The quote is a paradox within itself, but sums up the outlook of anyone that has gleaned a grain of wisdom in their life. Yet, here I am offering predictions for the future, a thing one could know with even less certainty than present conditions. We study trends, monitor political events, consider “cui bono” in all events and give it the old college try.

Gold at $1,500: The gold price will climb above $1,500 in 2017, with the potential to claw back towards all-time highs in the event of a currency crisis, major war or other black swan event. December 2015 will prove to be the bottom of the correction and gold will once again embark on a multi-year bull cycle.
Silver at $25: The silver price will climb above $25 in 2017 with the potential to reach towards $30 per ounce. It will be pulled higher by gold but also buoyed by increased industrial demand, clean-tech demand and military spending.
Dollar Rally Fades: The dollar may rally a bit higher, but the USD index will ultimately drop back below 100 during 2017 as government spending picks up and deficits soar. The de-dollarization trend will continue in earnest.
Stock Market Crashes: The stock market will crash hard, retracing at least 1/3 and up to 1/2 of the gains realized since the 2008/2009 financial crisis. Equity valuations are frothy by any number of measures as investors have been chasing yield in the NIRP economic environment. Once the slide begins, panicked investors will rush for the exits.
FED Cautious with Rate Hikes: The FED will be unable to continue raising interest rates beyond one or two more token 25 basis point increases. They may reverse course by the end of 2017 in order to support falling stock prices and avoid another Great Recession.
Oil Prices Slides Back Below $40: The oil price will drop below $40 again during 2017. OPEC will be all over the map in regards to production cuts, domestic drilling with continue to supply the markets, fracking and new technology will increase supply as well as major new discoveries (including the recent Wolfcamp Shales find in Texas) end up being much larger than expected. It is already estimated to be the largest oil discovery ever in the United States. I see little demand growth.
Real Estate Prices Roll Over: U.S. real estate prices will finally top and begin falling in 2017 for the first time since 2011. Stagnating real wage growth and higher mortgage rates will cool demand considerably and another major housing correction will occur within the next few years.
Trade War with China: A trade war with China ensues, as President Trump looks to apply his business negotiation skills in the political arena. New tariffs imposed by the U.S. are countered by increasing prices on Chinese imports and a major slow down in the $600 billion in trade between the two nations.
Major Military Conflict: A major military conflict breaks out between one or more world powers. I hate to make this prediction, but tensions are high with China over Taiwan and the disputed islands in the South China Sea. While I am hopeful that relations with Russia improve with Trump as President, NATO continues to poke the bear, surrounding them with military bases, missile defense systems, imposing new sanctions, expelling their ambassadors, etc. North Korea also continues to increase their nuclear capability with the potential to reach the Western United States over the next few years. Hopefully this conflict is only an isolated event that can be resolved diplomatically and does not escalate into full scale war.
Sports Predictions for 2017: And to keep things light, the Golden State Warriors win the NBA championship, the Cubs repeat at the World Series and the Patriots win the Superbowl again.

Whatever happens, I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year! If you want to receive our top-rated newsletter and stock picks, I think you will find it well worth the cost of admission. Click here to get started now!

By Jason Hamlin

http://www.goldstockbull.com/

Jason Hamlin is the founder of Gold Stock Bull and publishes a monthly contrarian newsletter that contains in-depth research into the markets with a focus on finding undervalued gold and silver mining companies. The Premium Membership includes the newsletter, real-time access to the model portfolio and email trade alerts whenever Jason is buying or selling. Click here for instant access!

All ideas, opinions, and/or forecasts, expressed or implied herein, are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a recommendation to invest, trade, and/or speculate in the markets. Any investments, trades, and/or speculations made in light of the ideas, opinions, and/or forecasts, expressed or implied herein, are committed at your own risk, financial or otherwise. The information on this site has been prepared without regard to any particular investor’s investment objectives, financial situation, and needs. Accordingly, investors should not act on any information on this site without obtaining specific advice from their financial advisor. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Only logged in users are allowed to post comments. Register/ Log in

The Market Oracle is a FREE Financial Markets Forecasting & Analysis web-site.
(c) 2005-2024 MarketOracle.co.uk (Market Oracle Ltd) - Market Oracle Ltd asserts copyright on all articles authored by our editorial team and all comments posted. Any and all information provided within the web-site, is for general information purposes only and Market Oracle Ltd do not warrant the accuracy, timeliness or suitability of any information provided on this site. nor is or shall be deemed to constitute, financial or any other advice or recommendation by us. and are also not meant to be investment advice or solicitation or recommendation to establish market positions. We do not give investment advice and our comments are an expression of opinion only and should not be construed in any manner whatsoever as recommendations to enter into a market position either stock, option, futures contract, bonds, commodity or any other financial instrument at any time. We recommend that independent professional advice is obtained before you make any investment or trading decisions. By using this site you agree to this sites Terms of Use. From time to time we promote or endorse certain products / services that we believe are worthy of your time and attention. In return for that endorsement and only in the cases where you purchase directly though us may we be compensated by the producers of those products.