Gold has climbed nearly 80% over the past three years, with most observers crediting central bank accumulation as the primary driver — and they're not wrong. For three consecutive years, global central banks have added over 1,000 metric tons of gold to their reserves. That's a huge jump when you consider annual central bank gold demand averaged just 473 metric tons from 2010 to 2021.

While central bank buying is evident, the more intriguing question is why they’re purchasing gold at such an accelerated pace. From 2009 to 2020, gold’s price generally tracked real interest rates — falling rates fuele

Parenting is hard. How do you explain to your upset child why you took your other child for ice cream to celebrate their “B” in math when you simply said “congrats” on their own “A” in math? There may be a perfectly defensible reason for your actions. Let’s suppose one of your children is a math whiz and the other is gifted in Language Arts. You expect an “A” from each of them in the subjects in which they naturally excel. Yet you also recognize the sacrifices, struggles, and long hours they endure to raise their typical “C” to a “B” in subjects that don’t com

Last week, the Federal Reserve (Fed), led by Chair Jerome Powell, announced its decision to keep the federal funds rate unchanged at 4.25–4.5%, marking the fourth consecutive meeting without a rate adjustment. Powell emphasized a cautious, data-driven approach, citing uncertainty over inflation, labor market trends, and the economic impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Despite recent cooling in inflation, with core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) at 2.5% in April, the Fed remains wary of persistent price pressures and is in no rush to cut rates, projecting only two potential reductions in 2025. 

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During times like these when geopolitical headlines can be unsettling for investors, we at LPL Research like to remind ourselves of one of our key investing principles. Markets have always faced challenges —ranging from geopolitical conflicts and economic downturns to natural disasters, political upheaval and health crises. These events often trigger short-term volatility and shake investor confidence. However, historical data shows that stock markets have demonstrated a tendency to comeback after each crisis and rise over the longer time horizons. This patten underscores the importance, for strategic investors, of maintaining a long-te