8 Top Benefits Of Gold Investment

Have you recently considered making a gold investment? Besides investing in stocks and bonds, many investors decide to diversify their portfolios with this precious metal. It is well-known for its value and rich history, respected by people throughout centuries. 

Gold is a commodity that investors fall back on when currencies are volatile. Consequently, gold provides insurance during tough times. 

Have a look at the top eight benefits of making such an investment in gold precious metals. 

Inflation Hedging 

In the course of the past fifty years, gold has proven itself as an excellent inflation hedge. Its price rises along with the cost of living. Whenever the economy is unstable, or the stock market is highly volatile, investors turn to this commodity, looking for safety. 

During periods of high inflation in the past, this precious metal demonstrated more power than paper currencies. When the stock market crashed, the gold price only soared. Paper currencies tend to lose their purchasing power against this commodity during periods of inflation, shrinkflation, and stagflation like today. 

Nevertheless, like any type of investment, investors must be aware of the risk of loss, which is especially high for individuals not familiar with how this asset works. 

Price Stability 

Another benefit of investing in gold is the price stability this commodity provides. In comparison with the other market options, the price of this precious metal remains stable even during crises. Make sure to check out a review of a precious metal dealer. When a crisis hits the financial market, individuals immediately shift to gold investments while the prices keep on soaring. 

The stock market, on the other hand, is much more volatile. Stock prices can drop to zero whenever negative news is shared about companies. Such a drop in price isn’t likely to happen to this precious metal, as it has a stable market value. This is why most investors have preferred it over stocks for centuries. 

Moreover, price fluctuations can be tracked easily by checking the rate of this popular commodity multiple days in a row. By comparing the prices over a certain period, you will notice that fluctuations are minimal. Additionally, you can go back in history to check the price of gold over the years, which proves incredible stability even in times of global economic crises. 

Relation With The US Dollar 

The US dollar and gold have a long-term relationship that moves in an inverse direction. Consequently, their prices move in opposite directions. When the US dollar is weak, this precious metal and other fiat currencies increase in value. As a result, when the dollar value drops significantly compared to the other currencies, such as during the period from 1998 to 2008, investors flock to gold investments. Gold is great in 2025 as well due to record-breaking inflation.

Sometimes, there are exceptions in view of price movements, like in the event of systematic risk periods. In such periods, the value of the US dollar and gold move in an almost identical direction. The decline of this currency occurs for different reasons, including trade deficits, a large money supply increase, etc. This year, the US dollar has been incredibly volatile because of the uncertainty imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the somewhat struggling US economy. Recent actions by the Fed haven't fixed the issue, making gold and crypto even more viable hedges. 

Portfolio Diversifier 

You've heard the wise phrase "don't put all of your eggs in one basket" and that applies directly to diversifying your investment portfolio. That means not investing in only stocks, only bonds, only real estate, only cryptocurrency, or only precious metals. The gold commodity is believed to be a remarkable portfolio diversifier, as it moves in a different direction than stocks and bonds. The peaks and dips on the stock market seem to have no negative effect on the gold’s value. Investors are encouraged to consider portfolio diversification, meaning they should spread their investments out over various asset classes. 

Furthermore, portfolio diversification prevents investors from losing all their assets. For instance, if one of the assets drops in value, the others will compensate for the decrease. Nevertheless, in the case of gold, diversification is usually addressed in a different way. 

It is important not to invest all your money into this commodity to protect yourself from a sudden decrease in price. Just a portion of the investment capital should be invested in this precious metal, while the rest of the capital should be a combination of other assets. It pays to learn why gold still matters in the new age of investing. 

Safe Haven 

Another benefit of gold investments is the role this commodity acquires as a safe haven. Economic and political uncertainties have become a reality in the modern world, which is when investors look for a safe haven. 

By taking a look at history, you will notice investors holding gold managed to protect their substantial wealth and even escape from regions of turmoil with its help. Any news events that predict economic uncertainty on a global level increase the value of this precious metal. 

Soaring Demand 

Gold investments benefit investors owing to the increasing demand for this precious metal. The increase in the wealth of leading market economies has boosted the demand for this commodity. In some counties like China and India, this precious metals asset is highly associated with their culture. In China, bars are considered a traditional saving form, which makes demand stable for Chinese investors. 

In contrast, India is the second-largest nation known for its gold consumption, especially for jewelry. The highest interest for this precious metal occurs during the Indian wedding season taking place in October. 

Protection Against Deflation 

Another advantage of making such investments is the protection against deflation. This term describes a period when prices decrease, business activity is slower, and the economy copes with excessive debt. Deflation hasn’t been experienced on a worldwide level since the 1930s during the Great Depression. Probably slight deflation has also happened in 2008 during the financial crisis in certain regions of the world. Gold always maintains its price and power.

Maintenance Of Value 

The value of gold has been maintained throughout centuries, unlike the value of paper currencies. It is a way of passing on and preserving wealth from a generation to the following one. The specific properties of this metal have been valued since ancient times. It is resistant to corrosion and melts easily over a flame. There are many industrial applications of the precious metal gold that will keep its value high during all eras. Gold also enjoys scarcity so a limited supply means a higher demand.

Final Thoughts On Gold Investing

Investors cannot go wrong by adding this commodity to their portfolios. Gold provides financial coverage in times of financial and geopolitical uncertainty! Don't miss out on this golden opportunity to add the top precious metals option to your profitable portfolio.

All About Gold Loans And Gold IRAs

Gold Loans

A Gold Loan is a loan where Gold is kept as collateral. Gold trading has been practiced in the past for thousands of years. Golds and lenders used to store Gold and other precious metals like Silver as a form of collateral. Following the establishment of banks, gold pledging in banks began. Gold has significant importance because of its economic value, industrial uses, and lustrous appearance. Gold gifting is found to be very auspicious in Indian culture. The procedure of availing Gold loan The method of obtaining a gold loan is quick and easy. 

In times of need, a reputable Bank Gold Loan can be valuable. The procedure of availing Gold loans are Application process Document verification or Documentation Purity Test of Gold Loan Approval Application protocol The application is a process where one has to appeal to the respective authority for granting certain things. The application for a Gold loan can be completed in the bank in-person visit or digitally by visiting Dena Bank's official website or app. An application contains some personal information along with gold information and other details. 

Documentation 

This is the most crucial process for acquiring golden loans. A simple background check is conducted to avoid fraud. KYC documents, along with two passport-sized photographs, are asked to be submitted. One can submit any one of the Aadhar Card, Driving licenses, Voter IDs, PAN Card as Identity proof. Aadhar card, Ration card, passport, utility bills, or renter agreement for people residing on rent can be submitted as Address proof or residence proof. The Borrower has to visit the Bank for this procedure. A bank representative will assess your KYC Documents. Purity test of Gold Bank authorities do the Purity test of Gold on the premises of the Bank. 

The purity test of Gold is an evaluation of Gold for its composition, weight, and impurities present in it. The loan amount is sanctioned based on the evaluated gold rate per gram. A purity test is a mandatory test. Loan Approval After completing all the procedures and meeting the Eligibility criteria, a Gold loan is sanctioned. A Sanction letter is issued in the name of the Borrower. A sanction letter contains details about the lending bank, loan scheme, gold rate per gram, interest rate, processing fee, prepayment options, tenure period, and repayment options, along with the Dena Bank's terms and conditions. After depositing the evaluated Gold in the Bank, the loan amount is reflected in the Borrower's account quickly. 

Safety Of Gold 

The Gold deposited in the Bank is placed in the bag and marked by a unique application no. This is placed in the lockers present in the Bank. Lockers are present inside the Bank's vault. It is safely guarded and kept under surveillance. Bank authorities only enter this room. Each locker has its specific keys. The keys are with one of the Bank authorities. Repayment options These choices are given for the fulfillment of the Debt. The loan amount has to be paid over the tenure period chosen by the Borrower. 

If the Borrower misses repaying an installment, they can renew or extend their tenure period, but this has to be done before the expiry of the tenure period. The three options given for repayments are Bullet repayment scheme, Overdraft repayment scheme, and EMI option. Bullet Payment Scheme One has to repay towards month-end, and the principal amount is due at the end of tenure. Overdraft Scheme This scheme can be available for colossal loan amounts, and the interest is only charged on the amount disbursed by the Borrower. Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI) In EMI, an indicated amount by the Borrower gets deducted towards the end of the month. EMI can be calculated using EMI Calculator. Choices have been given to the Borrower for making a suitable EMI choice. 

Standing Instruction (SI)- It is For Dena Bank account holders. The repayments are made towards month-end on the amount indicated by the borrowers. 

Electronic Clearing Service (ECS) It is for Non-Dena Bank account holders to digitally transfer the amount. 

Post-Dated Checks (PDC) Enable non-Dena Bank accounts to submit post-dated EMI cheques have to be submitted. 

So when it comes to gold loans, go for the gold! 

Gold IRA Information 

An Introduction To 401K And IRA and The Key Differences Between An Individual Retirement Account (IRA), Traditional IRA Account, SEP IRA Account, Simple IRA Account And Self Directed IRA Account including Gold IRAs.

Many people never give a second thought to their retirement until they get older. When they finally get around to it, they panic, thinking that they may not be able to survive. Social Security only goes so far, and when you look at senior citizens today, all you find is people who have worked all their lives only to have to pinch pennies in order to survive. With the rate of inflation and the economy being what it is, planning your retirement should be done when you are young, in order to insure that you will have a comfortable retirement. Retirement investing is an option that is chosen often because your portfolio can be built in a few different ways, however, Roth IRA’s and 401K plans are by far the most chosen type of plans. Gold IRA accounts are less common but growing in popularity each year.

When you are young, building your retirement investment portfolio can be done slow and steady. However, when you are just starting your retirement investment portfolio at a late age, then you may want to build it quickly. This is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. It will affect you for the rest of your life, and could make the difference between retiring in comfort or not retiring at all. Retirement investing simply put is a way of saving money that you can use to live on after you retire. If you plan well, you many even be able to retire early. There are many things that you need to take into consideration before you decide on how much to invest in a gold IRA. 

• At what age you want to retire 

• Your lifestyle 

• Your present income 

• How fast you want to build your portfolio 

These are all important questions that need to be addressed before you commit yourself to a retirement plan. If you are not sure which plan you need, there are companies that are designed specifically to retirement investing. They have trained professionals who can assist you in determining what plan is best for you. 

Get Gold 

Finding these gold companies is relatively easy, however that best way to find one is by using the Internet. By doing a simple Google search you will find millions of links to these companies. It is however, very important that you research your choices very carefully to avoid any unforeseen occurrences in your retirement account. Don't miss out on this golden opportunity!

Why Invest In Gold?

The entire purpose of the economy can be explained with a single concept, which is the law of supply and demand. Economy is the study of how people interact with money. Whenever someone else has something that you don't, there's a signal for demand. 

If the person that has your desired object wants to make money, he or she will sell it to you. That's how you get the supply. The medium of exchange that you both agree upon can be anything that you want. Throughout history, there were multiple cases of money that were used. Click here to read more. 

Humans used bags of wheat, flour, livestock, seashells, and finally, gold coins. That's the correct answer to the equation of money. There are plenty of reasons why someone would want to invest in gold, mainly because of inflation risks and as a safe haven to keep your wealth. 

What Influences The Price Of Gold? 

The main reason why people buy gold is that it is presumed to be the best hedge against inflation. For this reason, the price of this yellow metal skyrockets anytime there is a crisis. At the moment, the world is reaching a breaking point financially and economically. 

There is the pandemic crisis, an issue with electricity, microchip shortage, inflation, as well as widespread disbelief in government. The entire world is starting to pick up that the people in control don't know what they're doing, and there is a lot of motive for political unrest. Since the monetary system is under the government's control, people are looking for ways to take their wealth and money outside the traditional monetary and financial systems. 

The best way to do this is to purchase bullion and coins, which are starting to gain widespread adoption. Just like anything else in the world, the price of gold is closely related to the law of supply and demand. If you go to the store and buy an ounce, your choice influences the free market. 

Every single person is a factor that goes into evaluating the price of an asset. Another thing that's important to note is that precious metals rise in popularity whenever the cost of living starts to increase. You might have noticed that your paycheck can't cover all of your monthly expenses. 

A lot of people have started working two jobs in the past few months. Others have taken their time and started offering freelance services. Everyone wants to get their hands on more money, but they don't realize that the currency itself is getting devalued. 

Furthermore, there is a close relationship between interest rates and the prices of precious metals such as palladium vs gold and silver. The relationship is inverse. Whenever one of these goes up, the other one must come down. It's like a see-saw that takes a turn every couple of years. 

At the moment, interest rates are at an all-time low. This is because the banks are trying to make people believe that their money is worth more now than it will be in the future. That is the entire premise of consumerism. If you believe that your money is worth more today, then it's much easier to take out a loan and spend it all. 

Then, everything that you give back is going to have less of an impact on your pocket. However, that kind of instant gratification behavior has a lot of consequences for the future. For starters, people should work towards making an emergency fund that can cover a few months of living expenses and then focus on investing. If you just save your money, inflation is going to have a bite, and you're not going to like the size of it. 

What Functions Does Gold Serve In A Portfolio? 

When the general public hears about investing, the first thought that comes to mind is a risk. But investing doesn't have to be risky. If you know how to play the game, then this is the safest option where you can transfer your wealth into the future. 

The primary role of gold is to serve as a shield. It's an option that's on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to bonds, stocks, and similar financial instruments. Metals are hard, which means that they can withstand the shocks that hit the market from time to time. 

Whenever you start anticipating that tough times are coming, then this asset class will come to the rescue. Even in the darkest light, the yellow metal shines bright. There are a lot of ways in which you can invest, and you can start with as little as 20 dollars. Getting an ounce of silver costs less than going out for dinner, lunch, or brunch.

 

Should You Get The Real Deal Or Paper Certificates? 

There's an old saying that says a bird in your hand is worth more than two birds on a branch. You can apply that same strategy to your life, especially when investing in gold. Having a few kilograms of gold is much better than having a certificate that says you've got them. 

There have been a lot of controversies when it comes to exchanging traded funds and ownership certificates. For example, a company can buy a single ounce of silver and then sell it to multiple people by giving out certificates. No one can trick you like that if you get the real deal. 

How Can You Build A Great Portfolio Overall? 

When people find out that investing is a good habit, they want to pour all of their money into it. That's a bad strategy for precious metal investments. Instead, automate your finances. Establish systems that will take a small chunk of your earnings and invest them automatically. 

You can do this in the bank. Whenever your paycheck lands, take 10 percent and use it to buy a bit of stock, bonds, or precious metals. Being consistent with this habit for decades is the only road to wealth that has worked every single time. Make a plan and stick to it for a long time. Then, reap the rewards live out your dreams in this top golden opportunity.

Financial News Now - Economy Update

The financial world has been turned upside down recently and things are changing daily. It's hard to stay on top of the latest economic developments and investing trends. Here are the Frugal Finance news stories you need to know now:

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has put lawmakers on notice: the U.S. is running out of money fast. That’s right, the money printer might turn off temporarily due to out of control spending in the last two decades (not just from Trump or Biden). Unless, of course, Congress raises the debt ceiling. Yellen has said that if Congress fails to raise or abolish the debt ceiling by mid-October, the U.S. will default on its debt for the first time in history. Yellen also indicated that such this potential event would be a catastrophe for the American economy. A default could have unprecedented consequences for the U.S. Domestically, it could cause the suspension of “Social Security benefits, child tax credits, and paycheck for the military.” Internationally, it could jeopardize the U.S. dollar currency and credit status, which recently was downgraded globally for the first time in history. 

Conservatives insist that they will oppose raising the debt ceiling or suspending it. To make matters worse, a default could coincide with a government shutdown if Congress fails to act quickly. Interest rates rose, sending stocks plummeting yesterday in response to some of the fears. The past several weeks have been stressful on Capitol Hill, as the Democrats have pushed to pass short-term funding and raise the debt ceiling whilst advancing President Joe Biden’s aggressive $3.5 trillion social infrastructure plan. Political opponents recently averted disaster by passing legislation to prevent a temporary government shutdown, with a few hours left to spare on the deadline! But that doesn't mean another potential government shutdown isn't on the horizon, especially with the partisan split bigger than ever before.

Last Tuesday was red Tuesday in the markets. The Nasdaq and Russell 2000 both gave up more than 2%. The S&P 500 sank 2.04% and the Dow dropped 1.63%. All but one sector closed deep in the red. Energy was the lone duckling to register a gain. $XLE gained 0.34%, but $XLK dipped 2.9% and $XLC collapsed 2.44%. The 10-year yield reached its highest level since June, extending the sell-off in tech. To make matters worse, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the U.S. government will run out of cash unless Congress raises the debt ceiling. United Natural Foods had a day – shares spiked 27% to 3-year highs after exceeding earnings expectations. Here’s the full report. $LCID recovered its intraday losses in after hours, spiking 6.6% on the news that its first production car began production today. Deliveries will begin next month. The FAANG gang got hit hard – $FB fumbled 3.7%, $AAPL fell 2.4%, $AMZN descended 2.6%, $NFLX shrank 1.5%, and $GOOG gave up 3.8%. $GOGO went 37.6%, $DATS drove 26.7% higher, and $CEI climbed 18.4%.

Global investors grapple with sustainable investing, a labor shortage, and the insistence of employees to work remotely. This summer, we surveyed hundreds of LPs, GPs and service providers about their sustainable investment practices, gathering insights on an increasingly important topic to many in the private markets. We are breaking down the data by respondent type and region to determine what is driving investment decisions. This year's writeup includes a new section that separates VCs' responses from the broader category of general partners. Report topics include: What motivates sustainability efforts for LPs, GPs and others. How investors measure their strategies' impact. The biggest challenges when it comes to pursuing sustainable investing. The effects of the world's current social and political landscape.

VCs bet on the technologically unproven field of quantum computing. IonQ, a quantum computing company, is set to close a reverse merger with a blank-check company and begin trading on the NYSE today at a market capitalization of about $2 billion. Tech giants including Google and IBM, as well as startups like IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and PsiQuantum, are all competing to make the most powerful and reliable quantum machine. While a fully functional quantum machine is still a long way off, venture capitalist interest in the nascent technology is at an all-time high. Investors are betting that some real-life applications will emerge within the next five years, but most quantum computer hardware companies will still need significant capital infusions.

Planning to pursue infrastructure work long term? Private equity investors committed to growing their portfolio companies' government work may benefit from splitting their commercial and federal divisions. With the possibility of new federal infrastructure contracts ahead, now may be the right time to learn the advantages and best practices. Many good reasons exist to consider a split, including the different buyers, client journeys, communications and buying processes, decision-making, audit scrutiny, reporting requirements, and cost structures, to name several. Further, building separate commercial and federal divisions will create broader and deeper resources in both camps, which can be a go-to-market differentiator.

Shares in VC-backed biotech startup Oxford Nanopore jumped as much as 47% in its first day of trading on the London Stock Exchange, following an IPO that valued the company at £3.4 billion (about $4.6 billion). Oxford Nanopore specializes in DNA and RNA sequencing. It made a name for itself during the pandemic, developing COVID-19 testing kits. Its investors include IP Group, Tencent and Temasek. The company, which was valued at £2.2 billion with its last private funding round, is the eighth VC-backed UK startup in the biotech and pharma space to go public this year and the largest by market cap, according to new data. Oxford Nanopore sold 122.4 million new and existing shares at 425 pence apiece, raising £524 million in the offering. IP Group said the IPO generated £84 million for the investor, which will retain a 10.3% stake in the company.

America’s leading producer of memory chips handed investors a small surprise in earnings today. However, the surprise coincided with a forecast that booming demand wouldn’t continue into the next quarter. Micron Technologies reported EPS of $2.42 (analysts expected $2.34). The company also booked revenue of $8.27 billion, a small beat (analysts expected $8.21 billion.)  Revenue was up 36.5% YoY. Those figures should inspire confidence among investors. Unfortunately, there was one big hazard that dampened the otherwise solid quarter. The company’s guidance for the coming quarter suggested that Micron’s best days are behind it (at least, for the next few quarters.) The company expects revenue to be $7.65 billion next quarter, which is a far cry from the $8.49 billion that analysts expected. The company’s EPS guidance was also lower. Micron anticipates non-GAAP EPS of $2.10 next quarter (analysts expected $2.48.) The company’s Q4 2021 earnings coincided with the release of full-year earnings, which can be read here. All-in-all, Micron’s FY 2021 revenue was $27.71 billion, with this quarter being its best by a sizable margin. $MU stock fell over 6% on the news. Other chipmakers fell in sympathy with Micron, including $WDC, $AMD, and $STX.

Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J have become the undisputed winners of the COVID-19 vaccine race. That’s why pharma giant Sanofi is dumping its COVID-19 vaccine candidate to refocus its efforts. Sanofi’s mRNA COVID vaccine flexed a strong performance in its study. According to Fierce Biotech, “between 91% and 100% of participants had a fourfold or greater increase in neutralizing antibody levels over baseline.” In other words, it was pretty effective. However, it might not be as effective at competing with existing vaccine candidates by the time it’s ready for market (late 2022.) Because Sanofi’s vaccine would be extremely late to market, the pharma company is instead focusing on COVID boosters and moving on to greener pastures in the vaccine space. The company says that the next stop for its mRNA platform is a quadrivalent flu vaccine. Sanofi is already one of the leaders in the flu vaccine space, so this move makes a lot of sense. According to a press release issued today, the company plans to initiate clinical studies for its flu vaccine in 2022. Sanofi’s high hopes for mRNA kicked off in August with its acquisition of Translate Bio. The company paid $3.2 billion with the intention of building mRNA vaccines to address “current and future infectious diseases.”

Amazon announced its latest slate of new products this morning, and guess what? THERE’S A ROBOT. Amazon closed up its fall product release today with some fancy gadgets to kick off the 2021 holiday season. Among the gadgets announced include a smart thermostat, the Echo Show 15, a new partnership with Disney, Amazon Glow, a fitness tracker, the Ring security drone, and Astro: Amazon’s new home robot. Astro the Robot moves independently, has eyes and a body, and features Alex’s voice assistant capabilities to control smart home devices — it even acts as a guard dog (or should we say, a guard bot?). Amazon’s robot costs $999.99, but its official release date is TBD.

A suits versus retail traders saga continues as Citadel and Robinhood executives vehemently deny Citadel’s role in pressuring Robinhood (and other brokers) to halt stock trading during January’s MemeStock Madness. A number of ongoing class action lawsuits are starting to surface additional details about January’s stonk madness with Gamestop and AMC. Robinhood responded, saying that the ongoing suits convey “a false narrative of collusion” between Robinhood and Citadel. Citadel’s Ken Griffin unleashed a slew of Tweets on Monday denying the firm’s role in requesting Robinhood to halt trading. The lawsuit’s plaintiffs allege that Citadel’s tremendous short position on $GME shares prompted the firm to pressure Robinhood to halt MemeStock trading for retail investors. Although top officials at Robinhood.com and Citadel had “numerous communications with each other that indicate that Citadel applied pressure on Robinhood,” Robinhood emphasizes “We will work vigorously to continue correcting the record with the facts.” In an internal discussion at Robinhood on January 27, Robinhood’s brokerage arm president said “you wouldn't believe the convo we had with Citadel. total mess”. Meanwhile, Citadel claims “Conspiracy theorists and plaintiffs’ lawyers are trying to concoct an absurd story from regular-way communications among Citadel Securities and the brokers who handle orders for retail investors.” So who actually has their story straight?

Bitfinex, one of the crypto world’s biggest (and most controversial) crypto exchanges, is once again in the news it is truly something alright. The exchange reportedly paid $23.7 million in transaction fees to deposit $100,000 on the blockchain. Oops. The British Virgin Islands-based exchange deposited $100,000 in Tether ($USDT.X), the stablecoin pegged to the dollar, to the decentralized exchange DeversiFi yesterday. Due to some error, the network charged the transaction a whopping $23.7 million as a gas fee. While DeversiFi called it “erroneously high” in a tweet, others took digs. The issue is pretty big since blockchain transactions are supposedly irreversible. To make things even more suspicious and weird, Tether and Bitfinex share common owners and executives. DeversiFi and Bitfinex are also closely linked. This is not the first time that Bitfinex is in the news for odd behavior. Earlier this year, customers lost nearly 119,756 BTC (more than $60 million) from the cryptocurrency exchange.

The S&P 500 and Dow Jones both bounced from yesterday’s dip. Where do we go from here? That’s anyone’s guess. The Nasdaq fell 0.24% to its lowest price since July and the Russell 2000 dipped 0.20%. Utilities bounced the hardest, increasing 0.91%. Consumer staples and healthcare also improved. $BNB.X was the only major large-cap coin in the green today, up 7%. Bitcoin and Ethereum traded marginally lower. Warby Parker went public today by way of the New York Stock Exchange. $WRBY opened at $54.05 and closed at $54.49, giving the eyewear company a valuation of over $6 billion. More on this below. Natural gas futures reversed 7.16%, falling from seven-year highs set yesterday. The U.S. is on thin ice — as the United States runs out of money, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warns of potentially “catastrophic” consequences for the U.S. economy. Read the full story below. $RGC ripped 33.8%, $PALT popped 60.1%, and $OMG.X gained 15%.

How The Grinch Stole Supply Before Christmas How The Grinch Stole Supply Before Christmas. Good evening, everyone. Another Thursday has passed us by! It’s only one more day till the weekend!! Every major index ended the day red. The Dow dove 1.6% and the S&P 500 slipped 1.2%. Not a single sector registered a gain. Industrials got whooped the worst, falling 2.05%. That’s one way to end the worst month for stocks since March! Bitcoin and Ethereum were the only ones to catch a bid. $BTC.X bopped 4.20% and $ETH.X increased 4%. Cotton futures closed at ten-year highs, sugar futures soared to four-year highs, and natural gas retook seven-year highs. Initial unemployment claims for the previous week totaled 362,000. According to Dow Jones, economists expected a total of 335,000. That sucks. The Delta variant, as well as raw material shortages, have likely slowed growth in the third quarter. The third quarter’s GDP is expected to grow at a rate of less than 5%. Oh, and a worldwide manufacturing slump has companies scrambling before the holidays. More on this below. $QTUM.X climbed 12.2%, $PALT ripped 26%, and $OPRX hopped 14%.

A Supply-Strapped Holiday Season? A Supply-Strapped Holiday Season? About a month ago, COVID lockdowns throughout Vietnam (a mega manufacturing hub for major US brands) posed serious issues for companies adapting to post-COVID demand. Now, they’re getting worse. In August, Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Scott Lipesky said “We are working through an extended closure of factories in Southern Vietnam.” Urban Outfitters CEO Richard Hayne shared the sentiment, saying that “We have a lot of product there, and we’re trying to get it in” regarding huge swaths of supply stuck in Vietnam mid-lockdown. As it turns out, August was an omen of bad things to come. After Trump’s anti-China tariffs, companies sought factories in other locations. Vietnam was one of them. Some companies like Gap, Lululemon, and Nike manufacture anywhere between 31-50% of their products in Vietnam now. But with the supply chain in flux, U.S. businesses are rethinking their manufacturing presence in the country. Nike lost out on 100 million pairs of shoes due to Delta variant-related lockdowns in Vietnam. Lululemon has started shipping goods on airplanes to keep up with demand. And Bed Bath and Beyond’s own pre-holiday earnings served as a warning for the rest of U.S. retail: expect supply-chain issues this holiday season. Despite increased demand, $BBBY sales plunged 26% through August and the company lowered its full-year revenue projections due to wildly expensive inventory shipping costs. $BBBY and $NKE aren’t the only losers, either. Retail stores fell in sympathy with the Vietnam-related concerns, including $KSS (-11%), $M (-8%), $JWN (-8%), $ANF (-7%), $GPS (-7%), $DBI (-6%), $AEO (-5%), and $TJX (-5%). So did the Grinch steal supply?

There are many multimillion-dollar paintings collected by Bezos, Andreesen, and Leonardo DiCaprio. In fact, the finance bros at Deloitte projects the real art world (not NFT junk) to grow in value by 58% through 2026. That’s a whole lotta fun coupons! Why the rare “Double Down Alert” on art: J Pow aint printing Picassos, so art can cover your ASSets Contemporary Art returns 23.2% when inflation’s > 3%. Literally 0.01 correlation to stonks. Early investors returned 32% in 2020 with a Banksy exit using this art investing platform (splash). So what the heck are you waiting for?

Lordstown Is Selling (Not What You Think) Lordstown Is Selling (Not What You Think) Featured Image EV company Lordstown Motors is reportedly looking to sell its Ohio plant to Foxconn, the company that makes iPhones. The reported acquisition comes at a time when Lordstown is scaling up production of its electric pickup truck, Endurance. The company is also strapped for cash and looking to tap additional funding. However, a sale of its 6.2 million square foot plant would make a lot of sense. Lordstown uses just 30% of the plant, according to Reuters. Foxconn’s sudden jump into EVs is no surprise. Foxconn announced in May that it would build EVs for Fisker, an electric vehicle company. The Taiwan-based company has been looking for a place to call home for its EV ambitions in the U.S. Foxconn crashed out of a heavily-politicized tech manufacturing deal with the state of Wisconsin, which involved a $10 billion factory, earlier this year. Now, it might pick up steam in neighboring Ohio. Lordstown has been embroiled in controversy for months. In March, the company was accused of misrepresenting the number of preorders booked for its electric pickup truck. Hindenburg Research, which had previously gone after Nikola Motor, indicated that “the company’s orders appear largely fictitious.” That prompted an investigation into the Lordstown, which resulted in its CEO and CFO resigning. Lordstown is 10%-owned by Workhorse, the company that failed to secure a contract from the United States Postal Service for new delivery vehicles. In February, USPS awarded the contract to a defense contractor that makes military gear, concrete mixers, and firetrucks. Notably, it has never built a production EV before, just small runs of EVs. $RIDE ripped 8.4% today.

Lucid Preps for Delivery Speaking of EVs… Lucid is rolling vehicles off its assembly line with ambitions to begin deliveries next month. The company’s first vehicle, a luxury EV sedan called Lucid Air, starts at $77,400 (before tax credits.) We featured Lucid in the Rip last month after the company’s Lucid Air Dream Edition R, an ultra-limited-edition run of the vehicle, received an EPA-certified 520-mile range on a single charge. That made Lucid’s first vehicle the first electric car to breach 500 miles, pretty impressive! The Lucid Air has four editions, which have ranges varying from 406 miles to 520 miles. The company has booked over 11,000 reservations, which might not sound that impressive, especially when you consider that Ford has already received 120,000 preorders for its F-150 Lightning. But Tesla had just 12,000 reservations for its high-end sedan, the Model S, in 2012. Lucid is no Tesla (at least, not yet), although the company’s got a solid foundation for its first vehicle. But who knows where Lucid is headed from here. The company is valued at $41 billion as of this writing and went public via the Churchill Capital IV SPAC earlier this year. $LCID stock closed down 3.4% today.

TikTok is the latest to jump into the NFT rush. Today, the video-sharing social networking site launched a non-fungible token (NFT) collection that will see its top content creators partner with top NFT creators. TikTok fans will be able to buy their favorite ‘moments,’ and the platform has even created its own digital auction for the sale. According to the announcement, TikTok Top Moments will feature six “culturally significant TikTok videos.” Lil Nas X, an American rapper, will be the first creator to launch one-of-one/limited-edition TikTok NFTs with artist Rudy Willingham. TikTok will sell their NFTs on Oct. 6. The videos will also be presented at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York from Oct. 1 through Nov.5 in a collection entitled ‘Infinite Duets: Co-Creating on TikTok.’ TikTok’s NFTs will be minted on Immutable X, a layer-2 scaling solution that runs on the Ethereum blockchain, but this isn’t the first time TikTok has entered the crypto space. Last month, the company partnered with the cryptocurrency music service Audius.

Philip Morris International and Altria, two tobacco giants, have been made to stop the sale of their heated tobacco device, IQOS. The company’s IQOS tobacco device supposedly violated a patent owned by R.J. Reynolds, a rival in the tobacco space. IQOS is a heated tobacco product, which was marketed as a “safer” alternative to smoking cigarettes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in its 2020 marketing authorization press release that using IQOS [reduced] “exposure to harmful chemicals,” but were still “not safe.” IQOS, which was sold by Philip Morris and licensed for sale by Altria in the US was an effort by the two tobacco giants to shift away from traditional tobacco products. IQOS didn’t make up a significant sum of their sales. However, IQOS was an attempt at reinvention for Big Tobacco, which has been in need of change. Unfortunately, change hasn’t come easy. Take Altria’s 2018 investment in Juul, which gave it a 35% stake in the leading e-cigarette company. Juul’s edge in the market was its flavored products, which were banned not that long after the acquisition due to accusations that it was targeting minors. Although, the company’s sales supposedly recovered after the ban. Altria ($MO) fell 6.6% and Philip Morris ($PM) fell 4.7% after the news broke and big tobacco takes another financial gut punch.

Warby Parker’s IPO via direct listing was a win for the eyewear company as its share price skyrocketed 36% above its reference price in $WRBY’s trading debut. $WRBY closed the day at $54.53 per share, +36% above its $40 reference price. By market close, Warby Parker’s valuation shot to about $6.8 billion — over twice the company’s $3 billion valuation from its last funding round. Warby Parker was founded over a decade ago as one of the first hallmark brands to provide one-stop eye check-up and eye-wear sales at most of its brick-and-mortar locations. The company is also one of the first direct-to-consumer prescription eyewear brands offering both online and in-person services. Not too shabby. We SEE you, $WRBY.

Gaming Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: GMGT), a global leader in end-to-end gaming solutions, has added celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey to its rock-star lineup of brand ambassadors. Its current roster of premier partnerships includes Playboy and boxing champion Saul ‘Cannelo’ Alvarez.

Binance Coin ($BNB.X), the fifth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, soared nearly 10% today. The move came on the heels of Binance Coin’s quarterly burn event. Every quarter, Binance buys back a large amount of $BNB.X to burn (coin burning permanently removes coins from the network.) With a reduced supply, tokens that remain in circulation theoretically become more valuable due to scarcity. In turn, that pushes prices up. Because the burn is tomorrow,  investors bought $BNB.X today in anticipation. Binance burned $390 million worth of $BNB.X in Q2 2021. Binance Coin was initially developed as a utility token that provided Binance users a discount on trading fees. Since it was launched in 2017, Binance Coin has become the native token of the Binance Chain and Binance Smart Chain. The latter has become one of the most active DeFi blockchains in the world.  Due to its many use cases, experts believe Binance Coin is worth keeping in the portfolio.

Dollar Tree is soon to be a Dollar Fifty Tree. This story hits close to home as the home of frugality and saving money. The discount dollar store retailer that previously only sold products for $1 or less just announced that it would be raising prices. The announcement coincided with an increase to the company’s share buyback program. The retailer (which historically sold items for a dollar or less) said that it would start selling certain items for “$1.25 to $1.50” to help pay for higher freight and wage costs. Dollar Tree’s price hike comes amidst a flurry of problems afflicting retail chains: inflation, supply chain woes, and a shortage of employees. Dollar Tree is also leaning into selling higher-priced $3-5 items, which are part of the Dollar Tree Plus collection. Dollar Tree Plus products are already in 340 stores and will be in over 1,500 by the end of 2022. On the news of the buybacks and price hike today, $DLTR rose 16.5%. Maybe money does grow on trees. Dollar tree shareholders are pumped but Dollar Tree customers not so much.

Dealmaking activity has rebounded in the France and Benelux region this year. From exits to fundraising, our latest report breaks it all down. Sweden's financial watchdog is looking into whether EQT violated disclosure regulations in a $2.7 billion share sale. The France and Benelux region has seen a huge rebound this year, as private capital activity is on track to surpass previous annual bests. In only two quarters, PE dealmaking virtually reached pre-pandemic levels, while records have been broken in the region on the VC side. Let's examines the PE and VC markets in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, breaking down trends across deals, exits, fundraising and sectors. Key highlights include: Activity in Europe's second-largest PE ecosystem reached €87.6 billion in the first half of the year, marking a year-over-year increase of 55.2%. Swelling VC deal sizes put the region on the path to new heights. Fundraising activity had a robust start to the year for both PE and VC investors.

Sweden's financial watchdog is investigating whether one of Europe's largest PE firms violated regulations concerning the disclosure of insider information. EQT is facing a probe into whether it failed to publicize in a timely manner that former and existing partners were selling shares in the firm totaling $2.7 billion. The public offering allowed senior executives to exit some of their stock earlier than planned under a lock-up agreement that was supposed to last until late 2022. Financial regulator Finansinspektionen said that it decided to open an investigation over the "postponed publication of inside information" after being notified of the move by EQT on the same day as the share sale. After being contacted to justify the delay, EQT said in a statement that the firm "has handled the information correctly" and "looks forward to a continued positive and constructive dialogue with the Authority." Partners including chairperson Conni Jonsson and CEO Christian Sinding sold approximately 6% of the firm's issued share capital for 370 Swedish kronor (about $42.75) apiece. The partners said in a press release that they would commit to reinvesting 50% of the proceeds into EQT vehicles over the next fund cycle.

What's driving record capital in genetic medicine? Genetic medicine has attracted record-breaking capital in biotech, with roughly $150 billion invested since 2013. Gene editing enables scientists to precisely tackle the genetic root causes of diseases. Such an approach can be "one and done" and thus avoid the chronicity of the current standard of care. Rapid advancements in this field are creating a robust product pipeline and attracting record capital. But despite all the enthusiasm, companies should tread cautiously with this technology.

Investors are consistently allocating larger amounts of capital to startups that go on to exit successfully—a trend especially distinct with later-stage financing. Our recent analyst note is the third in our series breaking down venture returns by round. In this new installment, we've refined our approach to enable richer analysis of the flow of capital. The data suggests a clear relationship between capital raised and the success or failure of a company. The earliest stages, especially Series A, show asymmetrically high returns compared with later-stage deals. The attractive VC fund returns of the past few years have accelerated the increase in capital allocated to venture investing.

Swedish electric vehicle maker Polestar has agreed to go public through a merger with US blank-check company Gores Guggenheim. The combined company, which will be listed on Nasdaq, will have a valuation of around $20 billion. The deal includes approximately $800 million of cash from the SPAC, which is backed by PE investor Alec Gores and Guggenheim Capital, and a $250 million PIPE investment which will be used to invest in the production of new models and its international expansion. Polestar was set up 4 years ago by automotive giants Volvo Cars and Zhejiang Geely. In April, it raised $550 million from investors including Chongqing Chengxing Equity Investment Fund Partnership, I Cube Capital and Zibo City Government. Polestar is not the only European electric vehicle-related company that has sought to go public via a US SPAC. In June, Barcelona-based EV charger maker Wallbox announced plans to merge with Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp., valuing it at around $1.5 billion including debt. Earlier this year, Quell Acquisition Corp. agreed to combine with German electric aircraft maker Lilium at a $3.3 billion valuation.

Towns from Maine to Washington are still seeing fallout from ongoing closures of the US-Canada border. As China doubles down on banning crypto transactions, NFT marketplaces are using clever workarounds. Never before in history have so many people been under the gaze of so many strangers. One writer muses about what the internet has become, and what happens when the experience of celebrity becomes universal. How to prepare for the future of healthcare investing Are you prepared for the unique challenges facing private equity investors in the current healthcare landscape? At this year's HPE New York 2021 conference, an elite faculty of PE leaders will explore the most pressing challenges facing buyers and sellers.

Momenta, a Chinese startup developing autonomous driving technologies, has received a $300 million investment from General Motors. The company's other backers include Toyota, Dailmer, Tencent and Temasek. Emerge has emerged and raised a $130 million Series B co-led by 9Yards Capital, Spruce House Investment Management and Tiger Global. The Arizona-based company offers a logistics management platform for freight operations. Sternum has raised a $27 million Series B led by Spark Capital. The Tel Aviv-based company offers a platform to secure Internet of Things devices. Intelinair has raised $20 million from investors including Regulator Group and Scientia Ventures. The company offers a crop intelligence platform to help growers make data-based decisions. Intelinair was valued at $41.25 million in 2018, according to recent data. Windpoint Partners-backed Nelson Global Products has acquired Tru-Flex, a designer and manufacturer of hoses and exhaust products for vehicles and industrial use. Daiwa PI Partners has acquired Y International, a Tokyo-based ecommerce retailer of bikes, accessories, maintenance services and more. Daiwa PI bought the business from private equity firm The Riverside Company.

Our analysts will explore the records set throughout the first half of the year, despite lingering uncertainty around COVID-19 and macroeconomic volatility. Key statistics include: VCs completed €47.1 billion worth of transactions in H1 2021, signaling that the VC dealmaking environment has never been stronger. European PE posted its second-highest quarterly dealmaking total on record, thanks—in part—to growing vaccination rates and strong debt markets for leveraged buyouts.

The Augmedix (OTCQX: AUGX) platform, powered by artificial intelligence technology and expert human assistants, converts natural clinician-patient conversation into medical documentation. They provide live support, including referrals, orders, and reminders, so clinicians can focus on what matters most: patient care.

The Evergrande crisis, stagnant prices, investors cashing out are all signs of a real estate downturn and exposing the Chinese economy's dependence on property. This huge hit has impacted all markets, economies, investors, and even local businesses. 

There are new financial news stories and tech articles coming out every hour, so stay tuned to Frugal Finance for more breaking developments!