Mark Sobel

US CHAIR OF THE OFFICIAL MONETARY AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FORUM (OMFIF)

Monetising gold stocks could generate resources for good use. For example, US debt held by the public stands at roughly US$30 trillion. US gold sales could generate more than US$850 billion for the US Treasury.
THE BOTTOM LINE

Financial authorities should responsibly sell their gold stocks

US President Donald Trump is tearing apart the glue that holds the G7 together, and it now faces the question of whether it can even continue, or function properly, at least, over the next four years while he is in the top job.
THE BOTTOM LINE

The G7 is at a critical crossroads

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent is known for his "3-3-3" plan, which has been dismissed across the board as wildly unrealistic.
THE BOTTOM LINE

Scott Bessent has an unenviable job

A "Make America Great Again" hat in front of the White House. Any Trump 2.0 push on currency policy is likely to stir up a hornet’s nest, but will not change the underlying US macroeconomic dynamics driving imbalances.

‘America first’ showcases Trump’s currency confusion 

Bitcoin is not a proper hedge against inflation. Rampant price fluctuations in Bitcoin belie the properties of a store of value.
THE BROAD VIEW

Bitcoin is not the answer to US economic problems

The IMF offers various precautionary lending instruments, including its flexible credit line and a short-term liquidity line.
THE BOTTOM LINE

The Fed, the IMF and global ‘last resort’ lending

The Nasdaq stock exchange in New York on Aug 5. There has been a massive global stock-market sell-off in reaction to the US unemployment report.

US fears of recession are exaggerated

Capital outflows are putting pressure on the renminbi. The renminbi’s weakness against the dollar constrains monetary policy accommodation, and China's authorities are wary of deploying large fiscal stimulus due to high leverage.
PERSPECTIVE

Tensions mount in foreign exchange markets as US dollar surges