10th August 2017

 Gold prices soared to a two-month high on Wednesday, gaining roughly $20/ounce, not a particularly surprising move given the escalating tensions that seem to be building between the US and North Korea. The war of words grew increasingly heated on Wednesday, with US Defense Secretary James Mattis joining President Trump in issuing a rather stern warning to the North, telling Pyongyang that threatening gestures would lead to “end of its regime and the destruction of its people.” This was only mildly less ominous-sounding and than President Trump’s “fire and fury” comment uttered the day before. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sounded more conciliatory, saying that he did not believe there was an imminent threat from North Korea and that “Americans should sleep well at night.” (He likely will be sleeping better than most).