"Krone" guest commentary

Gold, silver, crypto: on the chocolate side

Christian Baha is a stock market expert and founded Austria's first stock exchange terminal in 1993, which delivers data in real time. In 1996, he established the world's first hedge fund for private investors. Baha has always pursued the vision of making funds for wealthy individuals accessible to smaller investors.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

2024 was one of the most exciting financial years in history. Congratulations to all "Krone" readers who followed my recommendations. Those who bet on gold silvered their profits by a whopping 34% in the previous year. Silver yielded a return of just under 30 percent.

But those who heeded my advice not to disregard cryptos were certainly the happiest: Not least due to the election victory of Bitcoin fan Donald Trump, crypto money finally became socially acceptable. Blackrock's Bitcoin ETF proved to be the fastest growing index fund in history - eleven months after its launch, it was already worth 50 billion dollars. Bitcoin gained an incredible 114 percent.

Equities also made good money in 2024: the US S&P 500 index rose by 23% over the course of the year. Bonds, on the other hand, which are considered safe, suffered: US government bonds lost 13%. Important commodities rose exorbitantly: coffee became 70 percent more expensive over the course of the year, orange juice 80 percent. Particularly bitter for all those who see chocolate as a delicate temptation: The price of cocoa tripled in 2024.

There is no better advice for 2025 than to diversify your investments, taking into account both the oldest and the youngest global currencies. Up to ten percent gold. Up to two percent crypto. Then even the most expensive piece of chocolate is always included.