Gold M&A Watch: Barrick is reportedly exploring a ~$30B Africa-focused tie-up with Endeavour, a potential “merger of equals” that could reshape West African gold supply and investor appetite. Gold Forecast: Goldman Sachs cut its 2026 gold target to $4,900/oz, pointing to delayed Fed cuts and rate expectations through 2027—while still framing gold’s bull case around central-bank buying. Copper Tightness: Copper’s 2026 outlook is shifting toward a structural shortage narrative as AI data centers and electrification collide with years of underinvestment; forecasts range from deficits to “tight surplus,” keeping the pricing debate hot. Copper Project Economics: Surge Copper’s Berg study flags huge upside leverage to spot prices (C$9.4B NPV8% at June 2026 spots), while Bougainville’s Panguna licence revocation raises supply and jurisdiction risk for copper majors. Aluminium Supply Shock: Goldman Sachs expects aluminium prices to stay elevated near-term on Middle East outages into 2027, but a China-Indonesia supply wave should swing the market back toward surplus next year. AI + Markets: Micron shares surge ahead of Q3 results as AI-driven memory demand lifts optimism; meanwhile, Apple warns smartphone price hikes may weigh on shipments. Macro + Risk: India’s Sensex/Nifty snapped a winning streak as IT stocks sold off after Accenture’s guidance cut, with US-Iran peace talks and oil as key near-term swing factors. Housing Policy: NSW is moving toward modular housing via a manufacturing partnership, while Australia’s property “quitters” rise as affordability and tax changes cool demand. Energy Transition Politics: The Trump administration agreed to reimburse Invenergy to end offshore wind leases, underscoring policy risk for renewables even as solar remains the cheaper scaling bet. Prediction Markets: Charles Schwab is challenging Kalshi as prediction-market trading volumes surge, adding a new layer to how investors price outcomes.