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‘World Gold Council’ says Gold-backed ETFs saw the largest outflows in over 4 years

The gold lobby group note outflows from gold-backed exchange-traded funds in Q1 of 2021

Say this was offset somewhat by rising physical demand, including for jewellery
  • jewellery demand 52% higher y-o-y
  • Bar and coin investment +36% y-o-y
Say demand boosted by:
  • bargain-hunting, as well as by expectations of building inflationary pressures.
Also:
  • Q1 saw continued healthy levels of net buying by central banks: global official gold reserves grew by 95.5t, 23% lower y-o-y, but 20% higher q-o-q.
  • Gold used in technology grew 11% y-o-y in Q1
  • Demand of 81.2t was just above the five-year quarterly average of 80.9t
Data via the council’s latest report which was out Thursday (US time).

The World Gold Council
  • is the market development organisation for the gold industry
  • Our purpose is to stimulate and sustain demand for gold, provide industry leadership, and be the global authority on the gold market. 
The gold lobby group note outflows from gold-backed exchange-traded funds in Q1 of 2021

China says US increasing military activity directed at it

AP with the report, citing a spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry.

  • Activity by U.S. military ships and surveillance planes directed at China has increased significantly under President Joe Biden’s administration
  • Activity by U.S. military ships was up 20% and by planes 40% in Chinese-claimed areas since Biden took office in January over the same period last year
  • “The U.S. frequently dispatches ships and planes to operate in seas and airspace near China, promoting regional militarization and threatening regional peace and stability”
Note, China routinely objects to the U.S. military presence in the South China Sea

Oil – US, UK, China demand all improving

Summary notes on crude via ANZ, noting that further strength in demand continue to emerge

On the positive side:
  • emergence of several US cities from lockdown
  • stronger demand in gasoline ahead of the key US summer driving season
  • In Europe, UK’s road fuel sales are nearing last summer’s levels
  • Sales for air travel, hotels and car rentals are selling out in China ahead of its Labour Day holiday
  • oil market has also been caught up in the broader rally across commodity markets as the recovery across key economies picks up
& not so positive:
  • renewed optimism is overshadowing headwinds in India, where a second wave of infections of COVID-19 are resulting in new travel restrictions being put in place
  • Demand in Japan and Brazil is also likely to be hit by a surge in infections and new restrictions
Summary notes on crude via ANZ, noting that further strength in demand continue to emerge

ICYMI – The “double mutant” coronavirus strain that was found in India has been detected in China

China’s chief epidemiologist spoke at a Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention press conference held in Beijing on Thursday

  • Broke the news that the “Indian variant” had been found in “some Chinese cities”
No further details were provided. He did add that “The virus has been mutating since the start of the pandemic.”
  • and will stop mutating until the pandemic is over.
  • China will be on holidays from May 1 to May 5 (inclusive) – the Labour Day holidays. 
  • The Ministry of Transport is projecting record high passenger numbers as people move about to visit family and friends over the course of the 5 days off. 
China's chief epidemiologist spoke at a Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention press conference held in Beijing on Thursday

US equity close: One day to go in April

Equity bulls hope this month never ends

It’s been a fantastic month for owning equities but it will come to an end tomorrow. There were signs of equity selling on rebalancing today but those shares were scooped up at midday and it was another strong day for stocks.
Here’s the rundown:
  • S&P 500 up 26 points to 4210 (+0.6%). Record close. Also hit intraday record at 4218
  • DJIA +0.7%
  • Nasdaq +0.2%
  • Russell 2000 -0.5%
  • Toronto TSX -0.4%

The A-Z tenets of spirituality

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A – Acceptance Accept the wounds & the pain, accept yourself as you are. Always be authentic: don’t laugh when your heart is crying. Authenticity opens your heart up for healing.

B – Balance Balance is the highest peace possible. When polarities balance in you: good & bad, outer & inner, activity & passivity, spiritual & material – only then will you transcend them.

C – celebration Celebration is the most religious practice. Postpone your worries, not your joy. Laugh with all your being, sing with all your heart, dance with the whole of existence.

D – death Death is the culmination of life, it must be beautiful. But that’s only possible if you have lived with full awareness. Then there will be no fear, you simply return home in total surrender and relaxation.

E – ego Ego is the intoxicant that makes you unconscious. Be alert and watch your mind attentively. The light of your watchfulness will expose your ego and it will vanish.

F – fear When you don’t possess or desire anything, you become fearless. All fear is death-oriented. Break the identification with your body/mind, and you’ll come to know your deathlessness.

G – giving Imbibe the spirit of giving, and let it be your way of living. Give without conditions or expectations. Love is innocent only when it has no motives.

H – harmony One who is harmonious within himself, will be in harmony with the whole of existence. To be in tune with the whole is to be holy.

I – identification Unburden your consciousness. Drop your name, body, ideas, relationships, accumulations, ambitions.. Become simple and light.

J – jealousy Jealousy is the shadow of desire, and the root of suffering. Stop the habit of comparing yourself with others. Stop wanting what other people want. Be content with being yourself, live simply.

K – karma An action carries karma if you have an end goal in mind. Let there be an intrinsic playfulness in all your activities. Be as little children, this is the path to freedom.

L – laughter Laughter is the deepest prayer. A serious person can never be religious. A person who can laugh totally, who sees the ridiculousness of the game of life, becomes enlightened in that laughter.

M – master The function of the master is to undo all societal’s conditioning on you. The masters appears when the student is ready, and disappeares when his job is done – and his job is to guide you towards freedom.

Non-attachment is the secret of finding yourself. Only then can your awareness turn inwards because you don’t have anything outside to chase. Attachment is non-awareness.

O – oneness Oneness is the goal of all true religion. The trees, rocks, stars, animals, rivers are just life manifesting in millions of ways. Return to source.

P – prayer Prayer simply means gratitude. It is neither a demand nor a desire. If you feel a deep thankfulness in your heart, genuine & uncaused, that’s prayer.

Q – questions The mind has unlimited questions, and no answer will ever satisfy it. Meditation gives the only answer you need – silence. Meditation is a state of no-mind.

R – religion Religion is the transformation of consciousness. To be religious is to be innocent and spontaneous. It has nothing to do with doctrines and rituals.

S – sex Sex is your life force. It has to be transformed and transcended, but it shouldn’t be repressed. Repression leads to perversion. Awareness elevates you from sex to superconsciousness.

T – truth Truth cannot be given to you, but the thirst can be imparted. If you are earnest and devoted, truth itself will find you.

U – understanding This is the key to transformation. If you can understand anger, you’ll be showered with compassion. Understanding means to see the true nature of things, to perceive without any distortion.

V – vulnerability To know godliness, one has to be defenseless, vulnerable and insecure. It is the condition to know Love in its entirety.

X, Y, Z Never get attached to the name of a thing. The unknown cannot be described. Let go of all your concepts, prejudices& knowledge, they’ll only stand in your way.

Germany reports 24,736 new coronavirus cases, 264 deaths in latest update today

The 7-day incidence rate eases a little to 154.9

Germany
The figure still keeps on the high side but the good news is that daily cases appear to be plateauing in the 20,000 to 30,000 range in recent weeks. Total active cases is seen increasing slightly to ~299,600 while total deaths have increased to 82,544.
Medical capacity continues to be stretched thin as there were 5,047 (-16) virus patients requiring intensive care as of yesterday with there being just 2,730 (11%) intensive care beds still available across the country.
Germany
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