International News
Gold, ‘Non-traditional reserve currencies’ eat into U.S. dollar’s reserve dominance: Wolf Richter
Gold and other reserve currencies – but not the euro or renminbi – are steadily eroding the U.S. dollar’s position as the world’s preeminent reserve asset, according to Wolf Richter, analyst and publisher of Wolf Street.

“The status of the US dollar as the dominant global reserve currency has helped the US fund its twin deficits, and thereby has enabled them: the huge fiscal deficit every year and the massive trade deficit every year,” Richter wrote in an article published Monday. “The reserve currency status comes from other central banks (not the Fed) having purchased trillions of USD-denominated assets such as Treasury securities, other government securities, corporate bonds, and even stocks. The dollar status as the dominant reserve currency has been crucial for the US, and as that dominance declines ever so slowly, risks pile up ever so slowly.”
Total holdings of USD-denominated securities by other central banks (not the Fed) fell by $59 billion to $6.63 trillion at the end of 2024, from $6.69 trillion at the end of 2023,” he noted. “And the dollar’s share declined to 57.8% of total allocated exchange reserves at the end of 2024, the lowest since 1994, down by 7.3 percentage points in 10 years, as central banks have been diversifying their holdings for years to assets denominated in currencies other than the dollar, and into gold.”
International News
U.S. specialty jewellery retailers recorded a 5.7% y-o-y revenue increase in Sept 2026:Tenoris
The growth continues to be driven primarily by high-end purchases rather than sales volume. Average consumer spend per item jumped 11% in September, offsetting an 11% drop in sales volume for lower-priced merchandise.
U.S. specialty jewelry retailers recorded a 5.7% year-over-year revenue increase in September 2026, extending nearly two years of continuous monthly growth despite broader economic headwinds, according to new data from industry analytics firm Tenoris. Year-to-date jewelry revenues are now up 8.5%.
The growth continues to be driven primarily by high-end purchases rather than sales volume. Average consumer spend per item jumped 11% in September, offsetting an 11% drop in sales volume for lower-priced merchandise.
Key insights from the September report include:
- Diamond Market Dynamics: Sales of finished diamond jewelry dipped slightly by 0.6%, though average spending per stone rose 11%.
- Lab-Grown Segment: Demand for lab-grown diamond jewelry surged nearly 26% year-over-year. However, revenue for loose lab-grown diamonds fell for a fifth straight month due to declining prices.
- Outperforming Broader Luxury: While overall U.S. luxury spending fell 6% in September—according to recent Citi credit card data—jewelry sales remained comparatively resilient, driven by affluent buyers.
When overall revenue increases even as the number of individual items sold drops, it creates a optical illusion of growth. On paper, top-line financial performance looks strong, but underneath, the business is relying on fewer transactions at much higher prices.Heading into the high-volume fourth quarter—driven by holiday shopping—this dynamic presents specific operational challenges and strategic risks for jewelry retailers.
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