John Kaiser of Kaiser Research shared his thoughts on gold, honing in on why interest in gold and gold stocks remains relatively low even though the metal has been trading at or near all-time highs.

In his view, part of the issue is the disappearance of the traditional gold bug — Kaiser explained that this has come about due to former US President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party.

‘The traditional things that Republicans were concerned about — they’re no longer concerned about that. They are now into crypto and stuff like that. So gold has been in a sense orphaned from the traditional audience,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Democrats tend to have little interest in the yellow metal or the related equities.

Another contributing factor is the ongoing shift away from the US dollar. Kaiser said this has created a sense that America has peaked, and is now heading into a decline relative to other countries.

‘That’s also not a really good talking point for a traditional gold bug,’ he noted.

When asked what could catalyze interest in gold and gold stocks, he pointed to the US election. ‘Regardless of the outcome, we’re going to see gold trend higher, and that’s I think going to be the trigger,’ Kaiser said.

He also discussed issues facing junior miners right now and how they can be addressed, touching on intraday naked shorting, accredited investor requirements and slow permitting times.

In closing, he shared four stocks he’s watching: Vista Gold (TSX:VGZ,NYSEAMERICAN:VGZ), Solitario Resources (TSX:SLR,NYSEAMERICAN:XPL), PJX Resources (TSXV:PJX,OTCQB:PJXRF) and Nevada Organic Phosphate (CSE:NOP).

Watch the interview for Kaiser’s full thoughts on those topics and more.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.