Global markets are navigating conflicting realities. In France, political instability briefly impacted investor confidence before stabilizing. Meanwhile, gold has emerged as the top-performing asset globally this century, surging past $4,000 per ounce for the first time in history. 🇫🇷 This surge reflects a growing appetite for tangible assets amidst global economic uncertainty and diverging monetary policies. 🌎 📈 💰 The shift towards safe havens underscores growing market volatility, with gold’s price doubling over the last two years, surpassing even global equities. 📈 🥇 The metal’s rise extends beyond finance, impacting geopolitical dynamics as gold is expected to become Australia’s second-largest export commodity soon. 🇦🇺 Meanwhile, a fragmented monetary policy landscape is emerging, with central banks like New Zealand taking bold rate cuts, while others remain cautious or even hike rates amidst rising inflation. 🇳🇿 🇵🇱 🇰🇵 Europe, too, faces economic headwinds, as Germany’s industrial output took a steep dive in August, raising concerns over the continent’s largest economy. 🇩🇪 While Asia benefits from gold’s surge, Australia grapples with weakening consumer sentiment and rising global tariffs. 🇦🇺🇺🇸 The U.S., meanwhile, sees Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defend deregulation as key to President Trump’s economic agenda despite new retaliatory tariffs. 🇺🇸 🤝