Palisades Gold Radio

Josef Schachter, author and president of the Schachter Energy Report, joins Palisades Gold Radio to assess the global energy system amid shifting Middle East geopolitics. Despite ongoing conflict, crude flows out of the Persian Gulf are running above pre-war levels—Saudi Arabia is even discounting barrels into Asia—yet refined products tell a different story. LNG, sulfur, nitrogen, and fertilizer exports remain constrained, and diesel shortages persist as Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries remove key supply from global markets.

Schachter outlines three scenarios for the Iran conflict and assigns rough probabilities: a durable peace deal (30%), a limited air campaign that resolves nothing (roughly one-third), and a wider regional war (roughly one-third). With WTI near $97 and Brent near $105, he estimates $22–$25 per barrel of risk premium is priced in against an equilibrium value of roughly $75. A credible peace deal, in his view, could take another $20–$25 off crude—but he cautions that restocking strategic reserves, rebuilding damaged infrastructure, and restoring commercial inventories will take time, delaying rather than derailing the commodity super cycle he expects to run into the mid-2030s.

On equities, Schachter argues energy stocks are discounting $70 oil while cash flow multiples of 2–3x sit well below proved developed producing reserve values—a classic cycle-bottom setup. He explains his framework for evaluating producers, the criteria he applies to entrepreneurial names (management track record, large land positions, infrastructure access, and supportive jurisdictions), and why Canadian producers offer cheaper entry points and greater drilling inventory than U.S. peers. He also covers natural gas, where growing LNG export capacity and data-center power demand could unlock higher prices, and outlines where investors can find his research and buy-signal alerts.

Timestamps

00:00:00 – Introduction and Middle East war outlook
00:00:46 – Energy system: crude flows vs product shortages
00:04:54 – US election impact on markets and Iran policy
00:06:32 – Saudi production, diesel shortage, refinery issues
00:08:49 – Logistics, restocking, and commodity super cycle
00:15:19 – Escalation scenario: oil at $120-130 and risks
00:21:26 – Refinery damage and Persian Gulf escalation risks
00:24:07 – Odds of peace vs war and oil risk premium
00:27:16 – War delays super cycle; demand and restocking
00:29:12 – Long-term commodity bull market until 2034-36
00:36:14 – Buying the dip: integrated vs small producers
00:38:01 – What to look for in entrepreneurial explorers
00:42:00 – Natural gas stocks, LNG exports, power demand
00:45:11 – Where to find research and closing remarks

Links

https://schachterenergyreport.ca

About the Guest

Subscription Discount for Palisade Listeners, $100 off the first year of our subscription, use coupon code “POD100”

https://schachterenergyreport.ca/subscriptions/

Josef Schachter is a 40+ year veteran of the Canadian Investment Management Industry, Josef Schachter has experienced several exceptional and turbulent global economic and stock market cycles. With his primary focus in the stock market and the energy sector, Josef is able to weave global political, economic and monetary issues with current energy data into a compelling story of what’s going on, what is to come, and why.

Josef is a frequent guest on Michael Campbell’s Podcast ‘Mikes Money Talks’ and other podcast and radio shows and is often quoted in the media. He is a regular Guest Speaker at the annual World Outlook Financial Conference in Vancouver and he delivers presentations to various companies and organizations. For several years, he was a frequent and notably colourful commentator on BNN Bloomberg’s Market Call.

Josef provided Oil and Gas research to Maison Placements Canada geared to their institutional clients for 15 years ending April 2017, and was acknowledged as the first analyst in Canada to predict the Oil Price Plunge of 2014.

Prior to establishing his firm Schachter Asset Management Inc. in 1996, Josef was the Chief Market Strategist at Richardson Greenshields, a Director of RGCL and a member of its Investment Policy Committee. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a past Chairman of the Canadian Council of Financial Analysts.

Simon Hunt, a financial and geopolitical analyst, delivers a stark warning about an imminent escalation in the Middle East, arguing that the “House of Saud” is at risk of falling. He details a secret meeting in Tehran between Saudi Arabia’s defense minister and Iran’s security council, suggesting a major realignment. Hunt contends that the Houthi war on Saudi Arabia is a separate conflict that is successfully damaging oil infrastructure, and that a full-scale attack on Iran would lead to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, crippling global energy supplies. He predicts a period of at least three years of extremely high prices for diesel, gasoline, and fertilizers, culminating in a major financial crash between 2030 and 2032.

The conversation frames the current conflicts as a single, coordinated war against the US-led order, orchestrated by Beijing and Moscow. Hunt argues that America’s long-term strategy to control global resources is failing, as Iran is fully backed by Russia and China. He suggests we are witnessing the end of the American empire and the birth of a multipolar world, with a potential for a major war between 2028 and 2032. For investors, he advises a nimble, short-term approach, predicting a recession in 2027 followed by a resurgence of double-digit inflation by 2029.

Hunt’s key actionable takeaways are to treat gold as a security and liquidity hedge, not a speculative trade, and to watch Beijing rather than Washington for the true revaluation of the metal. He highlights that Chinese households have accumulated over 28,000 tonnes of physical gold, which could revalue their economy by $20 trillion. Ultimately, he recommends focusing on short-term market cycles and avoiding long-term investment commitments in the face of extreme volatility and geopolitical risk.

Timestamps:
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:01:34 – Iran War Restart Analysis
00:03:11 – Houthi War on Saudi Arabia
00:06:42 – Strait of Hormuz Closure Threat
00:09:32 – Second Strike Odds & US Risks
00:13:37 – Energy War & Relative Power
00:18:52 – 3-5 Year High Energy Prices
00:22:54 – Global Fuel Shortages Loom
00:25:48 – Elections & War Timing
00:27:17 – Beijing & Moscow Pulling Strings
00:30:58 – End of Empire & Multipolar World
00:33:10 – Resource Wars & Demographics
00:36:28 – 2027 Recession & Fed Strategy
00:40:41 – Gold as Security & China’s Hoard

Links

mailto:simon@shss.com

https://simon-hunt.com/

https://www.theinstitutionalstrategist.com/products-and-services/frontline-china/

About the Guest

Simon Hunt began his career in 1956 in Central Africa as a PA to the Chairman of Rhodesian Selection Trust, one of the two large copper companies in what was then Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia.

In 1961, he came back to London and joined Anglo American Corporation of South Africa as a PA to one of the Board Directors, followed by being part of a small sales and marketing team for copper. From there, he helped start up a new copper development organization, CIDEC, financed by copper producers, which he then joined, focusing on conducting end-use studies of copper in Europe.

He then went into the City to gain financial experience and founded Brook Hunt in 1975. He was instrumental in setting up the company’s cost studies and end-use analyses. Simon appeared as material witness and consultant in two ITC anti-dumping cases in 1978 and 1984, winning both at the commission level.

He has spent 2-4 months every year in China since 1993, and until a few years ago would be visiting some 80 wire and cable and brass mill factories across the country every year. He now restricts these factory visits to a smaller number, all of which he has known for many years. Simon also spends many weeks each year traveling around Asia.

The focus of the company’s services is on the global economy, including the changing geopolitical and financial structures, China’s economy and its copper sector, and then the global copper industry as each part is interconnected.

Simon is the author of the “Frontline China Report Service,” which is marketed by the TIS Group. The Service provides regular reports on China’s economy, politics, and financial outlook.

Simon established this company in January 1996.

Michael Every argues that the current geopolitical landscape is defined by a single, multi-front conflict between the US and China, with the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine serving as key battlegrounds. He predicts a re-escalation of the US-Iran conflict immediately after the US midterm elections, viewing it as a deliberate US strategy to destabilize global energy and commodity supply chains. The core objective, he suggests, is not necessarily to seize resources, but to create a “two-speed” world where the US and its allies have cheaper, more reliable access to critical inputs like oil, LNG, and food, while adversaries like China face far higher costs and logistical hurdles.

A surprising data point Every highlights is the massive divergence in global oil prices. While Brent crude futures may sit around $115, the actual cost of a barrel of Middle Eastern crude delivered to Shanghai can be as high as $150 due to war risk insurance, longer shipping routes around Africa, and a shortage of tankers. In contrast, Canadian crude delivered to the US via pipeline costs roughly $70. This deliberate fragmentation of commodity markets, he argues, is a powerful, underappreciated tool of US statecraft, mirroring China’s dominance in rare earths. He also notes that shipping a barrel from the Persian Gulf to Asia now costs $20-30, up from a normal $2-3, illustrating the extreme tightness in refined product markets.

The key actionable takeaway for investors and businesses is to prepare for a world of “higher for longer” inflation and interest rates, driven by the expensive process of rearmament, reindustrialization, and supply chain restructuring. Every advises against assuming a return to the free-flowing, low-cost global economy of the past. He is skeptical of a return to a gold standard, arguing that governments will need “soft money” to finance this expensive geopolitical competition. Instead, he recommends focusing on resilience, diversification, and understanding that physical resources and supply chain control are the ultimate sources of power in this new era.

Timestamps

00:00:00 – Hormuz Attacks Spike Shipping Costs
00:00:44 – War with Iran: Imminent Restart?
00:03:48 – Why Not Preemptive Strike?
00:05:09 – Conflict Drivers: US-China Cold War
00:09:21 – US-China Power Dynamics
00:12:15 – Demographics: Least Dirty Shirt
00:16:44 – Ukraine: Another Front of Same War
00:20:41 – Resources as Power Leverage
00:23:29 – Iran War: Resource Control or Weaponization?
00:26:31 – Energy Tightness and Price Disparities
00:31:51 – US Leverage: Oil, LNG, Copper, Agriculture
00:35:02 – Fertilizers and Sulfur Supply Gaps
00:36:26 – Escalation: Air Campaign or Ground Troops?
00:38:29 – Targeting Energy and Desalination Plants
00:40:02 – Merging Wars: Ukraine and Middle East
00:43:24 – East Asia Flashpoints and Tail Risks
00:45:25 – Implications for Life, Business, and Investing
00:50:00 – Gold’s Role in a Fragmented World
00:55:50 – Follow Michael Every’s Work

Links

https://www.rabobank.com/

https://hk.linkedin.com/pub/michael-every/14/832/389

https://x.com/TheMichaelEvery

About the Guest

Michael Every is a Global Strategist at Rabobank. He analyses major financial developments and contributes to the bank’s various economic research publications for internal and external customers and to the media.

Michael has over two decades of experience working as an Economist and Strategist. Before Rabobank, he was a Director at Silk Road Associates in Bangkok, Senior Economist and Fixed Income Strategist at the Royal Bank of Canada in both London and Sydney, and an Economist for Dun & Bradstreet in London.

Michael holds a Masters degree in Economics (with distinction) from University College London and speaks a smattering of languages, including Thai.

Chris Vermeulen, Chief Market Strategist at TheTechnicalTraders.com, joins Palisades Gold Radio to deliver a critical technical analysis of the current market landscape. He issues a stark warning: gold and silver have officially entered a bear market, with charts pointing to significant further downside. Vermeulen identifies key Fibonacci retracement targets, suggesting gold could fall to the $3,100–$3,300 range and silver toward $39 per ounce. He advises investors to remain patient and wait for these technical bottoms before re-entering, emphasizing that precious metals should be treated as an insurance policy rather than a momentum trade.

The conversation pivots to the broader equity markets, where Vermeulen highlights a critical juncture. He notes that while a potential 50% rally in semiconductors is possible, the on-balance volume reveals massive institutional distribution, signaling a likely sharp break to the downside if current support fails. He connects the AI stock bubble directly to the escalating debt bubble, warning that leveraged margin buying is propping up the market. Vermeulen advocates for a disciplined approach: holding cash as a powerful strategic position, waiting for clear directional signals, and focusing on high-probability, low-volatility trades that compound over time. He also provides insights on oil, uranium, and copper, urging caution in crowded trades.

Timestamps:
00:00:00 – Gold and Silver Enter Bear Market
00:01:12 – Gold’s Downside Targets and Support
00:04:27 – Fibonacci Retracement Levels for Gold
00:06:47 – Long-Term Bull Case and Entry Strategy
00:09:50 – War and Gold Correlation Explained
00:11:42 – Money Rotation from Tech to Broad Market
00:12:55 – Semiconductor Chart and Market Signals
00:16:32 – AI Bubble Tied to Debt Bubble
00:20:20 – Oil Price Targets and Middle East Risk
00:22:29 – Energy Stocks vs. Crude Oil
00:24:12 – Uranium Divergence and Outlook
00:27:08 – Silver’s Downside and Support Levels
00:29:48 – Platinum and Palladium as Leading Indicators
00:31:26 – Power of Cash in Bear Markets
00:35:44 – Technical Traders and Trading Philosophy

Guest Links:
Website: https://thetechnicaltraders.com/
X: https://x.com/TheTechTraders

Guest Biography:
Chris Vermeulen is the Founder & Chief Investment Officer of The Technical Traders and the visionary mind behind Asset Revesting. In his book Asset Revesting – How to Exclusively Hold Assets Rising in Value, Profit During Bear Markets, and Continue Building Wealth in Retirement, he lays out this investment framework.

Chris launched his financial career at 16, parlaying his knack for trading and risk management into funding his final year of college, where he earned a business diploma in operations management. By his twenties, he had achieved financial independence as a full-time entrepreneur and trader. After a setback—blowing up a trading account—Chris dedicated himself to treating trading as a business, completing the Trading Strategy Mastery and Trading Is Your Business courses.

A technical analysis expert, he devises systematic methods to spot market opportunities and control portfolio risk, rejecting traditional buy-and-hold approaches that cling to depreciating assets. His efficient asset allocation models balance short- and long-term strategies to minimize drawdowns and consistently outperform benchmarks. Those seeking reliable capital preservation and growth turn to his proven techniques.

Brett Rentmeester, founder of Windrock Wealth Management, argues that we are entering a “Fourth Turning”—a roughly 100-year crisis cycle in American history, following the American Revolution, Civil War, and Great Depression/WWII. He identifies four major tailwinds that powered the last 40 years of conventional investing (falling inflation, falling interest rates, rising equity multiples, and massive debt accumulation) as now reversing into headwinds. With US debt at $40 trillion, interest payments consuming 28% of tax revenue, and the 10-year Treasury at 5.1%, Rentmeester warns of a “death by a thousand cuts” rather than an outright default—characterized by financial repression, higher inflation, and eroding purchasing power.

Rentmeester highlights a critical duality: while the old system cracks, the US retains advantages in technology (AI, robotics, energy abundance) and dollar infrastructure (stablecoins, treasury-backed crypto rails). He recommends a playbook shift away from the traditional 60/40 stock-bond portfolio toward hard assets—precious metals (gold, silver), energy infrastructure, strategic metals, and defense technology. He notes gold’s potential for “much higher” revaluation if governments are forced to back fiat currencies with bullion, citing Judy Shelton’s advisory role to the Fed and central bank accumulation as evidence. Key data points include the CAPE ratio at 40.5 (near dot-com peak), healthcare insurance costs rising 22% annually versus government-reported 2.5% CPI, and the average car payment at $787/month.

Investors should expect higher inflation and interest rates over the next decade, making bonds selectively risky and equity index returns likely to disappoint. Rentmeester advocates owning physical precious metals held outside the banking system, adding mining equities and tactical paper contracts as part of a three-pronged metals strategy, and maintaining exposure to energy infrastructure, natural gas, and strategic metals (copper, uranium, rare earths) that benefit from reshoring and geopolitical tensions. He also suggests reducing exposure to Europe and regions vulnerable to debt crises while positioning for continued defense spending growth.

Timestamps

00:00:00 – Cycle Change and Fourth Turning
00:01:26 – Historical Crisis Cycles Explained
00:03:22 – Drivers of the 100-Year Cycle
00:04:14 – Tailwinds Turning to Headwinds
00:08:37 – Debt Spiral and Fiat Crisis
00:10:11 – Equity Multiple Expansion Risks
00:12:38 – Approaching Debt Spiral Danger
00:13:44 – Failing Institutions and Trust
00:15:58 – Inflation Distortions and War Impact
00:19:17 – Global Debt Problem Scope
00:21:06 – US Advantages and Tech Hope
00:24:23 – Government Tools to Prolong Dollar
00:27:18 – Consequences for Next 50 Years
00:30:16 – Wealth Management Geopolitical Strategy
00:31:49 – Commodities and Resource Sovereignty
00:36:32 – Energy Complex and Oil Opportunities
00:39:23 – Gold as Real Return Hedge
00:42:51 – Government Gold Accumulation
00:44:39 – Mining Stocks Leverage Potential
00:46:03 – Consolidation Buying Opportunity
00:48:03 – Critical Metals and Defense
00:49:43 – Windrock Wealth Management Overview

Links

https://windrockwealth.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettrentmeester/

About the Guest

Brett Rentmeester founded WindRock Wealth Management to bring tailored investment solutions to investors seeking an edge in an increasingly uncertain world. Mr. Rentmeester is a veteran and entrepreneur in the investment business. Through his career, including as a co-founder of Altair Advisers and manager at Arthur Andersen, he was a trusted confidant for business owners, entrepreneurs and family offices.

His entrepreneurial spirit led him to create and build a number of successful companies in the financial services industry through partnership with the Jaggi Family Office, where he serves as the Chief Investment Officer. Throughout his career, he has focused on the importance of strong relationships, strategic thinking, and an expertise in alternative investments.

Mr. Rentmeester’s media appearances include appearances on the PBS Nightly Business Report program, the Chicago Tribune, and the World Presidents’ Organization. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona with a degree in Finance and earned his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He has been a multiple-year recipient of the Chicago Magazine Five Star Wealth Award, is a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder (CFA®) and has the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation (CAIA®).