Markets

Market Updates: Gold, iPhone Sales, Nvidia Demand, and Amazon's New Offering

Published January 31, 2025

To gain a better understanding of the current market landscape, here are the key points to note today.

Gold Breaks Out

Recent charts indicate that gold is experiencing a significant breakout.

Investing in gold has become particularly appealing, especially as some crypto lobbyists have been pushing for the U.S. government to sell its gold reserves held at Fort Knox, a move that would signal a substantial shift in asset management. This has led central banks in countries like China to increase their gold purchases.

According to The Arora Report, their predictions regarding gold have been notably precise:

  • When gold prices were around $600, they recommended buying heavily.
  • On the day gold peaked in 2011, they advised selling half of the holdings at $1904 before it lost significant value.
  • They were also credited for anticipating a major drop in gold prices in 2016.

As a part of their ongoing strategy, gold is included in The Arora Report’s ZYX Allocation Model Portfolio.

The recent breakout was triggered by a combination of monetary policies, including the Bank of Japan's $500 billion reduction of its balance sheet, which has contributed to the weakening of the dollar. This prompted commentary that if the dollar continues to fall, gold may rise sharply.

Additionally, there are current tensions related to potential tariff increases proposed by President Trump against Mexico and Canada, which could further influence gold's performance.

Concerns Over iPhone Sales

Another significant point of concern is the decline in iPhone sales, particularly in China where sales have dropped by 11%. Apple's reported revenue came in lower than expected, at $69.1 billion compared to an anticipated $71 billion. In response to this decline, Apple Inc. CEO attempted to frame the situation positively, declaring it the best quarter ever, possibly as a strategy to mitigate the negative sentiment surrounding the falling sales.

Nvidia RTX 50 Series Demand

On another front, the demand for Nvidia's new RTX 50 series of GPUs is exceptionally high. Outlets have reported that these GPUs sold out almost immediately upon release, showcasing the considerable interest from both retail investors and consumers.

Retail investors are aggressively buying shares of NVIDIA Corp, and institutional sellers appear to have paused their selling activities, especially after news broke that Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang is scheduled to meet with President Trump.

Amazon's Offering DeepSeek

In response to ongoing investigations concerning DeepSeek's acquisition of Nvidia GPUs, Amazon has begun to offer DeepSeek to its customers. Recent reports indicate that Microsoft is also exploring similar offerings. This situation highlights broader concerns regarding the ease with which technology assets can be obtained and the implications for competitive dynamics, especially in light of China's ambitions to enhance its global influence.

In economic indicators, the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), showed results consistent with expectations, indicating ongoing strength in personal spending.

Investment Strategy and Market Overview

Although market dynamics reflect varying degrees of positivity and negativity towards key stocks like Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft, there is notable volatility in stocks such as NVIDIA and Tesla.

It is essential for investors to stay focused on future opportunities and maintain a balanced approach, considering both protective measures and growth strategies.

Ultimately, sectors such as luxury goods, technology, and commodities are poised for shifts, and it remains crucial for investors to adapt to these evolving conditions.

Gold, iPhone, Nvidia, Amazon, Market