Examining the Economic Indicators of a Potential Recession

Tom Bodrovics welcomes back Don Durrett, author, investor, and founder of GoldStockData.com, to delve into the current state of the gold and silver markets, the broader economy, and what investors should watch for in the coming months. Don begins by noting that gold has been in a bull market since late 2019, with a significant breakout in March 2024. Despite the recent surge, he believes the bull market in mining stocks is still in its early stages, with higher lows signaling a potential breakout. However, he cautions that sentiment remains weak, partly due to the strong performance of the stock market, which has overshadowed gold. Drawing parallels to the 1970s, Don explains that gold and miners typically perform well during periods of economic uncertainty or when the stock market falters, a scenario he sees as increasingly likely.

Don shifts to the macroeconomic landscape, highlighting the unsustainable U.S. budget deficit, which is approaching $2 trillion annually, and the need to roll over $7 trillion in debt this year. He warns that the debt burden, combined with declining foreign purchases of U.S. Treasuries, could lead to higher interest rates and inflation. Don predicts a looming recession, driven by factors like weakening full-time employment, a housing bubble, and the inflationary impact of tariffs, particularly if President Trump follows through with significant tariff increases on July 9th. He believes these tariffs could exacerbate economic weakness, leading to a prolonged downturn reminiscent of Japan’s “lost decade” in the 1990s, where monetary policy failed to revive growth.

Discussing gold and silver, Don emphasizes that their bull markets are tied to economic instability and a potential “fear trade,” where investors shift away from equities and into safe-haven assets. He notes that silver, currently undervalued relative to gold, could see a surge in demand, particularly if shortages emerge. Don also touches on Mexico’s mining policies under President Claudia Sheinbaum, which could restrict new mining concessions, though he doesn’t see this as a major near-term threat to silver supply. He concludes by urging investors to focus on the long-term potential of gold and silver, particularly as the U.S. economy faces mounting challenges.

Timestamps:
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:01:06 – Mkt. Forecast 2025/2026
00:04:50 – Metals – Wall of Worry
00:09:13 – The Macro Picture
00:19:38 – U.S. Short-Term Debt
00:31:08 – Trump, The Fed & Powell
00:38:55 – Oil & U.S. Recession
00:41:00 – T-Bills, Dollar & Game Theory
00:53:20 – A Silver Bull Trap?
01:04:16 – New Era for Metals
01:05:55 – PM Shortages Coming?
01:07:10 – Mexican Silver Permitting
01:15:05 – Wrap Up

Guest Links:
X: https://x.com/DonDurrett
Website: https://www.goldstockdata.com
Substack: https://dondurrett.substack.com
Amazon Books: https://www.amazon.com.mx/How-Invest-Gold-Silver-Complete/dp/1427650241
Blog Posts: https://seekingalpha.com/author/don-durrett#regular_articles
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Newager23

Don Durrett received an MBA from California State University Bakersfield in 1990. He has worked in IT-related positions for 20+ years. He has been a gold investor since 1991, with a focus on Junior Mining stocks since 2004. Realizing the value of investing in gold and silver and noticing the lack of available material for first-time investors, Don set out to provide information. First, he wrote a book, How to Invest in Gold & Silver: A Complete Guide with a Focus on Mining Stocks. He followed up the book with a website (www.goldstockdata.com) to provide data, tools, and analysis for gold and silver stock investors. His gold and silver mining stock newsletter is widely regarded as one of the best. He is a frequent guest on financial podcasts and a contributor to SeekingAlpha.com.