Alex Buttle
Co-Founder & Editor
Alex is a fan of price transparency and precious metals, he oversees MetalsAlpha's editorial standards and covers gold, silver, ETFs, and commodities data.
Articles by Alex (94)
Gold Mine Output Surges - But Supply Still Can't Keep Up
The world's largest gold mines are posting record production figures, yet with gold sitting near $4,420 an ounce, the supply response remains stubbornly inadequate to meet surging demand.
Silver Supply Gets a Boost as La Colorada Expands
Pan American Silver's updated economics for its flagship Mexican mine point to lower costs and a longer operational life - a meaningful supply signal with silver trading near $67.
Gold Eyes $5,900 - But the Rally Needs Fuel
A major Wall Street bank has set a year-end gold target nearly 30% above current levels, and the fundamental case is hard to dismiss even if the path there won't be smooth.
Gold and Silver Supply Shift as Coeur Closes Major Deal
Coeur Mining's completion of its New Gold acquisition reshapes the mid-tier producer landscape, adding significant gold and silver ounces at a time when both metals trade near historic highs.
Gold Miners Race to Expand as $4,400 Prices Reward New Supply
McEwen Mining's new Tartan resource in Manitoba signals a broader push by mid-tier gold producers to fast-track development while spot prices remain near historic highs.
Gold Jewellery Demand Surges Even as Prices Top $4,400
Laopu Gold's blowout earnings reveal that consumer appetite for gold jewellery is not only surviving record prices - it's accelerating, challenging the conventional wisdom that high prices destroy.
Gold's Mega-Merger Era Returns as Zijin Swallows Chifeng
Zijin Mining's $2.6 billion takeover of Chifeng Gold marks the largest Chinese gold sector consolidation in years, signalling that producers are betting on sustained high prices by locking in ounces.
Gold Sheds 8% in a Week as Fed Hawks Circle
A hawkish Federal Reserve pivot towards a single rate cut in 2026 has triggered gold's sharpest weekly decline in over a year, dragging the metal below $4,600 and resetting the bullish narrative that.
Silver Drops 19% Even as China Hoovers Up Global Supply
China is aggressively pulling silver out of international markets to feed its industrial appetite, yet the metal has shed nearly a fifth of its value this month - a disconnect that deserves attention.
Silver Miners Rally Even as the Metal Sheds 19%
Silver mining equities are finding support from strong production fundamentals even as spot silver endures its sharpest monthly pullback in years - a divergence worth watching closely.
Gold's 12% Monthly Plunge Deepens as ETF Outflows Accelerate
Gold has shed over $600 in a month as investors pull capital from the SPDR GLD ETF at pace, raising questions about whether the bull market's structural foundations are cracking.
Gold's $5,800 Target Meets a Brutal 12% Pullback
Bullish 2026 forecasts calling for gold above $5,000 are colliding with a sharp correction that has wiped more than $600 from the price in a single month - and the divergence tells us something.
Gold's Next Supply Source - Old Waste Rock
With gold still above $4,500 despite a sharp weekly pullback, junior miners are finding that yesterday's waste dumps are today's viable ore bodies - and one Vancouver Island project shows exactly how.
Gold Bulls Hold Firm Despite Pullback - And History Backs Them
Gold's sharp retreat from recent highs has shaken out short-term traders, but the structural bull case at $4,651 per ounce remains firmly intact for those watching the bigger picture.
Gold's Richest Undeveloped Mine Has a Royalty Problem
A previously undisclosed royalty held by Teck Resources over Barrick Gold's Fourmile project in Nevada could complicate plans to spin off or IPO the world's most valuable undeveloped gold deposit,.
Gold Supply Gets a Boost - Orla Clears Final Hurdle in Mexico
Orla Mining's final permit approval for underground operations at Camino Rojo removes the last regulatory barrier to a project that could deliver over 100,000 ounces of gold annually into a market.
Gold's Rally Is Lifting High Street - Ramsdens Proves It
UK pawnbroker and gold dealer Ramsdens has upgraded its profit forecast, offering a clear signal that gold's sustained rally above $4,500 is now feeding directly into high street earnings.
Gold at $4,866 - Britons Are Selling Their Jewellery
Record gold prices are triggering a wave of jewellery liquidation across UK pawnbrokers, a behavioural shift that signals both consumer stress and a meaningful change in scrap supply dynamics.
Gold Drops 3.3% Into FOMC - Discount or Danger?
Gold's sharpest single-session slide in weeks lands hours before the Federal Reserve's rate decision, forcing traders to decide whether $4,895 is a buying opportunity or the start of something uglier.
Gold Eyes $6,000 - But the Fed Decides First
With gold trading just below $5,000 and a major bank projecting another 20% upside this year, today's Fed decision could determine whether that target looks conservative or ambitious.
Gold Explorers Race to Expand Resources at $5,000
Dakota Gold's Richmond Hill project in South Dakota is shaping up as a significant resource expansion story, arriving at precisely the moment when $5,000 gold makes previously marginal deposits look.
Gold Explorers Strike Bonanza in Western Australia
With gold sitting above $5,000 an ounce, a high-grade discovery at Mt Egerton in Western Australia underscores why brownfield exploration is becoming the most compelling growth strategy in the sector.
Gold Nears $5,000 but Top Banks Can't Agree Where It Goes Next
With gold trading just shy of the $5,000 milestone, JP Morgan, ANZ, and HSBC are offering sharply divergent forecasts for the rest of 2026 - and the disagreement itself tells us something important.
Gold Miners Face a Margin Squeeze as Oil Bites
Rising energy costs are quietly eroding gold mining margins, and open-pit operators are bearing the brunt of the pain despite gold trading above $5,000.
Silver's Rally Has a Dark Side - War Medals Melted
With silver surging past $81 per ounce, scrap dealers are buying up British First World War medals and melting them down for bullion - a stark reminder that price booms carry real-world consequences.
Gold Miner Artemis Holds Guidance Despite Outage
Artemis Gold's production outage at its flagship Blackwater mine tests investor confidence, but maintained guidance suggests the disruption may be more manageable than headlines imply - especially.
Gold's Scarcity Myth - Why $5,100 Isn't About Running Out
With gold trading above $5,100 and investor anxiety about resource depletion rising, the real supply story is far more nuanced than the "peak gold" narrative suggests.
Silver Eyes $90 but Must Clear Key Resistance First
Silver's price structure at $80.64 suggests a potential move toward $90, but the technical setup demands patience as the metal consolidates near multi-decade highs.
Where Are We in the Gold Bull Market?
Nine indicators across price, duration, valuation, and macro context suggest where this gold cycle sits after the January spike to $5,600.
Gold at $5,100 - But the Big Banks Can't Agree
Major institutional forecasts for gold in 2026 are diverging sharply even as the metal consolidates near $5,100, revealing deep disagreement about where macro risks sit from here.
Gold Explorers Heat Up as Brazil Drill Results Spark Rally
Cabral Gold's 13% share surge on high-grade drill results at its Cuiú Cuiú project highlights how exploration-stage miners are riding gold's $5,100 environment - and why Brazil is becoming a focal.
Gold at $5,200 - But Wall Street Can't Agree Where It Goes Next
Major institutional forecasts for gold and silver in 2026 reveal a striking divergence of opinion, even as both metals hover near record territory with today's US CPI print poised to reshape the.
Gold Holds Above $5,200 as CPI Data Looms Large
Gold's weekly gain of nearly 3% faces its biggest test today with US inflation data set to either validate the rally or trigger a sharp reassessment of rate-cut expectations.
Gold Miners Draw Big Money as La Mancha Bets $313M
Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris's La Mancha has quietly amassed a $313 million stake in G Mining Ventures, signalling that deep-pocketed strategic investors see gold equities as undervalued even.
E-Waste Gold Rush - Japan Bet Signals Supply Shift
A new strategic partnership between DEScycle and Mitsubishi to recover precious metals from electronic waste in Japan underscores a growing industry conviction that secondary supply will play a.
Gold's Asia Demand Split - India Retreats, China Holds
With gold hovering above $5,150, the world's two largest physical markets are diverging sharply - Indian buyers are balking at record prices while Chinese demand remains surprisingly resilient.
Gold's Iran-Fuelled Rally Unravels - Bears Eye $5,000
A 5% weekly reversal has snapped gold's four-week winning streak, exposing how quickly geopolitical premium evaporates when the headline fades.
Week in Metals: Gold Retreats From $5,300 as Rally Hits Limits
Gold shed 2.56% as a geopolitical spike reversed and Asian demand fractured, though central bank buying and weak jobs data kept a floor under $5,000.
Gold at $5,158 - But the Street Can't Agree Where It Goes Next
JP Morgan, ANZ, and HSBC are offering sharply divergent gold forecasts for 2026, and the disagreement itself may be the most telling signal for where prices head from here.
Gold Holds Above $5,100 as PBOC's 16-Month Buying Streak Deepens
China's central bank has now added gold to its reserves for sixteen consecutive months - a sustained accumulation campaign that, combined with Middle East instability, is reinforcing the structural.
Gold Miners Eye Mexico Expansion as Prices Top $5,100
High-grade drill results from Luca Mining's Tahuehueto project underscore how $5,000-plus gold is turning marginal exploration targets into potential mine-life extenders - and why supply-side stories.
Gold and Silver Dip - But UBS Says Sell the Fear
With gold off 2.6% on the week and silver sliding 4.4%, UBS is urging clients to sell downside protection - a contrarian signal that the pullback may be a buying opportunity in disguise.
Gold ETF Inflows Surge Even as Prices Pull Back
A $1.2 billion wave of capital into GLD and a surging XAU index suggest institutional conviction in gold is strengthening - even as the spot price retreats nearly 4% on the week.
Gold Supply Growth in West Africa as Resolute Expands
Resolute Mining's resource and reserve additions in Côte d'Ivoire signal a broader push by mid-tier producers to lock in supply growth while gold trades above $5,000.
Gold Shrugs Off Central Bank Buying Collapse - For Now
Central bank gold purchases plunged 80% in January to just 5 tonnes, yet gold sits above $5,100 - a divergence that reveals how dramatically the demand picture has shifted.
Silver Faces a Ceiling - Even as Gold Holds $5,100
Major bank forecasts see limited silver upside over the next year, a bearish signal that clashes with the metal's strong monthly gains and raises questions about whether the rally has run its course.
Gold Bounces Back From 5% Drop as Iran Fears Reignite
Gold's sharp recovery from a steep selloff underscores how quickly geopolitical risk can override even aggressive profit-taking in a market trading above $5,200.
Gold's Central Bank Bid Broadens Even as Pace Slows
January's central bank gold purchases dipped from 2025's torrid pace, but the number of countries actively adding reserves is quietly expanding - a structural shift that matters more than any single.
Gold at $5,280 Makes Alaska's Whistler a $2B+ Project
With gold holding above $5,200 an ounce, US GoldMining's Whistler project in Alaska just posted economics that would have been fantasy two years ago - and the stock surged accordingly.
Gold Hits $5,248 as Critical Mineral Wars Reshape Supply Chains
Western governments are racing to replicate China's stranglehold on critical mineral processing - and the resulting supply chain upheaval is already feeding into precious metals' historic rally.
Week in Metals: Iran Strikes Send Gold to $5,248, Silver Soars 8%
US-Israel military strikes on Iran drove gold near $5,300 and silver past $93, with both metals posting sharp weekly gains on surging safe-haven demand.
Gold at $5,248 May Be Only Mid-Cycle - $6,750 in Play
With gold trading near $5,250 after a 27% surge from its February low, the bull market that began in late 2023 increasingly looks like it has substantial runway left - and a $6,750 target is less.
Gold at $5,248 - Why Wall Street Is Raising Targets
Bernstein's upgrade of Newmont to Outperform signals that institutional analysts are finally catching up to a gold market that has more than doubled since early 2024.
Gold Imports via Hong Kong Surge 69% - China Is Back
China's net gold imports through Hong Kong jumped nearly 69% in January, signaling a powerful resurgence in physical demand from the world's largest consumer just as gold trades above $5,200.
Gold Miners Post Record Profits - But Output Barely Budges
The world's top 10 gold producers are swimming in cash as gold trades above $5,100/oz, yet aggregate production growth remains stubbornly flat - a supply constraint that could keep prices elevated.
Gold at $5,187 but JPMorgan Says $6,300 - Gap Narrows
JPMorgan's freshly raised long-term gold forecast of $4,500 is already $700 below today's spot price, underscoring just how fast bullion has outrun even the most aggressive Wall Street projections.
Gold at $5,200 - But JPMorgan's $4,500 Target Already Lags
JPMorgan has raised its long-term gold forecast 15% to $4,500 an ounce, but with spot gold already trading above $5,200, even Wall Street's most bullish revision looks like it's chasing a rally.
Gold at $5,192 - But JP Morgan's $4,500 Target Already Looks Stale
JP Morgan has raised its long-term gold forecast to $4,500, but with spot already trading above $5,100, the revision highlights just how badly Wall Street has underestimated this rally.
Gold Hits $5,200 as Tariffs and Iran Push Safe-Haven Bid
Gold surged past $5,200 for the first time, gaining over 4% in a single week as escalating tariff threats and rising Iran tensions converge to supercharge safe-haven demand.
Gold Miners Rally as Sprott Bets Big on Hycroft
Eric Sprott's fresh equity stake in Hycroft Mining signals growing institutional appetite for gold-silver developers as both metals trade near historic highs.
Gold: Russia's $1.68B January Sale - Supply Surge Meets Record Prices
Russia offloaded 300,000 ounces of gold in January alone, capitalising on record-high prices to pocket up to $1.68 billion - a move that raises fresh questions about sovereign supply dynamics in a.
Gold Tops $5,200 as Tariffs and Iran Push Safe Havens Higher
Gold has surged more than 4% in a single week to breach $5,200, driven by a potent combination of escalating trade-war rhetoric and rising military tensions with Iran that has traders piling into.
Silver's $490M Stream Deal Signals Big Bet on $88 Metal
Lundin Gold's decision to offload its entire silver stream from Ecuador's Fruta del Norte mine to newly spun-off LunR Royalties for $490 million reveals just how aggressively the royalty sector is.
Gold Surges Past $5,200 as Tariff Fears Fuel 7% Weekly Rally
Gold has climbed nearly $340 in a single week to trade above $5,220, with a fresh tariff ruling accelerating the metal's already ferocious 2026 momentum.
Gold Eyes $6,000 - But $10,000 Is the Real Target
With gold already above $5,000 and up over 4% this week alone, the market's most aggressive price targets are starting to look less like fantasy and more like trajectory.
Week in Metals: Gold Blasts Through $5,000 Barrier
Gold surged 4% past the $5,000 milestone while silver stole the show with a 12% weekly rally, compressing the gold/silver ratio to 61.7.
Gold Eyes $6,200 - But It's Already Up 22% This Year
UBS has slapped a $6,200 price target on gold as Middle East tensions escalate, and with the metal already trading above $5,000, the gap to that forecast is narrower than it looks.
Gold Smashes $5,000 - But the Real Story Is GDP
Gold's breach of the $5,000 psychological barrier is grabbing headlines, but the combination of contracting U.S. GDP and shifting Fed expectations is what's truly reshaping the precious metals.
Gold Eyes $6,000 - But $5,052 Is the Real Story
Gold has gained over 6% in a single month and now trades above $5,050, with macro forces aligning in a way that makes a $6,000 target look less like fantasy and more like trajectory.
Gold Mine Fast-Tracked as Prices Top $5,000
Ontario's decision to accelerate permitting for Kinross Gold's Great Bear project signals a new era of urgency in Canadian gold development - arriving just as the metal trades above $5,000 an ounce.
Silver Drops 17% as Solar Industry Ditches It
The solar sector's accelerating pivot away from silver paste is stripping out one of the metal's most important demand pillars - and the price chart already reflects the damage.
Gold Eyes $6,200 - But $5,000 Resistance Looms
UBS has set a $6,200 gold target for 2026, yet with spot prices stalling just below $5,000, the path higher demands navigating significant volatility first.
Gold Near $5,000 Lifts DRDGOLD Despite Output Drop
DRDGOLD's latest results reveal the defining tension in gold mining right now: producers don't need to grow volumes when the price does the heavy lifting at nearly $5,000 an ounce.
Gold Nears $5,000 - But Pakistan's Reko Diq Bet Is Decades Out
With gold flirting with $5,000/oz, Pakistan's push to unlock its vast gold-copper reserves at Reko Diq faces a familiar paradox: sky-high prices but glacial institutional progress.
Gold at $4,999 - Iron Age Coins May Fetch Just £25k
A hoard of Iron Age gold coins unearthed in the UK highlights the growing chasm between ancient gold's numismatic value and the metal's staggering spot price, which now sits a whisker below $5,000/oz.
Gold at $5,000 - Now Even Vaults Can't Afford It
Gold's relentless rally past $5,000/oz is creating a second-order problem few anticipated: vault operators are being forced to cut insurance coverage as the sheer value of stored metal outstrips policy limits.
Gold Dips Below $5,000 While SEBI Eyes ETF Curbs
Indian precious metals ETFs dropped up to 3% as gold slipped under the $5,000 mark and regulators moved to tighten volatility controls - but the bigger story is silver's brutal 13% monthly decline.
Gold Holds $5,000 - But Silver's 13% Drop Tells Another Story
Gold's psychological $5,000 level is getting all the attention, but the real signal may be silver's sharp monthly decline and a gold/silver ratio that's compressing fast.
Gold Holds Above $5,000 Even as Data Week Looms
Gold is consolidating near $5,012 after a staggering 9% monthly rally, but a packed economic calendar - from Japan's GDP to Fed speeches - could determine whether the metal pushes higher or finally co
Platinum Drops Below $2,035 - But Gold Holds $5,000
Platinum's 2.7% weekly slide stands out against a precious metals complex where gold remains anchored near record territory, raising questions about whether industrial demand fears are finally.
Week in Metals: Gold Clings to $5,000 as Silver Crumbles
Gold edged higher past $5,000 while silver suffered a brutal 4.6% weekly decline, widening the performance gap between the two metals.
Gold at $5,046 - But Cycle Signals Flash Mixed
Gold's 9.3% monthly surge has pushed prices past $5,000, yet the metal's cyclical indicators are sending contradictory signals that deserve closer scrutiny than the headline number suggests.
Gold Holds $5,046 as Iran Oil Gambit Raises Stakes
A US-Israeli push to choke Iran's oil exports to China threatens to reignite the geopolitical premium in gold just as the metal consolidates near $5,000.
Gold Holds $5,046 but Silver's 15% Drop Steals the Show
Gold's remarkable 9.3% monthly surge to above $5,000 is being overshadowed by silver's sharp 15% decline - a divergence that's pushing the gold/silver ratio into territory worth watching closely.
Gold Pulls Back 10% From $5,586 - But $5,046 Is the Real Test
Gold's retreat from its all-time high near $5,586 has speculators trimming positions, but a 9.3% monthly gain suggests the pullback may be healthy rather than terminal.
Rare Earths - Brazil's Big Bet Faces 3 Major Hurdles
Brazil holds the world's third-largest rare earth reserves but turning that geological wealth into a functioning supply chain remains a far harder problem than digging the minerals out of the ground.
Gold Steadies Above $5,000 as China Demand Questions Mount
After a volatile swing that briefly pushed gold below the $5,000 threshold, prices have stabilized while growing skepticism about Chinese buying patterns threatens a key pillar of the recent rally.
Silver at $77 - Is This the Entry Point or a Trap?
Silver's 10% monthly decline masks a deeper question about whether current levels represent value or the start of a longer correction in precious metals.
Week in Metals: Gold Holds $5,000 as Silver Corrects Sharply
Gold consolidated above $5,000 while silver retreated 5.5% amid questions about Chinese demand and valuation concerns.
Gold Breaks $5,000 as Precious Metals Find Footing After Chaos
Gold's push above $5,000 per ounce alongside silver's sharp rally signals that precious metals investors are regaining confidence after one of the most turbulent trading weeks in recent memory.
Silver's valuation gap creates portfolio puzzle for older investors
With the gold-to-silver ratio near 88:1 versus a 70:1 historical average, investors over 50 face a genuine allocation dilemma between stability and catch-up potential.
Gruyere Mine Earnings Set to Double as Gold Fields Hits Stride
Gold Fields' Gruyere operation is projecting a 110-123% earnings surge in 2026, a rare magnitude that signals either exceptional cost control or perfect timing with the current gold price environment.
Commodity liquidation spiral tests precious metals support
A synchronized sell-off across gold, silver, and oil is exposing fragile commodity positioning as investors retreat from inflation hedges and risk assets.
Gold's 2026 dilemma: valuation vs. macro tailwinds
Gold faces a critical juncture as elevated prices collide with monetary uncertainty, forcing investors to weigh stretched valuations against structural support.