allowances, and Washington Carbon Allowances. The exact methodology of the S&P Global Carbon Credit Index can be found here . According to the index methodology, the objective of the index is as follows: The S&P Global Carbon Credit Indices measure the performance of carbon credits traded on global Compliance Carbon Markets. The indices apply capping on a regional basis into EMEA, the Americas, and APAC jurisdictions, as well as on a program-level basis within each region to ensure diversification. Carbon credit futures must meet all the following criteria: accessibility of futures markets, liquidity and contract selection and carbon credit program maturity. The index has a maximum weight of 65% for given geographical region, and a minimum weight of 5% for any given carbon credit program. Because the EU Emissions Trading System is by far the biggest by volume and most mature market the European Union Allowance take up 60% of the index weighting. The ...
Roundhill MSFT WeeklyPay ETF (CBOE:MSFW) has shed 34% of its value since its July 2025 launch, even as it advertises weekly income and enhanced exposure to one of the world’s most valuable companies. That gap between the yield headline and the NAV reality is where the risk lives. What MSFW Actually Does MSFW targets 120% ... MSFW Paid $0.97 One Week and $0.097 Another. That Volatility Is the Real ...
Roundhill MSFT WeeklyPay ETF (CBOE:MSFW) has shed 34% of its value since its July 2025 launch, even as it advertises weekly income and enhanced exposure to one of the world’s most valuable companies. That gap between the yield headline and the NAV reality is where the risk lives. What MSFW Actually Does MSFW targets 120% ... MSFW Paid $0.97 One Week and $0.097 Another. That Volatility Is the Real Risk
Utilities have long been the portfolio’s boring backbone: predictable dividends, regulated cash flows, and a tendency to hold up when riskier assets sell off. Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF (NYSEARCA:FUTY) packages that idea into a single fund at near-zero cost, but what investors actually own is more nuanced than the classic defensive utility story. What ... FUTY Delivers 64% in Five Years Whi...
Utilities have long been the portfolio’s boring backbone: predictable dividends, regulated cash flows, and a tendency to hold up when riskier assets sell off. Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF (NYSEARCA:FUTY) packages that idea into a single fund at near-zero cost, but what investors actually own is more nuanced than the classic defensive utility story. What ... FUTY Delivers 64% in Five Years While Charging Investors Next to Nothing
Sharamand/iStock via Getty Images In recent months, it appears as though the AI infrastructure arms race has entered a new era. In the past, the question was whether or not AI compute had any real demand. With the proliferation of simple-minded chatbots that took some tinkering to produce any value, it was an open-ended question. Now, however, with agentic capabilities growing - primarily with pro...
Sharamand/iStock via Getty Images In recent months, it appears as though the AI infrastructure arms race has entered a new era. In the past, the question was whether or not AI compute had any real demand. With the proliferation of simple-minded chatbots that took some tinkering to produce any value, it was an open-ended question. Now, however, with agentic capabilities growing - primarily with proof of concept in products like Claude Code and OpenClaw - it's no longer a question of whether or not AI demand is real. It's a question of who captures the profits. It's more than corporate software budgets at stake. As agents become increasingly capable of executing real-world tasks, I anticipate that in the future we will see increased AI spend coming out of companies' labor budgets, as they look to automate back-office processes, customer service, and more with highly capable AI agents. The core question: in this scenario, who wins? Short answer: I expect that Nebius ( NBIS ) - a GPU-based 'neocloud' provider - will gain substantial market share. Earlier this year I named the stock my number one pick for 2026. Since then, the company has signed a massive new $27 billion infrastructure deal with Meta ( META ), and shares have outperformed the S&P 500. Recently, the company announced a $2 billion strategic investment from Nvidia ( NVDA ), making NBIS incredibly well-positioned to build the data centers that will augment - and could even replace - considerable portions of the current labor market. With unbelievable revenue growth expected in the coming years and growing adjusted EBITDA margins, the company has a huge backlog and an incredible growth story. Even with a modest valuation multiple, I expect that NBIS could produce annualized returns anywhere from 35% to 60% through 2030. Said differently, my 2028 price target is $250 per share. Trading at roughly $100 right now, that makes the stock a 'Strong Buy in my eyes. Today, I'll break down the recent Meta deal, highlig...