Investors have ploughed billions of dollars into the quest to send earthlings into the stars. Astronomers’ discovery that a faraway planet teems with molecules usually produced by living organisms suggests it’s time to apply a non-zero probability to an alternative scenario: one where extraterrestrials come to us. The most important question, naturally, is how to position a stock portfolio accordingly.
First: plan for uncertainty. Initial contact will inevitably cause a rush for safe haven assets. As far as gold is concerned, an extraterrestrial arrival in the near future would be inconveni