Title: 🗓️ August's Top Reads: Global Copper Shifts, Gold, China's Mineral War & More Show: Prinsights (Substack) — monthly email digest Guest: Nomi Prins (author) Date: 2026-08-31 URL: https://prinsights.substack.com/p/augusts-top-reads-global-copper-shifts Length: written post — no timestamps Note: Written Substack post (public digest); text captured verbatim from the page via logged-in session.
Just like that, the month of August is over.
And honestly, good riddance. The month saw record heat here in the U.S. and I am personally ready for Fall.
The month also delivered another stark reminder of the widening disconnect between economic fundamentals and market expectations. On the data front, cracks in the real economy deepened. The latest University of Michigan survey confirmed that consumer sentiment weakened further, while BLS benchmark revisions revealed the U.S. added 79,000 fewer jobs than previously reported.
Yet, rather than offering relief, central bank chatter from the Jackson Hole symposium in Wyoming left investors navigating elevated policy uncertainty. New Fed Chairman, Kevin Warsh's hawkish rhetoric pushed back against premature easing hopes, fanning rate-hike bets and leaving bond markets on edge.
Compounding this turbulence, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is facing a pivotal G20 test, balancing bond volatility against persistent geopolitical friction, escalating tariff battles, and Middle East conflict pressures that are not cooling anytime soon.
In response to this compounding volatility, capital continued seeking safe-haven ground. Gold is advancing with an orderly rally as institutional traders are gaining interest and leaning into exotic options structures to position for further upside.
[Bloomberg chart]
As we dive into September, we will be tracking whether central bank posturing collides with incoming economic data and what it means for commodities and the broader financial landscape.
Below is a quick recap of August:
The Copper Developer Located Where the Majors Love - For this Founders+ monthly issue, we reflect on when, in July 2025, we added a silver play to our Founders+ model portfolio, and how it has appreciated by as much as 240%. This month, we're returning to the same location for copper and a strategic developer.
A Rate Hike Doesn't Change the Case for Gold and Silver - Fed chair Warsh's latest speech warned inflation is still too high. The price of gold and silver rests on record debt, central-bank buying, and structural deficits. We detail why they don't care about small rate moves.
🇺🇸 The Race to Make America (Make) Aluminum Again - Aluminum has become one of America's most strategic metals, vital to the military and mostly imported. Here's how Washington is now moving to fortify that supply at home.
🚨 Key Founders+ Portfolio Update: Copper Developer - Check out this brand-new update on a copper-focused recommendation in our Founders+ model portfolio.
The Company Keeping American Aluminum Home - For this Pulse Premium issue, we reveal how the U.S. imports most of the primary aluminum its defense industry and power grid depend on. This month's recommendation offers one of the few companies still operating domestically.
🇧🇷 Brazil's Rare Earth Elections: Thirteen Candidates, Six Proposals - Catch this guest essay from a Brazilian thought leader on why critical minerals could become one of the most important economic issues in Brazil's 2026 presidential race.
🎥 Banking-Vet: "Here's How Physics Explains Today's Financial Stress" - Watch this interview with author and former Wall Street veteran Mickey Maini who breaks down why current market indicators misrepresent reality.
Nuclear Mega-Resurgence: 5 Charts On the Power Play Behind AI, Policy, and Clean Energy - Check out what these five charts signal about nuclear energy opportunities right now.
🚨 The Founders+ Catalyst We Flagged Just Happened - See what the completed spin-out means for the shares in our model portfolio that were added from our August monthly issue.
☢️ Uranium's European Catalyst - Outages across the European continent are experiencing tightening supply. Here is what the latest analysis shows.
🎥 Scott Melbye: "The Fundamentals Have Never Looked Better" - Catch this exclusive conversation on why the uranium market is poised for a major second-half breakout.
The World Is Hoarding Copper at Rapid Pace - This analysis details how governments are moving to ringfence copper inside their borders, just as the market tips into its deepest deficit in more than 20 years.
🎥 Copper CEO: "The Biggest Opportunities Are Ahead" - Tune into this exclusive Founders+ conversation with a leading, successful copper exploration executive.
D.C. Just Launched Billions to Back Its Mineral War - On August 7, the White House upgraded its critical minerals fight with a $2 billion commitment in a single afternoon. Here's what it means for specific mines, magnet makers, and battery plants.
🚨 Key Founders+ Watchlist Update & Exclusive CEO Conversation - See the exciting name from our watchlist just landed a Newmont joint venture.
🎥 Zang: "Be Your Own Central Banker" - Check out this exclusive Prinsights conversation with Lynette Zang, the Founder and CEO of Zang International.
Washington's New War on China's Mineral Grip - The latest fight between the U.S. and China is taking shape in the critical minerals space. We detail a key deadline is now quickly upon us.
🎥 Silver CEO "There's No Substitute for Silver" - Check out this exclusive Pulse Premium conversation with a leading silver CEO.
ICYMI: I recently joined Pinnacle Digest to discuss the impact of escalating U.S. debt, my forecast for gold and silver and what I'm watching in copper, the resource wars and what's next.