The Indicator NPR hide caption

The Indicator NPR hide caption

TOPSHOT - A worker polishes gold bullion bars at the ABC Refinery in Sydney. DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

TOPSHOT - A worker polishes gold bullion bars at the ABC Refinery in Sydney.

The best economic fortune tellers are back in town. Amongst traders, metals are known for their ability to forecast turning points. When the economy is doing well, prices of base metals like copper rise. On the opposite side of the coin, prices of precious metals like gold fall.

But what happens when both copper and gold prices spiral down? Find out the magical forces causing this out-of-the-ordinary trend in today's uncertain economy.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: Twitter / Facebook / Newsletter.

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PocketCasts and NPR One.