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Category Archives: GLD

It’s Starting Again!

17 Tuesday Feb 2009

Posted by jschulmansr in 10 year Treasuries, 20 yr Treasuries, banking crisis, banks, Barack Obama, bear market, bull market, capitalism, central banks, China, commodities, Contrarian, Copper, Credit Default, Currencies, currency, Currency and Currencies, DGP, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, economic, Economic Recovery, economic trends, Fed Fund Rate, Federal Deficit, federal reserve, Finance, financial, Forex, Fundamental Analysis, futures, futures markets, gata, GDX, GLD, gold, Gold Bullion, Gold Investments, gold miners, hard assets, How To Invest, How To Make Money, hyper-inflation, IAU, IMF, India, inflation, Investing, investments, Junior Gold Miners, Latest News, Long Bonds, Make Money Investing, market crash, Markets, mid-tier, mining companies, mining stocks, monetization, Moving Averages, palladium, platinum, platinum miners, precious metals, price, price manipulation, prices, producers, production, rare earth metals, run on banks, silver, silver miners, sovereign, spot price, stagflation, Stimulus, Stocks, TARP, Technical Analysis, TIPS, Today, U.S., U.S. Dollar, XAU

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It’s starting again, time to get aboard now, next stop $1000 to $1500! Gold cleared the $950 price mark today with a vengeance. During trading today Gold was up over $970 oz and closing at $967.50 up $25.30. Today’s main headline on MarketWatch was “Bears test November lows- Technical support levels in peril; Investors pile into Gold, Treasuries”. As I have mentioned in a recent post about Gold if we successfully clear and close above the $950 – $960 level the Gold will zoom up and have a retest of the all time highs! To answer my question I posted here… Gold has passed it’s first test with an A++. If you haven’t already invested in gold and precious metals you definitely need to do so now! Some of the following articles explain why… – Good Investing – jschulmansr

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Here is where I buy my bullion:

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online –Get 1 Gram Free! Just for Opening and Account, No minimums, Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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Don’t Kick Yourself Later for Not Buying Gold and Silver Now – Seeking Alpha

By: Peter Cooper of Arabian Money.net

Gold is powering up towards $1,000 an ounce, and while the odd hesitation along the way is possible it will shortly cross this boundary, hit a new all-time high and then head upwards again.

A trend is your friend, especially if you take advantage of it. For gold the question is how best to leverage the up trend.

Gold and silver stocks are the answer. Conveniently precious metal stocks got really thrashed last autumn – along with gold and silver and every other asset class except bonds. So they are dirt cheap.

Rising prices

But will gold and silver equities not fall again if global stock markets tank, as they surely must with profit forecasts for the non-financials still ludicrously optimistic (face facts, for many major companies there will be losses and not profits in 2009)?

No they will not if precious metal prices are rising – and not falling as they did last autumn. And why will gold and silver prices keep on rising this time?

Well, investors are now very worried about bonds and currency rates, and that leaves gold and silver as the last safe haven in the investment universe. If there is only one investment class left to buy that ought to simplify things for investors.

Rising profits

Gold and silver producers are also big beneficiaries of falling energy prices this year, as up to a quarter of production costs go on energy. In addition, most mines are in non-dollar economies, so manufacturers have costs in depreciated currencies and income in the strong dollar.

That means that even if precious metal prices stagnate – and that looks highly unlikely – gold and silver producers are among the only commodity producers that will see profits jump in 2009.

My blog contains many articles on gold and silver which can point you towards some of the better, and riskier equity investments in this sector, and taking a risk in a rising market usually pays off handsomely.

The people who will be kicking themselves later in the year will be those who do not buy gold and silver stocks now.

This reminds me of my warning to those who did not buy Dubai property when they first had the chance, and even after a 50 per cent fall in house prices they are still 300 per cent up on their original investment!

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My Note: If you have been following my Blog “Dare Something Worthy Today Too!”, for any length of time this is exactly what I have been saying – many gold and silver stocks with production are still selling at or near book values! -jschulmansr

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online –Get 1 Gram Free! Just for Opening and Account, No minimums, Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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Gold Strikes Record Levels in Most Currencies – Seeking Alpha

By: Toni Straka of The Prudent Investor

With all equities markets deep in the red, MSM and bloggers have missed out on this easy scoop for several weeks: Gold currently strikes new all-time highs in most currencies. This sensational news, omitted in all those media that are normally quick to recommend this or that paper ‘asset’, which in the end is always only somebody else’s obligation, can be revealed at this blog exclusively, a Google news search shows. 😉

Gold traded for more than €771 and GBP 682 for the first time in history. The strong rise in the price of gold to new historic records in most countries except the USA is a logical reaction to the credit and solvency crisis that engulfs the globe as investors, nervous about a total market fallout, flee all paper promises and seek a truly safe haven.

Gold has never lost its value in more than 3,500 years, whereas no fiat currency survived longer than a human’s lifespan so far. Check out its resistance against inflation here.

click to enlarge

GRAPH: Gold priced in Euro has been on a tear since late November. It also outpaced all other asset classes. Chart courtesy of Stockcharts.com

I have been recommending investments in gold and mining shares since 2005. Licking my wounds from last year’s biggest and longest decline in this equity sector in 80 years, I will at least have a story to tell to my grandchildren.

But the fundamental outlook has only worsened in the past 4 years. Having correctly called for a sharp economic downturn in the USA since 2005, I nevertheless failed to recognize the dramatic situation in the Eurozone and the recent hard landing of China. This worsening global situation only underscores the value of holding the only asset that is not someone else’s obligation. The Euro is as doomed as are Federal Reserve Notes and nobody outside the UK cares about Sterling anymore.

We are about to witness the era of busted major fiat currencies that will go out the same way as did all unbacked fiat curencies in the past 1,000 years.

The Chinese tried it in the 11th century and it ended in a revolt. The same happened in France in the 18th century where it gave birth to the Republic. The decline of the Austro-Hungarian empire in WWI came on the heels of hyper-inflation and Germany’s fate could have taken another turn in the 1920s, if it were not for the hyper-inflation that paved the way for Adolf Hitler.

Unfortunately, we could very well end up as happened in past crises, with everyone a millionaire beggar.

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Bullish Long Term Outlook for Gold – Seeking Alpha

By: Peter Degraaf of pdegraaf.com

The long-term outlook for gold is very bullish, for to paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill’s famous remark, “never before in history have so many dollars chased so few ounces of gold (and silver)”.* The mountains of currency are rising, while the number of ounces of gold produced by gold mines is dropping.

The passing of the Stimulus Bill, referred to by some as the Porkulus Bill, will add billions of dollars to an already ballooning deficit. Instead of allowing the excesses in the credit markets to work themselves out by letting healthy institutions prosper, while allowing unhealthy institutions to fail, the new administration, aided by Congress, is throwing gasoline at the fire by rewarding shoddy business practices. People like Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd, who strong-armed the banking industry to make questionable mortgage loans, are now helping to shape the decisions that will prolong the problems. The foxes are still in the henhouse.

In the 1960’s it was James U. Blanchard III who pointed to the growing US deficits as the trigger that would cause gold prices to rise. In those days the deficits were still counted in millions of dollars. One wonders what Jim would say about deficits that are now counted in trillions of dollars. His advice would surely be: “Buy Gold”.

It was my pleasure to meet Jim Blanchard at one of his hard money conferences in New Orleans. Jim founded the National Committee to legalize the ownership of gold in the USA. In 1973, during the inauguration of President Nixon, Jim hired a small plane that flew near the inauguration site towing a banner that read: “Legalize Gold”.

Jim did everything with style and ingenuity. During one of his conferences he needed to move about one thousand of us from the convention hotel to a nearby convention center. He hired a marching band, and while police controlled several intersections the marching band led us to the center.

Let’s now look at some charts.

Featured is the chart (courtesy www.stockcharts.com that compares the price of gold to the XAU index (top), and compares this picture to the HUI index (bottom). The blue vertical lines draw your attention to a ‘link’ when the Gold/XAU rises above 5 and the HUI index begins a multi-month rise from a bottom. The red vertical line points to the only exception to this trend, since 2002. In that last seven years this early warning signal has worked 7 out of 8 times.

The last link is the ‘mother of all signals’, as the index rose to a record high of 11.5, while the Huey put in a four year bottom.

According to research done by John Hussman, in the past, when the gold/XAU ratio reached a point above 5, while the ISM purchasing managers index registers a reading below 50 (indicating the US manufacturing sector is decreasing), gold shares advanced at an annual rate of 125%. The current reading for the PMI is 35.6%, while the gold/XAU is at 7.2.

Featured is the ‘real interest rate’ chart, as reported by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The bank shows the real rate at zero percent, having risen up from -3%. If we use the figures supplied by John Williams (see next chart), we arrive at a negative ‘real interest rate’ of -3.5%. Unless and until real rates turn positive by at least 2%, and for at least 6 months, we can depend on gold continuing its bull market rise.

This chart courtesy www.shadowstats.com compares the official CPI rate in orange to the John Williams interpretation in blue. With the Williams CPI-U at 3.5% and short-term bills at 0% interest, the ‘real interest rates’ are negative by 3.5%.

Featured is a chart (courtesy www.stockcharts.com) that compares the HUI index to the US dollar for the year 2005. For those who feel that gold stocks cannot rise unless the US dollar falls, this chart tells us that both gold stocks and the US dollar ended the year higher than at the start of the year.

As long as other currencies, such as the Euro, Yen, Pound and Canadian dollar are having problems of their own (caused by monetary inflation), the US dollar does not need fall, and gold and gold stocks can still rise.

Featured is the weekly gold chart (courtesy www.stockcharts.com). The blue arrows point to bottoms in the 7 – 8 week gold cycle. The last 3 cycles were short, thus the expectation is that we are due for a longer one, perhaps 9 or 10 weeks. The black arrow points to the upside breakout that occurred last week. This breakout came from beneath resistance that went back all the way to March 2008 AD. The green arrow points to the target for this breakout. The supporting indicators (RSI & MACD) are positive, with room on the upside.

The Gold Direction Indicator moved up from a reading of + 20% on Feb. 9th, when gold bullion was 895.00, to the current reading of +60% with gold bullion at 941.00.

Featured is the weekly silver chart (courtesy www.stockcharts.com) . Price has risen four weeks in a row and is expected to meet resistance at the purple arrow. Once this resistance is overcome, the target is at the green arrow. The supporting indicators, (RSI & MACD), are positive with room to rise.

Featured is the price progression for silver during the past five years (annual average – data supplied by the Silver Institute).

Summary: Last week’s breakout by the gold price confirms that the Christmas rally that started in November is ongoing. In the short-term we can expect a lot of volatility, as commercial traders and bullion banks that are ‘short’ gold will do their utmost to suppress the price. They will do this by testing the current breakout. They will use the threat of ‘asset deflation’ (which has nothing to do with the effects of monetary inflation, which always leads to price inflation), and they will use the threat of IMF gold sales to try to cap the gold price rallies.

In the longer term the huge increases in currency (both paper and digital), on a worldwide basis, tell us that the gold bull still has a lot of running room left.

*(“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few” – Sir Winston Churchill referring to the Battle of Britain).

DISCLAIMER: Please do your own due diligence. I am NOT responsible for your trading decisions.- P. Degraaf

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online –Get 1 Gram Free! Just for Opening and Account, No minimums, Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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Upwrds momentum builds as gold breaches $950 – MineWeb

Source: MineWeb.com

EXPLOSIVE INCREASE AHEAD?

Upwards momentum builds as

gold breaches $950

The gold price this morning moved quickly through the psychological $950 an ounce level and predictions of $1000 gold being seen sooner rather than later seem far from far-fetched.

Author: Lawrence Williams
Posted:  Tuesday , 17 Feb 2009

LONDON –

In what has been a relatively steady climb over the past few weeks, gold moved back well above the psychological $950 an ounce mark in this morning’s trading (over $960 at the time of writing) – the first time in seven months it has achieved this level – while silver was approaching $14 an ounce, being pulled upwards by the gold price.  Platinum and palladium were also better as platinum maintained its differential price advantage over gold.

Indeed gold looked poised to move higher still with ETF inflows continuing and a glimmer of renewed demand interest in India as sentiment may be moving towards a growing feeling that the price is poised to increase further.  Previously India, the world’s largest area of consumption,  has seen gold sales and imports at their lowest level for some time with traders anticipating lower prices.  Today, though, the gold price in rupees hit a new record at over 15,000 rupees per 10 grams and there has been wide expectation of the price moving to 16,000 rupees in the short term with open interest in metal for April increasing a little.

In the Far East in general there appears to be a movement into gold developing strongly as the stock market continues to drift downwards.  The market has seen the dollar price gold consolidating above $930 of late and there has been a strong feeling that the metal is poised to move higher which is now turning into real purchases and becoming reality.

Bloomberg reports that there is also talk of Central Banks buying gold rather than selling .  The newswire quotes Steven Zhu of Shanghai Tonglian Futures Co. as saying “There’s been a lot of talk about central banks buying but they are quiet about it because they don’t want to disrupt the market, so the market tends to react when there’s some fresh news.”   There is also a report today that Russia’s Central Bank has raised gold’s share of its reserves and plans to continue doing so.

To an extent $950 an ounce is seen by some as an important trigger point towards the movement to $1,000 gold and it certainly seems that the momentum is with the yellow metal at the moment.  Stock markets remain weak, and in reality there seems to be little but gloomy news ahead.  Economies are very definitely in recession and confidence in the dollar is not strong.  Gold is increasingly being seen by many as the best way of protecting wealth in the current environment.

The only weakness has been the fall-off in demand from the traditionally strong Eastern markets, and if the realization that gold is more likely to move higher than fall back takes serious hold there then, coupled with the continuing movement by western investors into gold, the price increase could accelerate.  $1,000 gold may be with us again sooner than expected and this time there is a growing feeling that it could stay there for an extended period.  Virtually no-one seems to be betting against this occurring in the very short term – indeed as momentum builds, which it appears to be doing, there could be an explosive price increase ahead in the months ahead.

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online –Get 1 Gram Free! Just for Opening and Account, No minimums, Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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Remember: Don’t Forget about Silver too!

Listed Gold and Silver Stocks Soar – Mineweb

Source: Mineweb.com

SILVER BEST PERFORMING

Listed gold (and silver) stocks soar

Gold bullion, and listed gold stocks, decouple from a strange and troubled world.

Author: Barry Sergeant
Posted:  Tuesday , 17 Feb 2009

JOHANNESBURG –

Precious metal prices moved strongly higher on Tuesday, led by gold bullion, which hopped more than USD 30 an ounce to above USD 970 at one stage, prompting yet another sparkling performance by listed gold equities. Gold bullion is currently trading around seven month highs, and just 6% below the record level it set in March 2008.

At just over USD 14 an ounce, silver is around 34% off its record highs, while platinum at USD 1,085 an ounce is 52% off, and palladium at USD 219 an ounce, a significant 63% off.  Demand for platinum group metals has been deeply damaged by reduced demand from the auto sector, which uses the metals in auto catalysts.

Silver stocks, which command a combined global market value (capitalisation) of USD 13bn, currently rank as the best performing equity sub-sector in the world, led by stellar performances from  Silver Standard, Fresnillo, and First Majestic. The global grouping of primary silver producers is relatively small, given that the majority of silver is produced as a byproduct at bigger mines; BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest diversified resources stock, ranks as the world’s biggest silver miner.

There are, however, hundreds of listed stocks that rank as primary gold producers. This global grouping currently carries a combined market value of just over USD 230bn, dominated by Tier I stocks; Barrick, the world’s biggest gold name by production and value, currently holds a market value of just below USD 34bn. This ranks Barrick as the world’s No 5 overall mining stock, after BHP Billiton, Vale, Shenhua, and Rio Tinto. Two other Tier I gold producers, Goldcorp and Newmont, now also rank as members of the world’s top 10 mining groups.

While silver stocks, as the small cousin of precious metals, may rank as top equity performers, on a relative basis, the Tier II gold grouping, seen alone, ranks as the world’s leading equity subsector. Some of the top performances in this grouping have been produced by recovery stocks such as Centerra, while JSC Polymetal represents the recovery Russian stock, from a jurisdiction where stock prices were savaged to an extent rarely seen elsewhere.

It is also of interest that some stocks in the global Tier II gold grouping are currently trading close to 12-month highs – a factor virtually unthinkable in any other sector – as seen in the cases of Iamgold, Eldorado, Red Back, and also Franco-Nevada, a royalty, rather than operating, company. It is of further interest that investors have at long last started to move back into Chinese gold stocks in the past few weeks, benefiting the likes of Zijin (Tier I), Zhongjin, and Shandong (Tier II), and Hunan Chenzhou and Lingbao (Tier III).

The SPDR Gold Shares exchange traded fund (ETF), which holds gold bullion on behalf of investors, rather than mining the stuff, is close to trading at all time record levels. The fund currently holds physical gold bullion worth just under USD 31bn; if it were an operating entity, it would rank second only to Barrick. However, if other gold ETFs around the world are also taken into account, the amount of bullion currently held on behalf of investors is worth well above USD 40bn. Silver ETFs, which are trading in price terms in line with silver bullion’s 34% discount from its record high, currently hold close to USD 4bn worth of physical metal.

In terms of individual performances by gold stocks, the top overall Tier I performance award is probably deserved by Kinross; the Tier II award is most difficult, but would likely go to Iamgold, while Novagold appears to be a clear winner among the Tier III grouping. Among developers and explorers, spectacular performances have been put in by La Mancha Resources, Azteca Gold, and San Anton Resource; Central Sun Mining has also shown radical price moves, possibly assisted by corporate action.

Global tier I gold stocks      
  Stock From From Value  
  price high* low* USD bn  
Goldcorp USD 32.66 -38.0% 136.0% 23.829  
Polyus USD 32.00 -60.0% 128.6% 6.100  
Harmony USD 11.96 -17.9% 118.6% 5.005  
Lihir AUD 3.47 -21.0% 128.3% 4.840  
AngloGold Ashanti USD 31.10 -20.5% 132.6% 10.995  
Zijin CNY 8.28 -62.4% 120.2% 12.475  
Barrick USD 38.71 -29.3% 124.1% 33.773  
Newcrest AUD 34.28 -15.4% 107.1% 10.502  
Gold Fields USD 11.47 -31.9% 147.2% 7.495  
Kinross USD 19.36 -29.3% 182.6% 12.875  
Newmont USD 42.60 -22.8% 101.2% 20.152  
Buenaventura USD 21.75 -49.3% 141.7% 5.979  
Freeport-McMoRan USD 27.89 -78.1% 77.6% 11.469  
[[SPDR Gold Shares ETF]] USD 95.28 -5.1% 44.4% 30.709  
Tier I averages/total -36.6% 126.6% 165.489  
Weighted averages -43.4% 122.9%    
         
TIER II Stock From From Value  
  price high* low* USD bn  
Zhongjin CNY 50.48 -58.8% 121.4% 2.594  
Iamgold USD 8.24 -4.8% 271.3% 2.437  
Simmer & Jack ZAR 3.24 -48.7% 120.4% 0.335  
Yamana USD 9.42 -52.7% 184.6% 6.903  
High River CAD 0.13 -96.4% 212.5% 0.058  
Eldorado USD 8.68 -7.1% 264.7% 3.197  
Agnico-Eagle USD 55.42 -33.6% 165.5% 8.577  
Centerra CAD 5.23 -66.2% 481.1% 0.895  
Randgold Resources USD 48.49 -13.8% 117.6% 3.709  
Shandong CNY 66.94 -43.5% 153.6% 3.406  
Peter Hambro GBP 5.66 -63.3% 262.8% 0.785  
Hecla Mining USD 1.77 -86.5% 78.9% 0.385  
Golden Star USD 1.69 -60.9% 322.5% 0.315  
Franco-Nevada CAD 27.20 -0.1% 134.1% 2.158  
Fresnillo GBP 4.00 -30.4% 330.1% 4.094  
JSC Polymetal USD 5.30 -46.2% 430.0% 1.670  
Red Back CAD 8.50 -8.1% 197.2% 1.533  
New Gold CAD 2.93 -69.9% 211.7% 0.493  
Northgate CAD 1.74 -50.1% 159.7% 0.352  
Tier II averages/total -44.3% 222.1% 43.897  
Weighted averages -42.3% 188.1%    
           
TIER III Stock From From Value  
  price high* low* USD bn  
Western Goldfields CAD 2.35 -40.8% 370.0% 0.254  
Great Basin CAD 2.10 -45.2% 130.8% 0.357  
Sino Gold AUD 5.59 -26.6% 135.9% 1.040  
Alamos CAD 8.25 -9.7% 135.7% 0.687  
Highland GBP 0.60 -72.0% 185.7% 0.278  
PanAust AUD 0.17 -86.8% 101.2% 0.167  
Kingsgate AUD 4.20 -33.3% 90.9% 0.249  
Int’l Minerals CAD 3.28 -50.7% 180.3% 0.243  
Allied Gold AUD 0.41 -50.3% 121.6% 0.107  
First Uranium CAD 5.15 -45.4% 404.9% 0.617  
Novagold CAD 4.75 -59.4% 900.0% 0.680  
Gold Wheaton CAD 0.29 -84.6% 1325.0% 0.213  
Oxus Gold GBP 0.08 -74.3% 113.9% 0.042  
Pan African GBP 0.04 -47.5% 113.3% 0.063  
Citigold AUD 0.23 -49.4% 50.0% 0.106  
Jaguar CAD 7.15 -47.7% 199.2% 0.362  
Pamodzi Gold ZAR 1.40 -88.3% 185.7% 0.013  
Oceanagold AUD 0.58 -81.9% 286.7% 0.060  
DRDGold ZAR 9.25 -9.8% 223.4% 0.340  
Dominion Mining AUD 4.82 -1.2% 152.4% 0.316  
Avoca Resources AUD 1.92 -34.2% 118.9% 0.338  
Integra Mining AUD 0.23 -67.6% 142.1% 0.057  
Royal Gold USD 43.33 -13.0% 90.5% 1.474  
Hunan Chenzhou CNY 12.84 -62.0% 115.8% 1.005  
Aurizon CAD 4.59 -15.5% 279.3% 0.538  
Kazakh Gold USD 6.80 -74.8% 209.1% 0.285  
Gammon Gold CAD 8.74 -22.0% 226.1% 0.829  
Crew Gold CAD 0.11 -94.6% 110.0% 0.071  
Lingbao HKD 2.42 -56.0% 202.5% 0.093  
Zhao Jin HKD 8.57 -54.7% 360.8% 0.483  
Rusoro Mining CAD 0.70 -63.7% 197.9% 0.216  
Minefinders CAD 6.59 -51.2% 97.9% 0.308  
Andina Minerals CAD 1.98 -57.3% 280.8% 0.125  
Crystallex CAD 0.36 -87.6% 260.0% 0.084  
Ramelius Resources AUD 0.57 -54.0% 52.0% 0.067  
Tanzanian Royalty CAD 4.96 -21.5% 149.2% 0.349  
Minera Andes CAD 0.64 -66.7% 100.0% 0.096  
Semafo CAD 2.07 -1.4% 176.0% 0.381  
Tier III averages/total -50.1% 225.7% 12.991  
Weighted averages -51.9% 170.0%    
                 

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In my opinion you need to move now and move quickly and get on this great Bull Market in Gold and ALL Precious Metals -jschulmansr

My Disclosure: Long Many of the Tier’s 1, 2, 3 mining stocks, Precious Metals Bullion, Long DGP,GDX, CES, ROY. You might say I am a Gold Bug and Proud of it! Good Investing! – jschulmansr

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online –Get 1 Gram Free! Just for Opening and Account, No minimums, Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

============================

Nothing in today’s post should be considered as an offer to buy or sell any securities or other investments, it is presented for informational purposes only. As a good investor, consult your Investment Advisor, Do Your Due Diligence, Read All Prospectus/s and related information carefully before you make any investments. – jschulmansr

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Wake Up Call!

16 Monday Feb 2009

Posted by jschulmansr in 10 year Treasuries, 20 yr Treasuries, Bailout News, banks, Barack Obama, bear market, bull market, capitalism, central banks, China, Comex, commodities, Copper, Currencies, currency, Currency and Currencies, depression, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, economic, Economic Recovery, economic trends, economy, Federal Deficit, federal reserve, Finance, financial, Forex, Fundamental Analysis, futures markets, GDX, GLD, gold, Gold Bullion, Gold Investments, gold miners, hard assets, How To Invest, How To Make Money, hyper-inflation, inflation, Investing, investments, Japan, Jschulmansr, Junior Gold Miners, Latest News, majors, Make Money Investing, market crash, Markets, mid-tier, mining companies, mining stocks, monetization, palladium, Peter Brimelow, physical gold, platinum, platinum miners, precious metals, price, prices, producers, production, rare earth metals, recession, resistance, risk, run on banks, safety, Saudi Arabia, silver, silver miners, small caps, spot, spot price, stagflation, Stimulus, Stocks, The Fed, TIPS, Today, U.S. Dollar, uranium

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The U.S. Markets are closed today yet something very interesting is starting to happen. Can you sense it? The shift from deflation to inflation. The “smart money” big investors are sensing it and starting to jump into Gold in a big way! Gold Prices are holding steady overseas above the $935 support level. Todays articles show the why and how of this move by big money into Gold, read on… and Good Investing! – jschulmansr

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 Something still stirring in precious-metals pond – Market Watch

By: Peter Brimelow of Market Watch

With some wild swings, gold gained about 3% on the week, closing Friday at $941. The Phx Gold Silver Index (XAU:

Technicians were impressed. Long-term chartist Martin Pring is deflationary-minded at present. Two weeks ago, he remarked that if certain trend lines were broken, “I would be dragged kicking and screaming into the bullish camp”. But now he simply says in his recent weekly Intermarket Review: “Not much to add to my recent bullish comments. Both the metals and shares recently broke out of giant patterns … With our Global Gold Index at a new all-time high – enjoy the ride!”
Pring also flags a powerful conceptual reason for the gold move. Discussing a chart of the inflation proofed Treasuries, and using the iShares:Lehm TIPS TIPT as a proxy, Pring says: “Here we see the inflation protected bonds, or TIPs. Who needs these in a deflation? But look, the price just broke to the upside … and volume is expanding! When we look at the longer term we see it’s still in a primary bear market … However this week’s breakout suggests a turn is likely.”
In other words, the bond market is getting seriously concerned about inflation. See Website
The Privateer, being Australian, is even more direct in its weekly remarks: “Why is gold going up? It is certainly not in spite of the global mania for bailout programs now sweeping the world. It is because of these programs. The more ‘liquid’ the global financial powers that be make their money — by creating it in ever larger swathes — the more they run the risk that the world starts to look elsewhere for a viable and trustworthy way to exchange goods and services.”
The Privateer’s invaluable $US 5X3 point and figure chart has now broken above its last downtrend, although its proprietor would like more progress: “This week the chart got up to and just above the second of the two downtrends. The ‘poke’ above the line which came with Gold’s close above $U.S. 945 on Feb. 12 is not yet decisive, a close above $U.S. 960 would be.” See Website
Silver, which I reported last week was exciting the gold bugs by showing unusual leadership characteristics, persisted — rising 3.5% on the week, including on Friday despite gold’s fall, and pushing the Gold/Silver ratio to 68.9 from last week’s 69.5.
But the star of the week was the reported bullion holdings of Spdr Gold Trust. (GLD:
GLD is regarded with deep suspicion by the radical gold bugs who think the metal’s price is manipulated. But at the least it has to been seen as a measure of the Western Hemisphere investment appetite for gold.
In contrast, Le Metropole Cafe monitors Indian gold imports and reports that, unusual in the past few years, the world’s largest gold consumer is standing aside for now. See Website
Interestingly, two sentiment indicators did not react much this past week. Mark Hulbert’s HGNSI on Friday stood unchanged at 60.90%. MarketVane’s Bullish Consensus actually lost a point on Friday to 78%, gaining only 3 points on the week. See Website
In serious gold moves, MarketVane excursions into the 90s are reportedly common.
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Here is where I buy my Bullion, get one free gram of Gold just for opening an account! Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

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Major Investors Piling into Gold – Seeking Alpha
By: James West of Midas Letter

Endeavour Financial Corp (TSX:EDV) closed a $100 million equity offering last week, and several other “bought deal” financings point to a strengthening trend: major investors are piling into gold.

The Offering was underwritten by a syndicate co-led by GMP Securities L.P. and Canaccord Capital Corporation (the “Underwriters”). Endeavour will use the funds to support its investment activity in the mining sector with an emphasis in the short term on precious metals.

The first quarter of 2009 has seen well over $1 billion flow into near term and existing mining companies, which is a reflection of the strong gold price amid safe haven demand. With estimates of U.S. government spending reaching as high as $2 trillion, large value investors are increasingly deterred by U.S. Treasury related securities in favour of precious metals.

  • Newmont Mining (NYSE:NEM), one of the world’s largest gold mining companies, raised US$1.7 billion in a combined common share/convertible debt deal which it will use primarily to fund the acquisition of the remaining 33.33% interest in the Boddington project in Western Australia that it does not already own and the additional capital expenditures that will result from its increased ownership in the Boddington project, as well as for general corporate purposes. Citigroup Global Markets and J.P. Morgan Securities led the placement.
  • Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold (NYSE:FCX) raised US$740 million through the issuance of 26.8 million common shares at $28 per share;
  • Kinross Gold Corporation (KGC) announced a “bought deal” financing for US$360 through the issuance of 24,035,000 million common shares US$17.25 per common share. The underwriters were led by UBS Securities Canada Inc.;
  • Osisko Mining Corporation (OSKFF.PK) entered into another “bought deal” led by Thomas Weisel Partners and BMO Capital Markets. The offering of 77 million units at $CA4.55 a share will gross CA$350.4 million. Osisko is developing the 6.28 million ounce Canadian Malartic Project Quebec.

Smaller deals are becoming more common for junior emerging gold companies as well. Among the recent actions:

  • Centamin Egypt (CELTF.PK) raised $CA69 million through the issuance of 106.2 million shares at CA$0.65 per share for development and construction of the Sukari Project in Egypt. This financing was led by Thomas Weisel Partners and Cormark Securities.
  • Romarco Minerals Inc. (TSX.V:R) announced a bought deal Friday worth $20 million for the development of the Haile Gold Mine in South Carolina. Romarco issued 54 million units at $0.38 each. The financing was led by a syndicate of underwriters led by Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. and including Paradigm Capital Inc. and GMP Securities L.P.
  • International Tower Hill Mines (THM) sold 2 million common shares at $2.50 per share for gross proceeds of CA$5 million, which will be directed towards further development of its projects in Alaska and Nevada. The placement was a “bought deal” led by a syndicate of underwriters led by Canaccord Capital Corporation and including Genuity Capital Markets and GMP Securities L.P.
  • Exeter Resource Corporation (AMEX:XRA) raised CA$25.2 million at $2.40 a share for development of its assets in Argentina and Chile.

And it isn’t just gold that is attracting big financing. On February 10th, Uranium One (SXRZF.PK) announced a $270 million investment by a Japanese Consortium comprised of Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated (TKECF.PK), Toshiba Corporation (TOSBF.PK), and The Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

Concurrently with the execution of the subscription agreement, Uranium One has also entered into a long-term off-take agreement and a strategic relationship agreement with the Japanese consortium, both of which will become effective upon closing of the private placement.

The off-take agreement provides the consortium with an option to purchase, on industry-standard terms, up to 20% of Uranium One’s available production from assets in respect of which Uranium One has the marketing rights.

Junior Uranium company First Uranium Corp. (FURAF.PK) was also the beneficiary of a bought deal financing led by Macquarie Capital Markets this week, which saw First Uranium place 20.5 million units of its shares at $3.00 per unit for gross proceeds of $61.5 million. First Uranium will direct the funds towards the development of the Ezulwini Mine in South Africa.

Endeavour Financial is followed by many analysts and newsletter writers for its robust project pipeline.

Brien Lundin, who publishes the Gold Newsletter, says one of the main reasons he follows Endeavour Financials is because of management – especially Mr. Frank Giustra. He says this team now senses a market bottom, as they are raising capital to go after assets that now cost a fraction of what they did last year, or even six months ago. He intimates strongly that his subscribers should do the same, using Endeavour as their proxy. A mix of entrepreneurial expertise and value investing, he outlines what the smart money is doing now.

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Here is where I buy my Bullion, get one free gram of Gold just for opening an account! Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

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Gold: Now Demonstrating Trust in Obama – Seeking Alpha

By: Boris Sobolev of Resource Stock Guide

Gold is Starting to Believe the Obama Administration

Despite making loud headlines about stimulating the economy, the US government has been unable to raise the level of optimism among the general public, while the stock market seemed to drop into a deep state of apathy.  

 

Last week we received the long-awaited economic stimulus packet as well as the so-called plan for the rescue of the US financial system. We have already voiced our skepticism regarding the structure of the stimulus and its potential effect on the economy in a prior article.

 

As far as the size of the $787 billion package, it is clear that it is too small and too spread out into 2010 and beyond to be called a stimulus. $787 billion is just 5.6% of the GDP and when spread over two years will account for just 2.8% at a time when many industrial economies around the world are contracting by 5-10% per year. It can only be called a life support package, not a stimulus.

Japan, which got into a deflationary spiral as a result of a real estate bust, spent much more than 100% of its GDP since 1991 just to see its economy stagnate. Construction related investment alone ate up $6.3 trillion of public funds over the 17 years since 1991. Infrastructure spending accounted for $350 billion to $400 billion per year for the first half of the 1990s for an economy half the size of the United States.

The results of the Japanese fiscal stimulus were unimpressive, although it could be argued that without this stimulus, it could have been much worse.

With the United States facing similar post bubble dynamics as Japan did twenty years ago, how can we expect greater effectiveness of the Obama stimulus plan when it is insufficient and much of is clearly misdirected?

In reality, this economic stimulus package has to be viewed as only the first one of many yet to come. By having the US dollar as a world reserve currency, the US government can be much more effective than its Japanese counterpart in printing its own currency.

We will soon be quantifying the size of the government stimulus plans in trillions rather than in billions. Within the next 3 to 4 years, government spending can easily reach $10 trillion, doubling the size of the US government debt.

One of the main problems with this crisis is that the majority of the debt bubble is related to residential real estate, which does not produce cash flow, but only seems to eat it up. As home prices decline and unemployment rises, debt serviceability is worsening dramatically.

In order to avoid social unrest and to maintain popularity, the Democratic majority will face two realistic options which could begin to address the economic disaster:

  1. Forgive portions of mortgage debt which cannot be serviced. But who will pay for the losses – clearly not the weak banks. Uncle Sam would pick up the tab by printing more currency.
  2. Print new dollars to increase the nominal income of the indebted population through tax cuts, job creation, jobless benefits and various social spending.

There is no other politically possible way out of this mess other than to run the printing press. The way of the free market via bankruptcies is not popular so there is no sense to even discuss it.

Within hours President Obama will sign the stimulus into law, but we are sure that this is just the beginning of the government spending campaign.

As far as the US banks, the new US Treasury Secretary seems to be mimicking his predecessor, Hank Paulson. The essence of the announced “plan” is as follows: “We are absolutely sure that we will save our banking system, but are yet unsure of how we will do so. We will find out very soon, however. Stay tuned”.

While not knowing what to do with the banking system, the government is trying to temporarily act as one. The only specific point in Geithner’s announcement is the plan to increase the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) facility from $200 billion to $1 trillion. This joint initiative with the Federal Reserve expands the resources of the previously announced, but not yet implemented TALF.

In essence, TALF will support the purchase of loans by providing the financing to private investors. In theory, this should help unfreeze and lower interest rates for auto, small business, credit card and other consumer and business credit. Treasury will use $100 billion to leverage $1 trillion of lending from the Federal Reserve. The TALF, which will potentially have greater effect than the stimulus plan, passed in a blink of an eye without any debate.

The markets around the world have deteriorated in deep state of indifference to the first round of actions of the new US government. Only gold is starting to demonstrate its trust in the Democratic majority. Since the inauguration, investors poured $6 billion into gold purchases through GLD alone. This is an increase of 210 tonnes in gold holdings or 24% in less than a month.

click to enlarge

Huge investment demand around the world has put an end to a steep gold correction of the second half of 2008. Most intermediate and long term technical indicators for gold have turned decisively bullish. A test of new highs by gold is very probable this spring.

In sum, gold investors are starting to believe that the Obama Administration sees one way out of economic problems which will for sure resurrect inflation.

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My Note: Did you catch that? They’re believing alright, not that Obama will get the situation fixed, just that he will cause inflation; yes even hyper-inflation , maybe even stagflation! Jump into Gold now before it’s too late… -jschulmansr

 

Here is where I buy my Bullion, get one free gram of Gold just for opening an account! Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

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Moody’s, S&P Dole Out Global Downgrades – Time to Go Gold? – Seeking Alpha

By: Mark O’Byrne of Gold and Silver Investments

 Gold rose again on Thursday, briefly rising above $950/oz and was up 0.6% on the day. Determined selling on the open in Asia saw gold fall and profit taking has seen gold fall in Asia and in early trading in London. This is to be expected as gold had risen by more than 15% in less than a month.

 

 

US, UK Credit Ratings Look Set to Be Downgraded

The credit rating agency Moody’s has said that the UK and US credit ratings were being “tested”. In a novel and somewhat bizarre departure, Moody’s has split various “AAA” sovereign countries into three categories based on their strength in weathering the economic storm, denoting Ireland and Spain as the weakest, with the UK and US somewhere in the middle and Germany, France, Canada and the Scandinavian nations at the top.

This will in time be seen as gimmickry. Standard and Poor’s have already downgraded Spain to AA+ and did not create sub grades within the credit rating system.

Some have criticized Moody’s for being “unfair” to Ireland, Spain, the UK and US and have argued that these agencies previously gave almost everybody good ratings, and underestimated risks, but were now going to the other extreme.

This is errant nonsense and the unfortunate fact is that Moody’s, the other credit rating agencies and the vested interests in the financial services industry continue to underestimate risks, as they have done for months and years.

Given the massive deterioration in the public finances and economies of these nations, by right they should be downgraded and unfortunately in the coming months they will inevitably be downgraded.

But Moody’s and all the rating agencies realize that this would compound an already disastrous financial and economic crisis. Many pension funds internationally have mandates or investment guidelines to only invest in “AAA” rated government bonds and if these countries bonds were downgraded, they would be forced to sell those bonds en masse. This would likely see a crash in the already very overvalued government bond markets and see long term interest rates rise quickly and sharply.

The creditors of the US in Russia and China have rightly criticized the ratings agencies for their highly irresponsible practices in recent years and are increasingly nervous about their US denominated assets.

Ratings agency Standard and Poor’s in January downgraded Spain’s sovereign debt rating to “AA+” from “AAA” in January, citing insufficient means to deal with weak growth and a ballooning budget deficit. As they did the sovereign rating of New Zealand. The fiscal position in the UK and US is arguably much worse than in these two countries (Martin Wolf of the Financial Times recently said that major US banks, with their humongous Wall Street liabilities, are insolvent) and thus it seems inevitable that the UK and US will be downgraded in the coming months.

If the US is downgraded, then in effect the reserve currency of the world is being downgraded and this has huge implications for the international monetary system. Not surprisingly there have been op-ed pieces in the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal calling for a return to some form of gold standard.

The governments of the world are nationalizing and socializing the meltdown in the shadow banking system and the international system with potentially disastrous consequences for us all.

Conditions are set to get markedly worse before they get better and the experience of Argentina and other previously wealthy South American countries may be instructive. The IMF is called in and there are structural adjustments, social services are affected or discontinued, banks nationalized, savings inaccessible, food and energy insecurity rise.

This is a potential reality for large western economies, especially if governments keep trying to inflate their way out of the current crisis. This is leading to massive currency debasement and will potentially lead to very significant stagflation and maybe even what could be called hyper stagflation.

Now more than ever, it is essential that individual savers and investors, companies, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds have an allocation to and directly own actual physical gold bullion. Paper exchange traded funds with all the attendant counter party, custodian, sub custodian, auditing and indemnification risk are speculative trading vehicles and not physical gold.

In these unprecedented economic times, it is irresponsible and extremely high risk not to have an allocation to gold bullion in an investment portfolio.

Disclosure: no positions

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My Note: No Positions??? Mr. O’Byrne I think you need to follow your own advice above! Here is where I buy my Bullion, get one free gram of Gold just for opening an account! Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

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Is Gold the only salvation from this Financial Armageddon? – MineWeb

Source: MineWeb

Indications are that the global financial situation could yet get far worse before it starts getting better – particularly in Europe – and gold may again prove to be the only real way of protecting wealth in a continuing global financial meltdown.

Author: Lawrence Williams
Posted:  Monday , 16 Feb 2009
LONDON – 
 

 

“It ain’t over ’til its over” is one of the best known quotations from baseball catcher and coach Yogi Berra and as the global financial crisis unwinds it is very apposite yet again.  We ain’t anywhere near the end yet and possibly the worst is yet to come as far as European banks in particular are concerned.  Markets have breathed sighs of relief as various banks have been bailed out and stimulation packages are being approved if not already implemented. 

 

But, one gets the feeling that any relief is premature.  The debt situation in a huge number of debtor nations – virtually the whole of Eastern Europe falls into this category – is dire and has not really yet fallen into the sights of the investment world – but bankers must be quaking in their shoes as surely they are aware of the potential financial Armageddon that still lies ahead. 

And this time it is the already shaky Western European banking sector that is most at risk.  US Banks, accused of starting this all, maybe far less vulnerable to the times ahead.  True the US financial sector may have got us into this mess, but European bankers followed suit and, in the event, may be shown to have behaved far more recklessly than their American counterparts.  It would seem that some of the potential shortfalls being faced would be beyond the financial ability of Central Banks, Governments and transnational agencies like the IMF to sort out.  The system is like a house of cards.  One major failure could bring the whole house tumbling down. 

This is the kind of situation that leads to global nightmares – wars even.  Radical extremists get elected to positions of power – as with the rise of National Socialism in Germany after the crash of the Weimar Republic with its hyperinflation.  We could be in for a very sticky time ahead as the real implications, and depth, of the financial meltdown catch up with us. 

The problems ahead may not be beyond the wit of man to devise a solution which can ‘save the world’, but that is unlikely to come from UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown who appears to have laid claim to this cachet in a freudian moment of rhetorical madness.  Don’t forget this is the same Gordon Brown who decimated the UK’s gold reserves by selling half of them off (395 tonnes) at gold’s low points from 1999-2002 – amounting to some $12bn at today’s prices – a sum the UK treasury would give its eye teeth for in the current financial crisis, although this is small beer relative to the sums squandered by the UK banks.  But it is an indicator of Gordon Brown’s acumen, or lack of it, in dealing with global financial trends. 

Indeed Gordon Brown’s thinking is probably echoed by many others in the European and perhaps the US financial hierarchy which doesn’t bode well for any rescue package that will actually work to stem the flow of toxic debt which has built up all around the world and may almost certainly amount in total to a greater sum than all the world’s financial reserves combined,  But then that is the nature of banking.  It only takes a run on almost any bank to bring the whole institution crashing down, and to allow any country to fail – and there are signs that the European Central Bankers may let some Eastern European states go under, thus triggering a domino effect of defaults worldwide, to bring the world banking system to its knees – or worse.  There are even fears that past high flyers like the Irish Republic could be forced to default on its debts, and undoubtedly the situation for, say, the Baltic states is far worse still. 

What solution is there out there.  Printing money on an unprecedented scale will expose the world to huge inflationary pressures for years to come, but this may be the only way forward using more conventional solutions.  Perhaps a huge revaluation in the price of gold could help bolster some treasuries and bring some confidence back into the system.  And, as with any bank run it is confidence which is needed to stem the tide, not necessarily actual money! 

But where does all this leave the investor?  Not in a happy position.  The logic of further financial collapses and bank failures would be to knock the markets down and down, which in turn takes wealth out of the system and decimates pensions upon which an increasingly aging society is dependent. 

Buy gold may be an answer to protect oneself, but as we saw last year, gold too can be vulnerable as in times  of reduced liquidity funds and individuals have to sell any liquid assets to cover their positions.  But then gold is probably not as vulnerable as other assets – again as we have seen over the past year.  Those who were invested in gold at the beginning of 2008, for example, and did not sell during the year, at least maintained the value of their holdings while virtually all other investment options crashed, although this was not true of most gold stocks. 

Now we are seeing professional and institutional investors moving into gold in a big way just to try and protect their, and their clients’  wealth.  As we have pointed out here frequently, gold ETFs are seeing an unprecedented inflow of funds, although there are those out there who would say it is better to hold physical gold than any form of paper gold because of a growing distrust of financial institutions and paper solutions. 

And perhaps rather gold than other precious metals – notably silver.  Silver would be sure to be dragged up on gold’s coattails, but perhaps not as much  this time – even though history tells us that silver’s volatility leads it to perform better than gold in percentage terms on the upside and worse on the downside.  We are in a different situation with silver not really a monetary metal any longer.  Industrial demand pressures on silver may well mitigate any price rises here. 

Gold’s performance, though, is perhaps also dependent on investment demand outstripping a fall off in the jewellery market and an increase in liquidation of such holdings into the scrap sector.  If the big Asian economies like India and China, where mark-ups on gold jewellery are minuscule compared with the West, falter significantly then reduced demand and increased supply from this sector will need to be soaked up by the investment sector.  At the moment this seems to be capable of doing this hence the recent gold price strength, but unless sentiment changes in India in particular, where buyers seem to be waiting for lower prices, the fall in gold purchases there may limit global gold price growth.  If liquidity becomes a problem in the North American markets again, this could also dent upward movement. 

But overall, physical gold, gold ETFs and selected gold stocks would seem to be the best wealth protectors out there.  As commentators have pointed out, prices may remain relatively volatile, but currently the overall price trend tends to be upwards movement, followed by stabilisation, before the next upwards resistance levels are tested.  Gold does look to be steadily climbing back towards the psychological $1,000 an ounce level but it has had trouble sustaining increases beyond this level in the past.  Perhaps it will be third time lucky for the gold bulls.

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My Note: Prudence dictates at least 10% of your portfolio should be in Gold. Personally, I have that and also a lot of my discretionary funds invested in precious metals Stocks, ETF’s, Bullion…jschulmansr

Here is where I buy my Bullion, get one free gram of Gold just for opening an account! Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

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Nothing in today’s post should be considered as an offer to buy or sell any securities or other investments; it is presented for informational purposes only. As a good investor, consult your Investment Advisor, Do Your Due Diligence, Read All Prospectus/s and related information carefully before you make any investments. –  jschulmansr

 

 

 

GLD

GLD, , ) GLD . These rocketed a startling 13.7% to 985 tonnes, setting records each day.

XAU

Delayed quote dataHUI, , ) added 1.36% to 311.16. The stock market, in case you missed it, lost ground.

Commentary: Gold’s gains for week catch bugs’ interest

By Peter Brimelow, MarketWatch
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Something was indeed stirring in the precious metals pond, as I reported a week ago. Key investment letters say it still is. See Feb. 8 column

 

Here is where I buy my Bullion, get one free gram of Gold just for opening an account! Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

 

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Taking a Quick Breather? – Gold and Silver News Today!

13 Friday Feb 2009

Posted by jschulmansr in 10 year Treasuries, 20 yr Treasuries, bull market, capitalism, central banks, China, Comex, commodities, Copper, Currencies, currency, Currency and Currencies, DGP, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, economic, Economic Recovery, economic trends, economy, financial, Forex, GDX, GLD, gold, Gold Bullion, Gold Investments, gold miners, How To Invest, How To Make Money, hyper-inflation, India, Investing, investments, Jschulmansr, Junior Gold Miners, Latest News, majors, Make Money Investing, Markets, mid-tier, mining companies, mining stocks, monetization, physical gold, platinum, platinum miners, precious metals, price, prices, producers, production, silver, silver miners, small caps, spot, spot price, stagflation, Stimulus, Stocks, Technical Analysis, U.S. Dollar

≈ Comments Off on Taking a Quick Breather? – Gold and Silver News Today!

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Austrian school, Bailout News, banking crisis, banks, bear market, Bollinger Bands Saudi Arabia, Brian Tang, bull market, central banks, China, Comex, commodities, Copper, Currencies, currency, deflation, Dennis Gartman, depression, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, Doug Casey, economic, economic trends, economy, Federal Deficit, financial, Forex, futures, futures markets, gata, GDX, GLD, gold, gold miners, hard assets, hyper-inflation, India, inflation, investments, Jeffrey Nichols, Jim Rogers, Keith Fitz-Gerald, majors, Marc Faber, market crash, Markets, Michael Zielinski, mid-tier, mining companies, monetization, Moving Averages, palladium, Peter Grandich, Peter Schiff, physical gold, platinum, platinum miners, precious metals, price, price manipulation, prices, producers, production, protection, recession, risk, run on banks, safety, Sean Rakhimov, silver, silver miners, small caps, sovereign, spot, spot price, stagflation, Technical Analysis, TIPS, U.S., U.S. Dollar, volatility, warrants, XAU

As I am writing this post, Gold is taking a breather off $11.00 oz to $937 but still above the all important $930 to $940 level. I would say that we have a definite confirmation of a bull market rally in place should Gold close above $940 for the week. After all everyone deserves a breather once in a while! Today’s articles look at the dollar, gold-silver ratio, and more… Good Investing! – jschulmansr

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

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Dollar Rises Gold Stays Up – Seeking Alpha

By: Dr. Duru of Dr. Duru One-Twenty

If you had told me late last year that we would soon see both the dollar and gold rally, I would have dismissed you as nuts. But this is exactly what happened after the dollar made a short-term bottom in mid-December. In early December, I suggested that the dollar had formed a double-top making it likely the dollar was headed lower. The dollar did sell-off, but it quickly rallied right back to the resistance formed by the double-top (click on chart to enlarge).

U.S. Dollar

At the same time, gold has finally broken out of the pattern of lower lows and higher highs. It is now up almost 10% for the year. Last year, I said that gold would be my favorite place to be in 2009. So far, so good.

Gold

 

While gold was working off late 2008’s downtrend (click on chart to enlarge), I was fascinated by skeptics who observed that gold had “every reason to blast higher” given the world’s economic chaos and yet had done nothing. From a short-term trading perspective, such contrast certainly takes the gold trade off the table. But from the perspective of longer-term capital preservation on a planet where currencies are growing (or will be growing) on trees, the disconnect simply meant there were more immediate things on the collective minds of investors.

 

 

But we are only just getting started. It is nearly impossible to say when inflation will become a problem, only that it will likely be a problem once credit finally gets converted into investment and purchases again to take advantage of all the liquidity facilities being provided by the Federal Reserve. Some point out that Japan is an example where massive liquidity accomplished very little, and the same fate awaits the U.S. But from what I understand about the yen carry trade that took advantage of the low borrowing costs in Japan, Japan essentially EXPORTED inflation to the rest of the globe.

 

Investors took advantage of Japan’s cheap money to inflate assets all over the world where there was appetite to borrow, consume, and repeat. (Please correct me if I am wrong!). I am not yet clear how the U.S can export its inflation away when more and more central banks are dropping rates to rock bottom levels. In this scenario the supply of gold relative to paper money is rapidly decreasing. Moreover, America has been a global pioneer in financial engineering. I have full confidence that smart bankers are already mapping out long-term strategies for generating profits that will help drive future reflation.

 

I am focused now on just two other commodity plays for core positions: silver (SLV) and copper (FCX as an approximate proxy). SLV is up 20% this year while Freeport McMoran (FCX) has chopped around in a trading range. Late last year, I was premature in making bets in the falling knives of commodities like copper and steel. I ended up with a lot of profit in puts, but not quite enough to eliminate the pains in the related stocks. I plan to pick my spots for steel very selectively and for shorter-term moves. So far this year, I have liked playing Cliff’s Natural Resources (CLF) and Nucor (NUE) after sell-offs. I thought I would include U.S. Steel (X

) on this list, but it has been stuck drifting in a downtrend all year. My thinking is that I will not be smart enough or fast enough to time the switch from deflation to inflation; I just know I want to have at least a small core position ready for whenever that time comes. Outside of that, I am mainly biased short for now.

 

I will end with a quick look at the S&P 500. Since I still believe fresh 52-week lows are coming in the near future – news and rumors of government economic plans notwithstanding – I tread very carefully and selectively with any longs.

 

 

 

 

 

In the past month, we have had three separate high-volume selling events that have attempted to break the support that still holds from the “the December wash.” Each bounce from support seems to produce more hope that we are building a base for a sustainable bottom (click on chart to enlarge). There are also a good number of stocks that have hit fresh highs for the year just in the past week. But once it is clear that a modest recovery in the 2nd half of the year will not make its annually scheduled appearance, the major indices will be sold to fresh lows (I may have to make an exception for the NASDAQ which has proven particularly resilient so far in 2009). In the meantime, the stock market will continue to predict this imminent (soon to be elusive) recovery over and over and over again.

S&P 500

*All charts created using TeleChart

Be careful out there!
=================================

Gold: nothing succeeds like success – MineWeb

Source: MineWeb.com

Listed gold (and silver) stocks continue to deliver price increases at an astounding pace, underpinned by continually robust gold bullion prices.

Author: Barry Sergeant
Posted:  Thursday , 12 Feb 2009

CAPE TOWN – 

Listed gold stocks continue to lead the attempted recovery in global stock markets, supported on Wednesday by a dollar gold bullion price that moved to seven-month highs, above USD 945 an ounce. Measured on an absolute basis, the market value of gold stocks listed around the world moved to well above USD 200bn, the highest level seen since October 2008, a month after erstwhile Wall Street investment bank Lehman Bros. filed for bankruptcy, triggering yet another stage of the most intense crisis in world credit and equity markets seen in decades.

Seen as a commodity, gold bullion has surrendered the least of its record price, seen in March 2008, and currently trades just 9% below that record price of just short of USD 1,033 an ounce. The ongoing recovery of gold bullion prices -which have moved below USD 700 an ounce since making record highs – has underpinned a recovery in listed stock prices for companies representing the metal, from explorers to miners. The extent of the recovery has left the vast majority of other mining stocks (with the narrow exception of silver stocks), and stocks of any other kind, far behind. While the MSCI Barra dollar index for all global equities has moved 12% above its lows, seen late in 2008, and emerging market stocks have “bounced” up by 26% from lows, gold stocks, measured on the weighted average value of 250 listed names, have risen 128% from low points, seen just months ago.

The Tier II gold stock grouping, led by names such as JSC Polymetal, Centerra, and heavyweights such as Yamana and Agnico-Eagle, has risen by a fantastic 173% from low points, also within just a few months. Silver stocks have outperformed gold stocks as an overall group, with a weighted average increase of 147% from lows, led by the likes of Fresnillo, and Silver Standard.

Spot silver prices are trading 36% below record highs, also seen in March 2008, but listed silver stocks have long traded in sympathy with trends in gold stocks, tending, however, to overshoot on the rise and also on the fall. However, while the global market value of listed gold stocks runs at well above USD 200bn, silver stocks are worth well short of USD 20bn.The majority of silver is produced as a by-product at mines primarily focused on other metals.

Seen as a grouping, listed uranium stocks are also outperforming most mining stocks, with First Uranium among those names that continue to deliver exceptional price increases. Meanwhile, the SPDR Gold Shares exchange traded fund (ETF), a security that holds physical gold on behalf of its investors, continues to attract significant investor inflows. The security, the biggest gold bullion EFT in the world, currently holds nearly 900 tons of physical gold, valued at nearly USD 27bn. In line with the price performance of dollar gold bullion, the SPDR Gold Shares ETF is currently just 8% below its record highs.

 

INDICES  

From

From

 

Points

high*

low*

MSCI world equities USD

846.42

-46.0%

11.5%

MSCI emerging markets USD

561.38

-55.2%

25.9%

S+P 500

828.08

-42.5%

11.7%

DJ Stoxx 600

192.11

-42.3%

7.9%

KBW banks

27.41

-69.5%

9.9%

       
STOCK

Value

From

From

GROUPS

USD bn

high*

low*

Dow Jones Industrial

2598.66

-42.6%

17.4%

Top 100 miners

873.36

-63.4%

78.7%

Oil stocks

1998.86

-48.4%

33.2%

S + P 500 Energy

1039.73

-46.3%

33.4%

Gold Tier I

160.36

-44.4%

117.2%

Gold Tier II

41.58

-45.3%

173.3%

Gold overall

225.39

-46.7%

127.7%

Silver stocks

12.46

-63.0%

147.4%

World banks (80)

1713.03

-62.6%

30.1%

Uranium stocks

14.95

-58.0%

81.8%

* 12-month      
Source: market data; analysis by Barry Sergeant===================================================Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com======================================= 

The Gold:Silver Ratio – pointing to higher prices all round – MineWeb

 

Source: MineWeb.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silver defies its fundamentals in maintaining a price ratio which relates to gold and the movement in this is taken by many silver investors as a guide to forward prices.

Author: Rhona O’Connell
Posted:  Friday , 13 Feb 2009

LONDON – 

Back in biblical times gold and silver prices were at parity although by the Roman era the ratio had widened to between 15 and 16.  Silver backed major currencies right the way through to the nineteenth century although as economies evolved it tended to become the norm that silver was used for intra-national payments while gold was used for international transactions.  India and China were among the last countries to remove the silver backing from their currencies, which is the reason why there have been substantial government sales of the metal from these two nations in particular although these sales have dwindled somewhat over the past two years or so.  It is also the primary reason why the markets are uncertain as to the level of silver stocks, private or public, that lie in countries such as these. 

Net government sales into the market reached a recent peak of 2,743 tonnes in 2003 (GFMS figures), but had halved by 2007 and it looks as if they halved again in 2008, with further reductions looking likely in the future, although since these sales currently comprise less than 5% of silver supply their further erosion is unlikely to make much of a difference to silver prices per se. 

What has been making something of a difference recently is the rejuvenation of gold: silver ratio trading.  Technical analysts have been looking favourably on silver since the start of the year and the gold: silver ratio has come increasingly onto the radar screens.   Technically-driven trading of the ratio has also been important, with the ten-day and twenty-day moving averages defining the upper boundary of the ratio’s path.  Once the ratio had severed support at 72 this trading gained considerable traction and within two days we were at 69, en route for a test of 67, the lowest since late September, when gold was at $740 and silver at just less than $11. 

This time the activity in the market brought silver up to $13 while gold was easing from $920 to just below $900 and since then gold has taken up the reins to test $950 while silver has approached $14 then retreated towards $13.40. and the ratio has settled at around 70. 

Obviously the ratio, of itself, does not drive markets.  It is normally a result of the inter-related moves of both gold and silver, but every now and then it does have an impact on the metals’ prices – much more so on silver than on gold.  

What has lain behind the changes in the ratio this time?  Certainly not the silver market’s fundamentals in terms of marginal costs of production against the balance between industrial supply and demand (and this includes jewellery demand but not investor interest), which are not looking favourable.  Silver may often be regarded as a precious metal by virtue of its historic connection with currencies and its lingering jewellery market but jewellery, silverware and coins+medals between them comprise less than 30% of silver demand as against more like 80% in the gold market); on a purely fundamental basis, therefore, silver belongs in the industrial camp. 

Sentiment and perception are important market elements, however and silver’s long-standing relationship with gold is a vital influence on prices and investment activity.  Essentially, because of silver’s intrinsically higher volatility than gold, some speculators and investors use exposure to silver as a means of gearing up their exposure to the latter. If gold is going up, silver typically goes up further, so a combination of the two is a stronger performer than gold on its own.  This does not work for the whole time, obviously, but it is a well-entrenched mechanism and has been playing an important part in silver’s price performance over the past two months since the gold: silver ratio briefly exceeded 80. 

This has been no more evident than in the exchange traded funds and the London ETC.  When the gold:silver ratio reached its maximum in mid-December 2008, these funds harboured 7,661 tonnes of silver in their coffers.  In the two months since then this has shot up to 8,734 tonnes, an increase of 1,073 tonnes and on annualised basis this is the equivalent of 6,096 tonnes per annum (196 million ounces) or almost 25% of global industrial demand.  Over this period the silver price has increased by 21%, from just over $11 to just less than $13.40.  Gold has risen by 13% and copper, 12% over the same period. 

With this degree of uptake it is not surprising that silver has outshone gold recently and left copper some way behind.  Although gold and copper have improved by similar amounts, silver’s correlation coefficient with gold over the period has been a healthy 90%, while that with copper, although still impressive, has been lower at 63%. 

Speculative exposure on COMEX over the same period has also been increasing, although it is important to remember that this does not involve physical metal – but it can be very important in terms of price discovery.  The net long speculative position rose from 3,849 tonnes on 9th December to 5,158 tonnes on 3rd February (latest available figures), with a goodly size of fresh longs entering the market, and only a small degree of short covering. 

There is an old adage in the market that the gold:silver ratio only really counts in two places; the COMEX floor and the Indian market.  In India it is by no means unusual for jewellery and investment holders to switch between gold and silver when they perceive that the prices are out of line.  Certainly recently there has been a very healthy market in old gold scrap, but silver demand has remained slack in response both to high outright prices and the economic environment.  

Silver’s outright fundamentals do not justify prices at these levels, but for as long as the  market retains its bullish stance and investors keep coming for the metal then any industrial surplus this year stands a good chance of being absorbed and when investors like the look of gold, some of them will like the look of silver even more.  This metal is, however, flying almost as high as Icarus and when that ratio starts to rise, then silver speculators had better be watching very closely.

=======================================

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

==================================

Will Big Money Interest Propel Gold over Its Final Hurdle? – Seeking Alpha

By: Andrew Mickey of Q1 Publishing

 

Bloomberg declares:

 

 

 

Gold Soars to Highest Since July.

A Wall Street Journal headline proclaims:

Gold is Flirting with $1,000, Again; ‘There’s No Sign of the Market Tiring.’

On Wednesday, gold surged another $30 an ounce, surpassing $930 and now, the mainstream media is getting on board in a big way.

We can spend all day debating whether this is the time gold runs back to $1,000 and beyond, or whether this is just another short-lived bounce which could run out of steam at any moment. Frankly, the exceptional volatility of the gold market has taught me that only time will tell.

What I can tell you is that there has recently been a change in gold – a dramatic change -at least the perception of gold. This change could set gold and gold stocks on a long march higher, yet, the mainstream media have completely glossed over it. Let me explain.

Gold Goes Big

You see, gold’s a funny thing. It elicits such an emotional response. Gold has had a pretty volatile year. In 2007, the yellow metal started attracting a lot of attention when it passed the highs set in the early 80s and has been up and down since, although lately, it has had more ups than downs. Despite all the recent attention, we’re right back where we were a year ago, when gold passed the $900 mark.

Whether you’re an all out “gold bug” who has been waiting a long time for this run, you question the value of gold because it has very little industrial use (ala Warren Buffett), or somewhere in between, you’ve got to take a look at what has happened to gold in the past few weeks.

But here’s the thing, this time around there’s interest from some very big money investors, as it is now considering gold to be a viable investment again. It’s not just the hyperactive, hot money hedge funds batting around gold anymore. Now pension funds, mutual funds, and other institutional investors are betting on gold – in a big way.

That is the big difference this time around. The big money interest hasn’t been there for decades, and it looks like that’s quickly starting to change.

Big Money Bets on Gold

Unprecedented sums of money have been pouring into gold in the past few months. While many funds are licking their wounds from the recent downturn and facing ongoing redemptions, some still have money. Those that do are at least putting some of it, into gold.

Just look at the recent money, which has been put into gold companies across the board. They’re all getting new cash. Major miners looking for extra cash to fund takeovers, exploration, and mine development, along with small gold companies looking for one more financing to put themselves into production, are all getting it. There’s money out there for gold.

For instance, Newmont Mining (NYSE:NEM) is expecting at least $1.7 billion (or more depending on the final terms of agreement) in new cash in its coffers. The cash infusion will come from the sale of stock and convertible notes. That’s billion – with a ‘B.’

Leading the charge in putting this financing together was Citigroup (C), J.P. Morgan (JPM), and the Bank of Montreal (BMO). They’re the big money, and except for BMO, they wouldn’t have given gold the time of day when private equity players were chasing after real estate, Chinese companies, and other “hot” sectors over the past few years.

Of course, it’s not just one big deal though. It’s lots of them. Industrials may be going under because they can’t get financing, but when it comes to gold companies, suddenly, there appears to be plenty of available money. Over the past few months, there have been a slew of financings of gold companies. Yamana (NYSE:AUY), Agnico-Eagle (NYSE:AEM), and Kinross Gold (NYSE:KGC), combined have attracted more than $800 million in new money.

Even gold companies, which were pretty much left for dead during the credit crunch are getting the cash they need. Shares of Osisko Mining [TSX:OSK] dropped well below $2 per share in November amid concerns the company wouldn’t be able to get the cash necessary to move forward with its prospective gold mine. Three months later, its shares are trading above C$4 after hitting highs of over C$5 per share, and it now has the money it needs. NovaGold (AMEX:NG) went through a similar ordeal. Its shares dropped all the way to $0.37 only to climb back to close at $3.52, on Wednesday.

These are just some of the bigger deals. We could highlight the dozens of smaller deals which are or are about to get some new capital, but you get the point. There’s big money backing gold now. In a way, the whole gold situation may have changed.

A “Frightening” Change

Two weeks ago Peter Munk, the Chairman of Barrick Gold (NYSE:ABX) – the world’s largest gold mining company – identified an “unpleasant and frightening” trend. In an interview with Bloomberg, Munk said:

He has received an increasing number of calls from wealthy investors looking for ways to buy bullion. While that is positive for the metal market, it is a “sad part of a civilized society.”

“That’s not where you want to be, it’s alarming. Do I personally believe gold will break through $1,000? It’s not a question of if; it’s a question of how soon.”

You’ve got to remember that Munk is the chairman and founder of a gold company, so he has a lot of experience in gold. He has access to the inner workings of the gold market, and benefits from rising gold prices, as well.

Despite the potential conflict of interest, he is definitely correct in saying that change has taken place.

What Really Matters About Gold

As long time Prosperity Dispatch readers know, I hate talking about gold. When it comes to gold, everyone has an opinion, and it’s usually a very strong one, as there’s very little middle ground when it comes to gold.

Just to be clear though, I’m not a gold bug. I’m not about to predict gold is going to $1,000 before it goes to $800, as there are just too many variables driving gold lately. I think a world with $200 gold is a much better place to live in than a world with $2,000 gold, but the recent big money push into gold could mark a significant change in the prospects for gold.

In the end, it all comes down to whatever the markets believe. Perception is reality, and a lot of money is betting gold will be perceived as more dearly down the road, whether deflation or inflation, wins out.

Over the past few months, deflation vs. inflation has been a popular subject of debate. While $60 trillion of wealth has been wiped out in this downturn, central banks are going all out to print enough new money to prevent the inevitable deflationary effects of the losses. And as we’ve noted before, all speculative bubble-booms end in deflation.

That doesn’t matter now. The current theory is gold will win either way – deflation or inflation, it doesn’t matter. Gold wins during inflation because it’s a store of value, and it wins in deflation as central banks debase their currency. As a result, there’s demand from both the inflation and deflation camps. In the end, the perception of value is what really matters for gold (and every other financial asset for that matter).

For decades, the big money refused to view gold as anything other than something horded by conspiracy theorists. The lack of big money interest was a huge hurdle for gold. Now, with the billions of dollars headed into gold from leading U.S. institutions, it appears the hurdle may have finally been passed.

Disclosure: None

===============================

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

===============================

ps- Gold is inching back now only down $7.00 to $942

Have a Great Weekend and Happy Valentines Day! – jschulmansr

================================ 

Nothing in today’s post should be considered as an offer to buy or sell any securities or other investments; it is presented for informational purposes only. As a good investor, consult your Investment Advisor, Do Your Due Diligence, Read All Prospectus/s and related information carefully before you make any investments. –  jschulmansr

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even if the velocity of money takes forever and a day to build up to inflationary speeds, I strongly suspect that the Federal government will attempt to inflate its way out of its massive debt. When the bills come home for all the financial repair work being done in this country, there will be little appetite for increasing taxes enough to pay down this debt in any significant way. The economic multiplier from stimulus programs will also not provide sufficient tax revenues. America’s biggest and most cooperative foreign creditor, China, has probably just served us notice that they will not help us more than they already are helping

. China currently holds 12% of the $5.75 trillion in U.S. marketable debt. Inflation will be the indirect tax that will confront lower legislative hurdles.

 

The fear of deflation and other assorted global economic calamities had everyone focused on taking shelter in U.S. Treasuries and the dollar. But as those fears slowly (very, very slowly) subside, more and more attention has turned to gold.

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Shock and Awe! – Doug Casey

12 Thursday Feb 2009

Posted by jschulmansr in 10 year Treasuries, 20 yr Treasuries, Bailout News, banking crisis, banks, Barack Obama, bear market, Bollinger Bands Saudi Arabia, Brian Tang, bull market, capitalism, central banks, China, Comex, commodities, Contrarian, Copper, Credit Default, Currencies, currency, Currency and Currencies, Dennis Gartman, depression, DGP, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, Doug Casey, economic, Economic Recovery, economic trends, economy, Fed Fund Rate, Federal Deficit, federal reserve, Finance, financial, Forex, Fundamental Analysis, futures, futures markets, gata, GDX, GLD, gold, Gold Bullion, Gold Investments, gold miners, hard assets, how to change, How To Invest, How To Make Money, hyper-inflation, IMF, India, inflation, Investing, investments, Jeffrey Nichols, Jim Rogers, Jschulmansr, Keith Fitz-Gerald, Latest News, Long Bonds, majors, Make Money Investing, Marc Faber, market crash, Markets, Michael Zielinski, mid-tier, mining companies, mining stocks, monetization, Moving Averages, palladium, Peter Grandich, Peter Schiff, physical gold, platinum, platinum miners, precious, precious metals, price, price manipulation, prices, producers, production, protection, rare earth metals, recession, resistance, risk, run on banks, safety, Sean Rakhimov, SEO, Short Bonds, silver, silver miners, small caps, sovereign, spot, spot price, stagflation, Stimulus, Stocks, TARP, Technical Analysis, The Fed, TIPS, U.S., U.S. Dollar, uranium, volatility, warrants, XAU

≈ Comments Off on Shock and Awe! – Doug Casey

Tags

Bailout News, Bollinger Bands Saudi Arabia, Brian Tang, China, Comex, commodities, Copper, Currencies, currency, Dennis Gartman, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, Doug Casey, Federal Deficit, Forex, futures, futures markets, gata, GDX, GLD, gold miners, hard assets, hyper-inflation, India, investments, Jeffrey Nichols, Jim Rogers, Keith Fitz-Gerald, majors, Marc Faber, Michael Zielinski, mid-tier, mining companies, monetization, Moving Averages, palladium, Peter Grandich, Peter Schiff, physical gold, platinum, platinum miners, precious metals, price, price manipulation, prices, producers, production, protection, recession, risk, run on banks, safety, Sean Rakhimov, silver, silver miners, small caps, sovereign, spot, spot price, stagflation, Technical Analysis, TIPS, U.S., U.S. Dollar, volatility, warrants, XAU

Late Breaking: I came across this from the Contrarian Master Himself- Mr. Doug Casey. Here is his take for 2009 a must read for investors- especially Gold Bugs! Enjoy and Good Investing! – jschulmansr

================================

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

====================================

2009: Another Year of Shock and Awe – Seeking Alpha

By: Jeff Clark of Casey Research

 

In their annual forecast edition, the editors of BIG GOLD asked Casey Research Chairman and contrarian investor Doug Casey to provide his predictions and thoughts on issues everyone’s thinking about these days. Read what he has to say on the economy, deficits, inflation, and gold…

 

 

The $1.1 Trillion Budget Deficit


My reaction is that the people in the government are totally out of control. A poker player would say the government is “on tilt,” placing wild, desperate bets in the hope of getting rescued by good luck.

 

 

The things they’re doing are not only unproductive, they’re the exact opposite of what should be done. The country got into this mess by living beyond its means for more than a generation. That’s the message from the debt that’s burdening so many individuals; debt is proof that you’re living above your means. The solution is for people to significantly reduce their standard of living for a while and start building capital. That’s what saving is about, producing more than you consume. The government creating funny money – money out of nothing – doesn’t fix anything. All it does is prolong the problem and make it worse by destroying the currency.

Over several generations, huge distortions and misallocations of capital have been cranked into the economy, inviting levels of consumption that are unsustainable. In fact, Americans refer to themselves as consumers. That’s degrading and ridiculous. You should be first and foremost a producer, and a consumer only as a consequence.

In any event, the government is going to destroy the currency, which will be a mega-disaster. And they’re making the depression worse by holding interest rates at artificially low levels, which discourages savings – the exact opposite of what’s needed. They’re trying to prop up a bankrupt system. And, at this point, it’s not just economically bankrupt, but morally and intellectually bankrupt. What they should be doing is recognize that they’re bankrupt and then start rebuilding. But they’re not, so it’s going to be a disaster.

The U.S. Economy in 2009

My patented answer, when asked what it will be like, is that this is going to be so bad, it will be worse than even I think it’s going to be. I think all the surprises are going to be on the downside; don’t expect friendly aliens to land on the roof of the White House and present the government with a magic solution. We’re still very early in this thing. It’s not going to just blow away like other post-war recessions. One reason that it’s going to get worse is that the biggest shoe has yet to drop… interest rates are now at all-time lows, and the bond market is much, much bigger than the stock market. What’s inevitable is much higher interest rates. And when they go up, that will be the final nail in the coffins of the stock and real estate markets, and it will wipe out a huge amount of capital in the bond market. And higher interest rates will bring on more bankruptcies.

The bankruptcies will be painful, but a good thing, incidentally. We can’t hope to see the bottom until interest rates go high enough to encourage people to save. The way you become wealthy is by producing more than you consume, not consuming more than you produce.

Deflation vs. Inflation

First of all, deflation is a good thing. Its bad reputation is just one of the serious misunderstandings that most people have. In deflation, your money becomes worth more every year. It’s a good thing because it encourages people to save, it encourages thrift. I’m all for deflation. The current episode of necessary and beneficial deflation will, however, be cut short because Bernanke, as he’s so eloquently pointed out, has a printing press and will use it to create as many dollars as needed.

So at this point I would start preparing for inflation, and I wouldn’t worry too much about deflation. The only question is the timing.

It’s too early to buy real estate right now, although a fixed-rate mortgage could go a long way toward offsetting bad timing. It would let you make your money on the depreciation of the mortgage, as opposed to the appreciation of the asset. Still, I wouldn’t touch housing with a 10-foot pole – there’s been immense overbuilding, immense inventory. And people forget: a house isn’t an investment, it’s a consumer good. It’s like a toothbrush, suit of clothes, or a car; it just lasts a little bit longer. An investment – say, a factory – can create new wealth. Houses are strictly expense items. Forget about buying the things for the unpaid mortgage; before this is over, you’ll buy them for back taxes. But then you’ll have to figure out how to pay the utilities and maintenance. The housing bear market has a long way to run.

The U.S. Dollar and the Day of Reckoning

It’s very hard to predict the timing on these things. The financial markets and the economy itself are going up and down like an elevator with a lunatic at the controls. My feeling is that the fate of the dollar is sealed. People forget that there are 6 or 8 trillion dollars – who knows how many – outside of the United States, and they’re hot potatoes. Foreigners are going to recognize that the dollar is an unbacked smiley-face token of a bankrupt government. My advice is to get out of dollars. In fact, take advantage of the ultra-low interest rates; borrow as many dollars as you can long-term and at a fixed rate and put the money into something tangible, because the dollar is going to reach its intrinsic value.

The Recession

This isn’t a recession, it’s a depression. A depression is a period when most people’s standard of living falls significantly. It can also be defined as a time when distortions and misallocations of capital are liquidated, as well as a time when the business cycle climaxes. We don’t have time here, unfortunately, to explore all that in detail. But this is the real thing. And it’s going to drag on much longer than most people think. It will be called the Greater Depression, and it’s likely the most serious thing to happen to the country since its founding. And not just from an economic point of view, but political, sociological, and military.

For a number of reasons, wars usually occur in tough economic times. Governments always like to find foreigners to blame for their problems, and that includes other countries blaming the U.S. In the end, I wouldn’t be surprised to see violence, tax revolt, or even parts of the country trying to secede. I don’t think I can adequately emphasize how serious this thing is likely to get. Nothing is certain, but it seems to me the odds are very, very high for an absolutely world-class disaster.

Gold’s Performance in 2008

The big surprise to me is how low gold is right now. It’s well known that even if we use the government’s statistics, gold would have to reach $2,500 an ounce to match its 1980 high. I don’t necessarily buy the theories that the government and some bullion banks are suppressing the price of gold. Of course, with everything else going on, the last thing the powers-that-be want is a stampede into gold. That would be the equivalent of shooting a gun in a crowded theater; it could set off a real panic. But at the same time, I don’t see how they can effectively suppress the price. Either way, the good news is that gold is about the cheapest thing out there. Remember, it’s the only financial asset that’s not simultaneously someone else’s liability. So I would take advantage of today’s price and buy more gold. I know I’m doing just that.

Gold Volatility

Gold will remain volatile but trend upward. I don’t pay attention to daily fluctuations, which can be caused by any number of trivial things. Gold is going to the moon in the next couple of years.

Gold Stocks

Last year, it seemed to me that we were still climbing the Wall of Worry and that the next stage would be the Mania. But what I failed to read was the public’s indirect involvement through the $2 trillion in hedge funds. On top of that, while the prices of gold stocks weren’t that high, the number of shares out and the number of companies were increasing dramatically. Finally, the costs of mining and exploration rose immensely, which limited their profitability.

The good news is that relative to the price of gold, gold stocks are at their cheapest level in history. I still have my gold stocks and the fact is, I’m buying more. I’m not selling, because I think we’re starting another bull market. And this one is going to be much steeper and much quicker than the last one. I’m not a perma-bull on any asset class, but in this case I’m forced to go into the gold stocks. They’re the cheapest asset class out there, and the one with the highest potential.
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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

 

 

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Enjoy and Good Investing – jschulmansr

 

Nothing in today’s post should be considered as an offer to buy or sell any securities or other investments; it is presented for informational purposes only. As a good investor, consult your Investment Advisor, Do Your Due Diligence, Read All Prospectus/s and related information carefully before you make any investments. –  jschulmansr

 

 

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Gold’s Big Test – Will it Pass?

12 Thursday Feb 2009

Posted by jschulmansr in 10 year Treasuries, 20 yr Treasuries, Bailout News, banking crisis, banks, Barack Obama, bull market, capitalism, central banks, China, Comex, commodities, Credit Default, Currencies, currency, Currency and Currencies, DGP, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, economic, Economic Recovery, economic trends, economy, futures markets, GDX, GLD, gold, Gold Bullion, Gold Investments, gold miners, hard assets, How To Invest, How To Make Money, hyper-inflation, IMF, inflation, Investing, investments, Jschulmansr, Junior Gold Miners, Latest News, Make Money Investing, market crash, Markets, mining companies, mining stocks, palladium, physical gold, platinum, platinum miners, precious metals, price, prices, producers, production, rare earth metals, recession, silver, silver miners, small caps, spot, spot price, stagflation, Stimulus, Stocks, TARP, The Fed, Today, U.S. Dollar, uranium

≈ 1 Comment

Sorry for the late post today, as I am writing gold closed today at $949.20 up another $4.70 oz. We are now at Gold’s big test, if it can successfully clear and close over $950 -$960 oz. then ther is nothing stopping it to go for a new test of the all time highs. Today’s action was a feint like a boxer about to deliver the knockout punch! However a word of caution if Gold fails after 2-3 attempts at clearing the $950 level then a retracement back to the $875-$890 level will occur. It will consolidate and then come back up to retest the $950 level. Personally however, in my opinion I think this is it the 2nd successful close over $940, I think we are getting ready to see Gold go back and test all time highs. If you hurry you can still get aboard! – Good Investing! – jschulmansr

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

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Stocks Are Doomed, Only Cash or Precious Metals May Survive – Seeking Alpha

By: Doctor O of Sell The Rally

 

President Obama, his administration, and the Democratically controlled Congress are working as quickly as possible to spend as much money as possible on their constituent base, to consolidate their stranglehold on power. There is still no bank rescue plan, nothing in the “stimulus” bill to create or even slow job losses, and seemingly no understanding about the enormous amount of bad debt that is rapidly losing value and destroying the financial system from the inside out.

 

 

 

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

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Will Gold Hit $1,000 – Seeking Alpha

 

Gold prices broke out Wednesday and traded above $940/ounce. This is a new 6-month high! In my article last week, on 2/4/09, I said:

 

 

 

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Just open an Account, Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

 

 

In the three months ending January 31, SLV led its benchmark index by nearly 25%, trumping PowerShares’ DB Silver offering, DBS, by a narrow 1.25%. If analyst predictions play out, the demand for silver could continue to grow in upcoming weeks, even as a dismal holiday season for jewelry persists well into the new year. In a recent report, UBS upped forecasts for both silver and gold, citing expectations of speculation and investor interest, as uncertainty still reigns in U.S. markets.

Supporting the hypothesis that the flight to precious metals still results from investor uncertainty is UBS strategist John Reade, who noted that “purchases of physical gold have jumped over the past six months as investors’ fears about the current financial crisis and the possible outcomes from government efforts to support banks and economies have intensified.” UBS also estimates that investor interest in precious metals such as gold will double in 2009, compared with 2007. If this prediction plays out, gold could reach an average of $1,000 before interest wanes.

Shares of SLV track the spot prices of silver and are backed by physical silver reserves. On February 3, New York–based SLV announced that the bullion holdings for the fund rose 77 tons, approximately 1%. This increase puts the fund at a record 7,530.2 tons of bullion, up 11% since January 2. While other factors come into play during the intraday trading of SLV shares, increasing stocks of bullion underscore the growing interest that SLV is seeing in 2009.

Futures, currency and commodity prices are extremely volatile and unpredictable, so understanding the reasons behind silver’s recent spike is an important step in avoiding the swell and vacuum of SLV’s swings. As currency concerns continue to plague investors worldwide, an increasing number of people have turned to silver as a “why-not” alternative to investing in unpredictable notes. India, whose citizens seize silver as a tangible alternative to currency, imports an average of 3,000 tons of silver per year. The Economic Times recently reported that banks may not be able to import regular amounts of silver in the future, a factor that could drive silver prices there drastically higher in black market arenas.

So what makes SLV stand apart from the ever-expanding sea of commodity ETF choices? Its track record, size, and liquidity are all comforting factors for investors looking to jump into the silver fray. With 245 million shares outstanding and an average of 6 million shares traded per day over the last three months, SLV simply dwarfs peers such as DBS. Launched in January 2007, DBS has a three-month average daily trading volume of nearly 200,000—a factor that makes SLV a more liquid choice in white-knuckle times.

Investors should also be wary because while SLV tracks the spot price of silver, other important factors come into play during the intraday trading of the ETF. In addition to reflecting the price of physical silver, SLV also takes into account counterparty risk and the ever-changing emotions of investors in the open marketplace. While the silver is likely “there,” the ratings on even the most venerable of banks—like SLV keeper Barclays—could come into question in perilous economic conditions. Success in the fund is also contingent on the increasing price of silver. Placing funds in SLV is not the same as under the mattress—management fees and “iShares Silver Trust expenses” are exacted by the issuer on a regular basis, slowly eroding the value of one’s investment over time, if the price of silver does not continue to rise.

The longer the economic stimulus plan is stripped and scrubbed across the floor of the Senate, the more investors could continue to pile into a tangible investment like SLV until the storm passes. When the outcome becomes clearer, one-tune investments like SLV may become a more proportionate segment of portfolios and lose steam as the attention that has prompted their rise refocuses on other sectors.

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Will Gold Reach $5000 an Ounce? – Seeking Alpha

By: Mark O’Byrne of Gold and Silver Investments

 

 

Gold surged a further 3.3% yesterday to $942.45 (as did silver) as worries about the US and global financial system and economy continue to grow and governments print money on an unprecedented scale to combat the economic crisis. Asian and European stock markets are again under pressure this morning.

The strong close above $930/oz yesterday should see us once again challenge the record highs of $1,003/oz seen last March (March 17th) when Bear Stearns collapsed.

We have since had a long period (nearly 12 months) of correction and consolidation and thus a solid foundation has been built from which the next leg of the bull market will likely be launched. Our forecast at the beginning of the year for gold to rise as high as $1,250/oz looks increasingly conservative.

Gold Surges to New Records in Euros and Sterling as Crisis Deepens

Gold continues to surge to record highs in other major currencies (the London AM Fix this morning was at $944.00 USD, £666.33 GBP and €737.04 EUR. Worries about the health of the financial system and economy in the UK and EU are leading to weakness in the euro and sterling that has seen them fall in value versus gold. Gold has surged to €737/oz and over £666.33/oz (see charts below).

Gold to Reach $5000/oz According to Respected Goldcorp Founder

The respected founder of Goldcorp (GG), Rob McEwen told Bloomberg how he sees gold rising to as high as $5,000/oz in the next four years. Goldcorp is the second largest gold mining company in the world by market capitalization.

As governments increase the money supply to combat recession, bullion will more than double to $2,000 an ounce by the end of next year. “Politicians around the world are listening to cries from their electorates and they’re giving money to all callers,” McEwen said yesterday.

McEwen has more than $100 million in gold investments and said he also has a “big, big” holding in bullion. McEwen said he started buying bullion in August 2007, at the beginning of the subprime mortgage crisis. “I realized we had reached an inflection point regarding money,” McEwen said. “It was all about protecting money, and gold served that purpose.”

The recent trend of fiat currencies falling vis a vis gold looks set to continue for the foreseeable future. McEwen’s bold prediction looks outlandish now (as did predictions of gold at over $1,000/oz in 2001) but given the confluence of extremely strong fundamentals, gold will likely rise to levels in the coming years that seem unfathomable today.

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My Note:- I think a more realistic view would be Gold at $2500 to $3000 in next 2-3 years. However if everything goes to H*** in a Handbasket then yes $5000 and more! – Good Investing! – jschulmansr

Nothing in today’s post should be considered as an offer to buy or sell any securities or other investments; it is presented for informational purposes only. As a good investor, consult your Investment Advisor, Do Your Due Diligence, Read All Prospectus/s and related information carefully before you make any investments. –  jschulmansr

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Silver The Other Precious Metal – Seeking Alpha

By Don Dion of Fidelity Independent Advisor

 

In a global economic crisis for which the media has seemingly exhausted its cache of negative adjectives to describe the meltdown, one is hard-pressed to find an example of success in the quagmire that has become the marketplace. When scanning the ranks of the ETF Sector Momentum Table, however, one fund’s sweeping forward progress makes it a glinting example among its peers. iShares’ Silver Trust (SLV) vaulted from the No. 60 position in the rankings on December 2, 2008, to the No. 14 spot on February 3, 2009. If precious metals continue to outpace agricultural commodities, and the “flight to safety” extends into a probable “odyssey toward conservative investing,” SLV will be an interesting fund to track in upcoming months.

 

“We’ll wait for GLD to confirm that $88 will hold. Above $90, we should see more buyers coming in. March in-the-money calls are reasonably priced. AEM is another good vehicle to play gold. Although it is very volatile, it is a momentum stock and can run up fast!”

GLD successfully tested $88 and closed above $90 on Tuesday. On Wednesday, it jumped on high volume, more than twice the average volume!! GLD closed at $92.29, up +2.31%. AEM also did well, gaining +6.58%, or $3.48, finally breaking above $55.

click to enlarge

GLD

GLD added $2.08 to close at $92.29. It jumped on very high volume Wednesday. It closed just below the resistance at $92.5. This is only a soft resistance. The nearest hard resistance is between $95-$97.5.

Compared to the stock market, which had been treading water in a tight range since November last year, GLD had done much better. We can see a big divergence in this comparson chart:

The SPX has basically traded flat. On the other hand, GLD has risen nearly +30%, from $72 to $92!

GLD’s chart is still very strong. Its daily MAs are curving higher and still holding a bullish formation. The MACD is also turning up. I think GLD can easily revisit $100 within the next few months, which means gold can retest $1,000, and likely go above. Again, March “within-the-money” calls are reasonably priced. If GLD goes to $100 within the next few weeks, these options will probably double.

Good day and HappyTrading! ™.

Disclosure: no positions

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My Note: Yes! Gold will hit $1000 in fact will go and test the $1050 level. I n the case above the writer Mr Wang did an excellent forcast but notice no positions! I hope he follows his own advice and jumps on either (GLD) or if you want more bang for the buck (DGP). My disclosure I am Long (DGP), and (GLD). Also Long Bullion, Large, mid-tier and junior mining shares in the whole Precious metals spectrum including Rare Earths and Strategic Metals. Also Don’t forget silver as the next article points out. Finally do not forget Platinum and Palladium their time is coming too, mark my words! – jschulmansr

 

Home foreclosures are accelerating. We await a tidal wave of personal and corporate bankruptcies and the implosion of the commercial real estate market that will trigger more massive losses in the banking system.

In short, I have no confidence in the U.S. Government to “solve” the current depression. In fact, they will no doubt make it worse by socializing the economy and spending money obscenely. No wonder the only thing that’s working is precious metals.

I cannot consider investing in any stock until this virulently anti-business administration is either voted out of office or starts to see things more rationally.

The Last Depression, Coming to a Town Near You

Keep Away from U.S. Stocks as They Cascade Down

Gold Threatening to Break Out To New Highs Against the U.S. Dollar

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No Stimulus Here!

11 Wednesday Feb 2009

Posted by jschulmansr in 10 year Treasuries, 20 yr Treasuries, bull market, capitalism, central banks, China, Comex, Currency and Currencies, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, economic, Economic Recovery, economic trends, economy, Fed Fund Rate, Federal Deficit, federal reserve, Finance, financial, futures, futures markets, GDX, GLD, gold, Gold Bullion, Gold Investments, gold miners, How To Invest, How To Make Money, hyper-inflation, IMF, inflation, Investing, investments, Jschulmansr, Junior Gold Miners, Latest News, Long Bonds, Make Money Investing, market crash, Markets, mining companies, mining stocks, palladium, Peter Grandich, physical gold, platinum, platinum miners, precious metals, producers, production, recession, silver, silver miners, spot, spot price, stagflation, Stimulus, TARP, The Fed, TIPS, U.S. Dollar

≈ Comments Off on No Stimulus Here!

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After yesterday’s almost 400 point drop on the Stock Market we know what traders think of the stimulus plan… No stimulus here! Gold is up another $8 and is looking like it’s getting ready to test $930 then $950. The treasury has the money presses running full steam and Inflation will be the end result. Smart Investors are starting to realize there is only one place to be and that is Gold and Precious Metals. A good place to start, is where I get my bullion,and get a free gram of Gold to boot just for opening an account… Good Investing – jschulmansr

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

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Source: Mineweb.com

VM GROUP BRIEFING

IMF may no longer need to sell its gold

The IMF does well in difficult times for the global economy as its income to meet its internal budgets arises from loans to nations in economic difficulties. In such times IMF loans increase, as does its income, which could mean there is not such a pressing need for the Fund to sell its gold says London’s VM Group.

Author: Lawrence Williams
Posted:  Wednesday , 11 Feb 2009

LONDON – 

Some two years ago the gold price was hit, albeit temporarily, by the announcement that the International Monetary Fund would sell 403 tonnes of gold as the basis of an endowment, the interest on which would be used to help defray the shortfall in the IMF budget.  Indeed, at the time the Fund was suffering as its loan book was shrinking, eventually falling to SDR5.8bn at the end of the first quarter of 2008.  The IMF does well when the world economy does badly, but conversely does badly when the world economy does well and at that time the global economy seemed to be riding high.

The reason the IMF does badly when the world economy does well is a simple one.  The Fund relies on income from the loans it puts out to countries in economic difficulties for its day to day running expenses.  When the Global economy is strong, countries can repay these loans and there are few takers for new ones, so income shrinks.  After several years of strong global growth the Fund’s loan book had shrunk – hence the need for the new source of funding recommended by the IMF’s Committee of Eminent Persons to Study Sustainable Long Term Financing of IMF Running Costs, chaired by Sir Andrew Crockett, former head of The Bank for International Settlements (BIS). This is the Committee which recommended the sale of IMF gold reserves, the interest on the revenue from which could be used to plug the Fund’s own internal budget deficit.

But, since the middle of last year the global economy has been in virtual freefall and the IMF has again been called upon by a number of countries to help prop up their economies with major loans.  From the low of SDR5.8bn noted above, at the latest count the IMF now has loans out totalling $17.8 bn – and this figure is much more likely to rise than fall for the foreseeable future.  Indeed it may well double or more.

In a briefing to clients from London’s VM Group, the Group’s analysts suggest that, with the increase in income currently being generated, the IMF no longer has a short term need to boost its income in other forms – such as with interest from the proceeds of a gold sales programme – and there will be certainly less urgency to implement such a programme.

Notwithstanding the IMF’s improved internal funding circumstances the VM Group believes though, that “the Fund would still like to sell, largely because the Crockett Committee pinpointed some structural problems in the way the IMF financed itself. The Committee criticised the IMF’s funding strategy, not just on the ground that it no longer covered its expenditure, but because it was too concentrated, wasn’t related to its expenditure (in that other functions were covered by unrelated interest income), and – crucially – that it lacked predictability, soaring in bad times and falling in good times.”

But – and the VM group reckons this is an important ‘but’ – “..the Fund is not the only interested party in the question of IMF gold sales. It was always considered the US’s share of IMF votes, has an effective veto. In the past, Congress has been against gold sales, not just because of the impact on the gold price (and gold-mining in the US and elsewhere), something the Committee was at pains to say would be minimised, but also through general unease about funding commitments to international financial institutions. Some US legislators will certainly pose the question …. now that the IMF’s income is much better, does it really need to sell any gold? Moreover, the Fund might possibly have too much money after the financing reforms, if its loans were to continue to increase.”

This is obviously a speculative assessment, but not one without merit.  A major improvement in IMF finances may well lead to a ‘no sale’ directive by the US Congress given that there will likely be many in the legislature uncertain of the impact of such sales on an already very fragile economic system.  Leave well alone may be their feeling if the IMF is seen to be fully self funding again.

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My Note: Is the Treasury Bubble Getting Ready to Burst? Read between the lines in this next article and you decide… jschulmansr

China Needs U.S. Guarantees for Treasuries, Yu Says 

Source: Bloomberg.com Worldwide

By Belinda Cao and Judy Chen

Feb. 11 (Bloomberg) — China should seek guarantees that its $682 billion holdings of U.S. government debt won’t be eroded by “reckless policies,” said Yu Yongding, a former adviser to the central bank

 

 

 

 

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The U.S. “should make the Chinese feel confident that the value of the assets at least will not be eroded in a significant way,” Yu, who now heads the World Economics and Politics Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in response to e-mailed questions yesterday from Beijing. He declined to elaborate on the assurances needed by China, the biggest foreign holder of U.S. government debt.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields climbed above 3 percent this week on speculation the government will increase borrowing as President Barack Obama pushes his $838 billion stimulus package through Congress. Premier Wen Jiabao said last month his government’s strategy for investing would focus on safeguarding the value of China’s $1.95 trillion foreign reserves.

China may voice its concerns over U.S. government finances and the potential for a weaker dollar when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits China on Feb. 20, according to He Zhicheng, an economist at Agricultural Bank of China, the nation’s third-largest lender by assets. A People’s Bank of China official, who didn’t wish to be identified, declined to comment on the telephone.

Clinton Talks

“In talks with Clinton, China will ask for a guarantee that the U.S. will support the dollar’s exchange rate and make sure China’s dollar-denominated assets are safe,” said He in Beijing. “That would be one of the prerequisites for more purchases.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu said yesterday that talks with Clinton would cover bilateral relations, the financial crisis and international affairs, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The dollar fell 0.6 percent to 89.96 yen today on concern that the U.S. government’s bank-rescue plan will fail to revive lending. Treasuries declined as investors prepared to bid for a record $21 billion sale of 10-year notes today. The yield on the benchmark 10-year note rose three basis points to 2.83 percent.

Currency Reserves

“These comments are some sort of a threat but of course China can never get such a guarantee,” said Thomas Harr, a currency strategist at Standard Chartered Plc in Singapore. The U.S. may assure China that it will clean up the financial system and that it “won’t push for a weaker dollar but they can’t promise not to increase the fiscal deficit,” he said.

U.S. government bonds returned 14 percent last year including price gains and reinvested interest, the most since rallying 18.5 percent in 1995, according to indexes compiled by Merrill Lynch & Co. Concern that the flood of bonds would overwhelm demand caused Treasuries to lose 3.08 percent in January, the steepest drop in almost five years, Merrill data show.

China’s loss of more than $5 billion from investing $10.5 billion of its reserves in New York-based Blackstone Group LP, Morgan Stanley and TPG Inc. since mid-2007 may increase its demand for the relative safety of Treasuries.

“The government will be a net buyer of Treasuries in the short term because there’s no sign they have changed their strategy,” said Zhang Ming, secretary general of the international finance research center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. “But personally, I don’t think we should increase holdings because the medium- and long-term risks are quite high.”

Fed Buying

Bill Gross, co-chief investment officer of Pacific Investment Management Co., said on Feb. 5 the Federal Reserve will have to buy Treasuries to curb yields as debt sales increase. Fed officials said Jan. 28 they were “prepared” to buy longer-term Treasuries.

“The biggest concern for China to continue buying U.S. Treasuries is that if Obama’s stimulus doesn’t work out as expected, the Fed may have to print money to cover the deficit,” said Shen Jianguang, a Hong Kong-based economist at China International Capital Corp., partly owned by Morgan Stanley. “That will cause a dollar slump.”

China’s foreign-exchange reserves grew about $40 billion in the fourth quarter, the least since mid-2004, as an end to yuan appreciation since July prompted investors to pull money out.

The world’s third-biggest economy grew 6.8 percent in the fourth quarter, the slowest pace in seven years. Policy makers announced a 4 trillion yuan ($585 billion) economic stimulus plan in November to spur domestic demand.

Linking Disputes

Yu said China has no plans to channel its reserves toward stimulating its own economy because its trade surplus is sufficient to fund any import needs. China’s trade surplus was $39 billion in January.

China “should diversify its reserves away from U.S. Treasuries if the value of China’s foreign-exchange reserves is in danger of being inflated away by the U.S. government’s pump- priming,” he said.

China may try to link trade and currency policy disputes to its future investment in Treasuries, said Lu Zhengwei, an economist in Shanghai at Industrial Bank Co., a Chinese lender partly owned by a unit of HSBC Holdings Plc.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner accused China on Jan. 22 of “manipulating” the yuan to give an unfair advantage to its exporters. The currency has dropped 0.16 percent this year to 6.8342 per dollar, following a 21 percent gain since a peg against the dollar was abandoned in July 2005.

“China can also use this opportunity to get a promise from the U.S. not to make inappropriate requests on bilateral trade and the Chinese yuan,” Lu said. “We can’t afford more yuan appreciation as the economy is facing a serious slowdown.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Belinda Cao in Beijing at lcao4@bloomberg.net; Judy Chen in Shanghai at xchen45@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: February 11, 2009 04:04 EST

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

Steve Palmer: Juniors Staged to Climb from New Ground Floor? – Gold Report

Source: The Gold Report

 Whether irrational exuberance or the faltering dot-com industry triggered it, the economic downturn of 2001 hit junior resource companies hard. They bounced back in a big way. “Downturn” understates the current scenario, but AlphaNorth Asset Management President and CEO Steve Palmer sees similarities. He looks forward to taking advantage of opportunities “to get in on some of what has now become the new ground floor” and make some “tremendous gains.” While he anticipates more bad news on the employment front, he also tells The Gold Report followers that he believes “we’ve avoided the abyss” and confidence is returning.

The Gold Report: Tell us about your outlook for the natural resource sector for 2009 and your thinking about the primary market of commodities—precious metals, base metals and so forth. Also, are these markets separate or all tied together?

Steve Palmer: 2008 was clearly a disaster for almost everybody. I manage a generalist fund, so it’s not focused only on resources. At the beginning of 2008, I was fairly cautious on resources. I thought the easy money had been made and the risk-reward wasn’t that good compared to some other sectors. However, with the pullback in many of the commodities, many of the resource companies are back to marginal cost of production and the share prices have been pounded so much—in many cases, below their cash value—that those resource opportunities are much more interesting at this stage.

The index I track for the small-cap focused fund I manage is the TSX Venture Index, which is the most comparable benchmark. This index has declined about 80% peak-to-trough. I think it peaked in the spring of ’07 and last year was down over 70%. That’s probably one of the worst-performing indices in the world as it’s heavily weighted toward resources. A lot of the junior companies in Canada are resource companies, probably a little more than 50%. So I think it’s a great opportunity to get in on some of what has now become the new ground floor.

The last time this occurred, back in ’01, I was managing a small-cap fund at a major financial institution that was invested heavily in the junior technology and biotech stocks. There was a significant correction; the NASDAQ declined by 80% over a two-year period and dragged the small caps down with it. The small cap fund I was managing at the time went through a rough patch and bottomed in April 2003, but was up more than 900% over the next four years. So when I look forward from where we are today, I see a similar opportunity for a period of tremendous gains, significantly above what you’d normally expect on a long-term basis.

TGR: But it’s such a different market now. Part of what drove the commodities move earlier in this decade was global growth. What’s the driver going to be in ’09?

SP: I think stabilization. The areas of big scares in the fourth quarter—the financial system and credit markets—needed to stabilize and that seems to have occurred. Credit spreads have come down and indicators of panic (such as T-bills with a negative yield) have subsided. People aren’t panicking like that anymore; it seems we’ve avoided the abyss and we have moved on to addressing the economic downturn.

TGR: Are you looking for a rebound?

SP: Not that we’re out of the woods yet, but there could be a big bounce. Governments are being very aggressive in trying to get things moving again. The stock market hits bottoms before you see the worst of the job numbers, though, many months before. That’s occurred almost every time in the past. This time, too, we can expect to see unemployment keep getting worse after the market has long since bottomed.

TGR: Do you think we saw a bottom in November and December, particularly in the junior resource sector?

SP: I definitely think it was a bottom, at least a short-term bottom. The level of panic was unprecedented. Compounding that was the timing of tax-loss selling that had to be done before year-end, so some stocks plunged to insanely low levels. This wasn’t due to fundamentals—it was all liquidity-driven, tax-loss selling driven and forced selling by various funds.

But as I said, I think most of that’s behind us. We’re in a more normal market and people are starting to look at fundamentals again. From the bottom that the TSX Venture hit, we’ve already had a nice little bounce, more than 25%, in just a few weeks. The larger-cap stocks bounced, too, but only half as much.

TGR: What about the broader markets, the S&P and Dow? Have they bottomed, too?

SP: I focus more on the Canadian markets. With the narrow number of stocks and the way the index is calculated, I think the Dow is an irrelevant benchmark. I don’t even look at that index. The S&P is a broader measure of U.S. large caps. I don’t expect it to go rocketing back up, but the bottom from November has held. I do a lot of technical analysis work and the charts are indicating to me now that, after the initial January bounce, we’ve pulled back fairly significantly. A lot of people are calling it a re-test of the low. It looks as if the S&P has bounced off 800 and it wouldn’t surprise me if it traded up to 1,000 before heading back down again in the spring. It will probably trade in a channel this year.

TGR: Harking back to your stability theme.

SP: Yes. And once we have some stability, people will regain confidence. There’s going to be a lot of money made in some areas of the market. Recently the golds have done really well, and takeouts will occur, especially when we have the very depressed juniors.

Greed will come back quickly, as well. We’ve had several greed cycles just in the last decade. We had the whole junior bull market around Bre-X in 1987. That whole thing imploded. The benchmark at the time was the Vancouver Stock Exchange Index, which was the measure in Canada of all these resource plays. It declined 75% after the Bre-X blew up. It wasn’t long after that when everybody scrambled to buy technology stocks in ’99, and then they imploded. Then in 2002, we started the latest bull run in commodities. So we’ve had three major up-and-down cycles in the last 10-12 years. It will occur again.

TGR: Does your technical analysis give you an idea where the various commodities will be in 2009?

SP: Yes. I use the charts a lot because commodity prices are so hard to predict; so many factors are involved. Those who set commodity price targets are wrong 80% of the time. If you’re contrarian, too, it usually works. For example, during a broker-sponsored dinner with 30-plus portfolio managers at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention in early March last year, they went around the table and asked everyone what they thought gold would be at the next PDAC. Gold was around $960 at the time and everybody was forecasting prices of $1,500 to $2,000. It’s almost a year later now and the 2009 PDAC convention is coming up. So we’re almost there right now and there were only two people at that dinner—I was one—who predicted a lower gold price. I picked $885. Where it makes sense, I like to go against the crowd. It looks to me like many of the commodities are going to lift in the short term. I wouldn’t be short.

TGR: So where do you see gold going in ’09?

SP: I trade gold almost exclusively—on technicals. It’s very much correlated inversely with the U.S. dollar. One gold analyst plotted the correlation since January ’06 and it was minus 0.926, almost perfectly inversely correlated since January ’06. All you need to do is put up two charts side by side—gold and the U.S. dollar—and you can see it clearly. You don’t need to calculate any fancy correlation numbers.

TGR: So you expect gold to be good going forward, considering all the troubles the U.S. dollar has?

SP: I have been quite negative on the U.S. dollar and thus quite bullish for most of the past few years on gold. I picked a lower gold price a year ago for two reasons: 1) the USdollar had made a significant move lower and was due for a rebound (technicals), and 2) it was a contrarian call as everyone was bullish. However, the direction of the U.S. dollar seems harder to predict now; it could be in for a period of strength. If the U.S. economy leads the way out of this global mess, the U.S. dollar will be strong and that’s not good for gold.

TGR: So if the U.S. leads us out of this global problem, you’re saying the U.S. dollar will be strong and that would put negative pressure on gold?

SP: Yes. That may be offset somewhat by inflation concerns or the “fear” trade persisting for a period of time. I’m not predicting that gold’s going to collapse or anything, but I’m not a super bull like a lot of people. We see a fair number of gold bugs around.

TGR: What about some specific stocks that you’d have The Gold Report readers take a look at?

SP: Colossus Minerals Inc. (TSX:CSI) is one I really like. They’ve been getting some phenomenal grades drilling on their property in Brazil. Garimperos had been hauling gold out of a big pit created there; it’s thought that they took 2 million ounces of gold out of the pit; very high-grade zones of several thousand grams per ton in some cases. After the pit got flooded, it was in limbo with the locals for many decades. Colossus got their hands on it a couple of years ago and went back and started doing re-assays of some of the historical drilling results and re-drilling, as well. The grades they’re getting are quite good. It’s not just gold; they have very high platinum and palladium grades, as well.

TGR: So Colossus came in, acquired the property, got rid of the water and—

SP: No, the water’s still there. It’s like a little lake, actually, in the pit. I think they’re drilling southwest of the pit, and the gold zone continues there. They’re currently considering drilling from a barge, too, to see if they can intersect some of the zones that were being mined before.

TGR: How deep is the lake?

SP: It’s probably about 100 meters deep. That’s another thing. The gold zones are very near surface, which lowers the mining costs significantly, as well. So it would be a very profitable operation because it’s so shallow and very high grade.

TGR: Do they have a 43-101 on this?

SP: No, they’re working on that. They just started Phase II drilling and will be doing a 43-101 report this year. The company has enough money to carry out their Phase II over the balance of this year. The market cap is about $70 million. They could have several million ounces of gold equivalent there. I would consider a takeout highly likely once they get a little more advanced.

TGR: By one of the majors?

SP: Yes, I think several of them have been on the property already.

TGR: Interesting. Another company to look at?

SP: Orko Silver Corp. (TSX.V:OK) is another, a $50 million market cap company. They have a property in Mexico they’ve been drilling, and should have an updated 43-101 report out any day now. It should add to the current inferred resource of 103 million ounces. A lot of the more senior names have done quite well recently. Some of them have doubled in the last couple of months. People are starting to look lower down on the market cap scale at some of the ones that haven’t moved as much. So I think companies in the range of $50 million (where Orko is) and $70 million (where Colossus is) will be on people’s radar screen, as well.

TGR: How far advanced is Orko? Is it close to other mines?

SP: Of course, Mexico is noted for its silver, and it has many, many silver mines. Orko is in an area with many mines around. They’re at the stage now where they’re proving up a resource and then they’ll do a scoping study.

TGR: Do they have sufficient cash in the bank?

SP: They have $3 million in cash right now. They raised money last summer at $1.65 and the stock is 55 cents now.

TGR: Looking at the technical chart, they seem to have been building a base since October. It hasn’t had the move that a lot of other juniors have.

SP: Exactly. That’s why I like it. We’ve been picking away at it recently because I think it’s good for a move. It could double quite easily in the next couple of months. Most of the precious metal names, like this one, I typically don’t hold for many years unless it’s a story like Colossus where I have a lot of conviction that they’re building something that’s going to be big and maybe taken over one day. Some of my positions, as with Orko, are initiated on technical analysis work but are also supported by fundamentals. Combining the commodity and the stock, this one looks like a good opportunity to get in on a timely basis and possibly double your money and move on.

TGR: Any others?

SP: Another one that has a similar chart is Silverstone Resources Corp. (TSX.V:SST). It’s a royalty company, similar to Silver Wheaton, where they take the silver and gold from companies that have producing base metal mines with silver and gold as byproducts. So they typically buy the silver at $4 and the gold at $300 and then they can sell it into the market. There’s little overhead required and you get your exposure to the commodity. In this case, with only $100 million market cap, Silverstone Resources is less liquid and trades at a much lower multiple than Silver Wheaton. I think Silver Wheaton’s trades around 15 times cash flow and this one is close to three times 2009 cash flow.

TGR: And like Silver Wheaton, Silverstone Resources either has capital or access to capital?

SP: It’s small working capital, but they have agreements to buy from these three mines and then they resell. It’s just the timing of when they get paid, really. There’s not much capital required. It’s a royalty play at the moment. It’s a very low cash flow multiple, lower risk. They probably would need to raise a little more capital on the back of a new off-take arrangement, which would be another avenue or catalyst to move the stock higher in the future.

TGR: What about any energy plays?

SP: One of my favorite energy names would be Sea Dragon Energy Inc. (TSX.V:SDX). They’re currently drilling a well in the Gulf of Suez that we should have results on in a matter of weeks. It has a one-in-three shot at success. It IPO’d at 60 cents. It’s currently trading at 14 cents. After they spend the money on the well, the cash per share will be 17 cents, so it’s trading below cash, assuming a failure. So there could be some significant gains if they hit on this well.

The management team has done it before: The same guy (Said Arrata, Sea Dragon Chairman and Director) was behind Centurion Energy, which was a huge success and taken out for over a billion dollars a year or two ago. He’s very well connected in Egypt. Sea Dragon is looking at other opportunities to get in on where junior companies are starved for cash, given that they have a significant amount that they raised on their IPO, $35 million I think. Even after drilling this well, they’ll still have a lot of cash left and could get in very cheaply on other opportunities in the area.

Steve Palmer and Joey Javier, an investment team since 1998, took three key assets—their excellent track record, their experience and their belief that exploiting inefficiencies in the Canadian small-cap universe would produce superior long-term equity returns—to AlphaNorth Asset Management, launching the Toronto-based investment management firm in August 2007. By year-end 2007, the long biased small-cap hedge fund they built made its debut. Until Lehman Brothers’ liquidated, credit markets froze, massive investor requests for redemptions forced hedge funds to sell out of their positions and “volatility” no longer came close to describing the frenzy in financial centers, the fund was flush and its investors were as happy as clams. Its first seven months netted a return of 35.6%, significantly outperforming the major Canadian indices. During that period, the TSX Venture Index declined by 3.7% and the TSX Composite Index rose by 7.4%.

Steve, who is a Chartered Financial Analyst, earned his BA in Economics at the University of Western Ontario. After starting in the investment community as a research associate, he moved to a major financial institution in mid-1998, where he met Joey and built his career. As Vice President of Canadian Equities, he managed assets of approximately $350 million, including a pooled fund that focused on small-cap companies.

Want to read more exclusive Gold Report interviews like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you’ll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Expert Insights page.

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Gold Is Entering An Accelerated Trend Channel – Gold Report

Source: The Gold Report – from/by: Oliver Tischendorf of Tischendorf.com

Gold has history on its side. It is a proven way to preserve one’s wealth over time. It acts like an insurance and it is highly unlikely mankind’s behavior during the last 6,000 years is going to change anytime soon. Some things never change. Two of those things are human nature and gold’s capacity to preserve one’s purchasing power.  


That said gold has recently reached new highs in various foreign currencies. The chart of gold in Euro terms tells the story of what is to come. Don’t take this lightly. This is an important event as new highs typically attract more buying. If the Europeans start allocating more funds to physical bullion demand will increase drastically and gobble up supply. It is reasonable to expect additional upward pressure for the price of gold. Physical accumulation is accelerating on a worldwide basis. Keep in mind gold is a very tiny market compared to the equities market. A change in asset allocation resulting in a small increase to bullion exposure could easily double worldwide demand for gold bullion investment purposes.

A story hitting the wires recently is that: Greenlight Capital’s founder, David Einhorn, is finally taking his grandfather’s advice. The $5.1 billion hedge fund is buying gold for the first time amid the threat of inflation from increased government spending. Einhorn fund’s recent decision to invest in physical gold bullion is testament to increased awareness of gold’s bullish long term trend and it looks like this is only the beginning to added buying pressure for gold bullion.’ For full coverage of the story click here.

It looks like the price of gold in US Dollar terms is merely lagging other currencies as the US Dollar has been very strong lately. It is still early to draw conclusions as the US Dollar could stay stronger than most people expect but the new accelerating trend channel looks to be a valid one.

So what it all comes down to is that worldwide accumulation of physical gold is accelerating. Hence the odds the gold price is going to accelerate as well are rather high.

If you haven’t built a physical bullion position yet now is a good time to think about doing so. I typically recommend holding at least 5% of one’s liquid net worth in gold bullion held in your own possession. Increasing that percentage up to 20% isn’t that bad an idea either. Although the markets look like they might want to stage some kind of rally right now taking a longer term perspective indicates the gold trend is going to make you more money than buying the S&P500 via the SPY.

Gold should reach new highs in US Dollar terms soon following the lead of foreign currencies like the Euro, the Canadian Dollar, the Australian Dollar, the Swiss Franc and the British Pound Sterling to name a few. As long as the lower trend line of the new dotted trend channel is not breached ‘the trend is your friend’ and you should hold on to your gold bullion position. You could use that level to protect your position with a stop loss.

If you want to be more aggressive you should consider buying silver bullion. The silver market is much smaller than the gold market so the market is considered to be a riskier one. But once the public is going to stress silver’s monetary significance as opposed to viewing it simply as another commodity silver prices will increase significantly and should ultimately outperform gold. I recommend closely watching the gold – silver ratio for clues. Historically the ratio has showed to be lower than the actual one. Watch for the ratio to go back to the 55 level and overshooting to the downside as soon as silver garners more interest.

You can easily keep track of the three charts and how they evolve over time by visiting my public list.

Subscribers to my free newsletter get an email notice whenever I buy or sell stocks.

Olivier Tischendorf
http://www.tischendorf.com/

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As the last article said now is time to accumulate Gold, do so here and Get 1 Free Gram just for Opening an Account!

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Get 1 gram free! – Buy Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! – Bullion Vault.com

Good Investing! – jschulmansr

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Nothing in today’s post should be considered as an offer to buy or sell any securities or other investments; it is presented for informational purposes only. As a good investor, consult your Investment Advisor, Do Your Due Diligence, Read All Prospectus/s and related information carefully before you make any investments. –  jschulmansr

 

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Can’t Keep A Good Investment Down?

10 Tuesday Feb 2009

Posted by jschulmansr in 10 year Treasuries, 20 yr Treasuries, Bailout News, banking crisis, banks, bear market, bull market, capitalism, central banks, Comex, commodities, Copper, Credit Default, Currencies, currency, Currency and Currencies, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, economic, Economic Recovery, economic trends, economy, Fed Fund Rate, Federal Deficit, federal reserve, Finance, financial, Forex, Fundamental Analysis, futures, futures markets, GDX, GLD, gold, Gold Bullion, Gold Investments, gold miners, How To Invest, How To Make Money, hyper-inflation, inflation, Investing, investments, Japan, Jschulmansr, Junior Gold Miners, Latest News, Make Money Investing, market crash, Markets, mining companies, mining stocks, Moving Averages, palladium, Peter Grandich, physical gold, platinum, platinum miners, precious metals, price, price manipulation, prices, producers, production, silver, silver miners, small caps, spot, spot price, stagflation, Stimulus, Stocks, Technical Analysis, TIPS, U.S. Dollar

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As I write Gold has come screaming back like a rocket to the moon! Currently Gold is up $20 oz back to $913 an oz. Today we here from Peter Grandich on new all time highs for gold are just around the corner. We’ll take a look at Silver, oh we can’t forget about Platinum too! There’s still time but the Precious Metals Bull Train is about to leave the station-Hop aboard! – Good Investing – jschulmansr

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Gold All Time Highs – Not If But When – Grandich Blog

By: Peter Grandich of Grandich Blog

February 10th, 2009

They say in life only death and taxes are guaranteed. They send you to jail if you guarantee an investment and it fails. With both things in mind, I believe we “should” make a new, all-time nominal high in gold before too long.

After putting a strong bottom in at $700, gold has made a series of higher lows while the $930-$940 area remains resistance. Despite an incredibly strong physical market, the paper market at the Comex seemingly trades to a different “drummer”. That’s okay as physical demand eventually overtakes paper markets.

Gold continues to be my most favorite play, followed by being long the Canadian dollar and then oil. But remember, I was also a NY Jets fan for 35 years.

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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What’s Going on With the Dollar and Gold? – Seeking Alpha

By: Tim Iacono of Iacono Research

 

Those of you who have noticed that the U.S. dollar and gold have been moving in the same direction over the last few weeks are not alone. In fact, the two have moved together eight days in a row and nine out of the last ten, something that is quite unusual.
IMAGE When looking at the PowerShares DB U.S. Dollar Index Bullish ETF (PCX:UUP) and the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (PCX:GLD), it’s clear to see how different the last couple weeks have been as compared to earlier in the year.

 

 

Based on the data for these ETFs (which, unfortunately only goes back to early 2007 for UUP), the two have moved in the same direction on just 150 out of 490 days – about 30 percent of the time.

 

As shown in the chart below, the recent surge to much higher levels has not happened in at least two years, probably much longer.
IMAGE

The only other time that something similar happened was back in January of 2008.

 

What else happened in January of 2008?

Ahhh… How soon we forget…

From the St. Louis Federal Reserve website:

January 11, 2008

Bank of America announces that it will purchase Countrywide Financial in an all-stock transaction worth approximately $4 billion.

 

January 18, 2008
Fitch Ratings downgrades Ambac Financial Group’s insurance financial strength rating to AA, Credit Watch Negative. Standard and Poor’s place Ambac’s AAA rating on CreditWatch Negative.

January 22, 2008
In an intermeeting conference call, the FOMC votes to reduce its target for the federal funds rate 75 basis points to 3.5 percent. The Federal Reserve Board votes to reduce the primary credit rate 75 basis points to 4 percent.

January 30, 2008
The FOMC votes to reduce its target for the federal funds rate 50 basis points to 3 percent. The Federal Reserve Board votes to reduce the primary credit rate 50 basis points to 3.5 percent.

 

This was the really steep part of the rate reduction cycle – 125 basis points in just over a week.

 

Whether any of this has any real significance remains to be seen, but, the fact that, last time around, the gold price then surged to over $1,000 an ounce should not be ignored.

I, for one, will be happy to see the inverse relationship between the dollar and gold go the way of the dodo bird, never to affect twitchy traders again.

As noted here on many occasions before, there is no fundamental reason for this relationship to exist. If the dollar strengthens against the euro, why should that make the gold price go down? Because gold, priced in dollars, has become more expensive in Europe?

Despite hearing that ad nauseum in the financial media, that really doesn’t make any sense when you think about it.

 


Full Disclosure: Long GLD, no position in UUP
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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com 

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Silver Surges but Remains Undervalued Compared to Gold – Seeking Alpha

By: Mark O’Byrne of Gold and Silver Investments.com

 

Gold fell some 1.5% last week as investors tookgl profits with gold having been up some 10% in the previous three 3 weeks. But the short and medium term prospects look sound in the light of strong fundamentals and some important indicators – silver was up by another 4.2% last week and the gold mining indices were also higher (XAU +4.6% and HUI +2.3%). The mining indices are often a leading indicator and silver usually underperforms gold in the early stages of rallies and outperforms in the latter. Silver’s recent strength (up by some 15% since the start of the year) may be a prelude to higher gold prices in the coming weeks.

 

The recent sharp rally in the US dollar appears unsustainable and the USD Index was down 0.64% last week and US bonds also fell again – the 10-Year bond sold off again and the yield rose another 4.75% (from 2.9% to 2.979%). As ever, the bond market remains of fundamental importance and nervousness about the humongous size of the Obama bailout and stimulus packages and talk of central banks printing money to buy government bonds is not helping sentiment here. And government debt issuance is set to surge in the coming weeks and there is a real concern that there simply will not be enough buyers – meaning that bond prices may fall from their lofty heights and long term yields and interest rates begin to rise again.

The gold/silver ratio has fallen to around 70 ($905oz/$13/oz = 69.6) today from around 80 in mid January. The long term historical average is 15:1 and this is because it is estimated that geologically there are some 15 parts of silver in the ground for every one part of gold. It is important to note that silver, unlike gold, besides being a safe haven investment is also used in industry and it is believed that since the dawn of the industrial revolution some 95% of the world’s silver has been used up in industrial applications. Because of gold’s much higher value, it gets recycled and all the gold mined in the world ever is still with us but photography and other industrial uses makes silver like oil – when used it is gone forever.

The 1970s saw an average gold to silver ratio of around 25:1 and fell below 20:1 when silver rose to over $45/oz nominally. Thus it seems very likely that in the coming years, silver may well return to its long term historical average of closer to 15:1. This means that silver is likely to continue to outperform even gold in the coming weeks and months. Silver may return to its recent highs of over $20/oz in 2009 due to very strong supply demand fundamentals. It is also important to note that the CFTC investigation into artificial manipulation and suppression of the silver market could potentially lead to a massive short squeeze.

All investors should diversify within the precious metals allocation in their portfolio and own silver as well as gold. Gold remains the ultimate safe haven while silver is a safe haven but has the potential for very significant returns and growing wealth in the coming months.

Stock position: None.

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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Bullish for the Short Term But Consider Gold, Platinum as Well – Seeking Alpha

By: Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James

 

Excerpt from Raymond James strategist Jeffrey Saut’s latest essay, published Monday (February 9th):

 

…[I]n last Tuesday morning’s verbal strategy comments we noted that since the inception of the S&P 500 futures contract there have been five instances when the futures slid by 2% (or more) on back-to-back days and then gapped lower by 1%+ the following session. On EVERY one of those occasions the S&P 500 (SPX/868.60) was at, or within one day, of beginning a decent rally. Further, last November we opined that at the November 20, 2008 “price low” the DJIA was 34% below its 200-day moving average [DMA] and consequently very oversold.

According to Susan Berge, of the Berge Report, that reading was greater than the momentum low occurring in October 1974 of 27%, as well as the 24% reading during the 1987 crash. Even after the rally we have experienced since the November “lows” during the recent downside re-test of those November’s “lows” the differential was still a massive 25%. Subsequently, we advised buying the exchange-traded fund [ETF] of your choice, which in our case was the recommendation of the ProShares Ultra S&P 500 (SSO) that is “geared” two-to-one on the upside. We further suggested that the more timid types might want to consider hedging these positions to minimize the downside.

Accordingly, the Dutiful Dow sprinted 141 points in Tuesday’s session, but gave back most of those gains on Wednesday’s wilt (-121). Therefore, in Thursday morning’s strategy comments, we said that if our upside rally “call” was going to play ,the equity markets would need to shake off Thursday’s worse than expected employment claims number, as well as the anticipated worse than estimated employment numbers on Friday. BINGO, for indeed the late week numbers were much worse than expected, yet the DJIA shook them off and rallied. How far the rally will carry is anyone’s guess, for while we are bullish on a short-term basis, it would take a closing price above 8375 on the DJIA to turn us merely “neutral” on an intermediate-term basis.

However, if the DJIA (8280.59) can close above its January 6, 2009 closing high of 9015.10, with a like close by the D-J Transportation Average [DJTA] (3203.70) above its 1/6/09 closing high of 3717.26, it would be a Dow Theory “buy signal” according to our interpretation of Dow Theory; and should be viewed as a pretty bullish occurrence. Moreover, as stated in previous missives, so far what we have seen is a downside non-confirmation, with the DJTA breaking below its November 2008 “low” without a similar breakdown by the DJIA; and, you should read that bullishly.

Meanwhile, there was an interesting rotation last week with the Commodity Research Bureau Index “up,” the Dollar Index “down,” bond prices “down” (read: higher interest rates), and Dr. Copper “up” nearly 11%. This action, if it continues, suggests the potential for the return of inflation and the potential for a stronger economy. If so, in addition to our recommendation on gold, participants might want to consider investments in platinum. Indeed, unlike gold, platinum is not only a precious metal, but is used heavily in industry due to its tensile strength characteristics…

Typically, platinum sells at a substantial premium to gold, but because of the collapse of the auto industry platinum is approaching parity with gold for the first time since the early / mid-1990s. Investors, therefore, might want to consider platinum in addition to their gold positions, for they will be purchasing a relatively “cheap” metal with a “call” on an auto industry rebound. Our vehicle of choice for this theme is the iPath Dow Jones AIG Platinum ETF (PGM).

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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Late Breaking Intelligence Report…

MineWeb Gold News – Japan Investors Turn To Gold! – MineWeb

Source: Reuters

 

 

TREND SPREADING

Japan investors turn to gold

Online traders are turning to commodities from FX, stocks and gold is the most popular commodity product for online retailers.

Author: Chikako Mogi
Posted:  Tuesday , 10 Feb 2009

TOKYO (Reuters)  – 

Japanese retail investors are stepping up their online gold investment in a trend that is unlikely to be reversed, an executive at a top online commodity trading firm said on Tuesday.

As the country’s retail investors catch up with global trends of asset diversification, they are hunting for alternative investments to enhance returns, and the trend is spreading outwards from the rich to engulf ordinary people.

Japan’s risk-averse retail investors are estimated to hold an eye-popping $16.4 trillion, more than half of it in cash and deposits, Mizuho Bank, the country’s second-largest lender, says.

Although the global financial crisis hit the real economy and battered commodities directly linked to the economy, gold remains unscathed by such declining industrial demand while retaining merit as an asset.

“Given its relatively stable value, interest in gold will persist for a while and the market will remain bullish,” Naoaki Kurumada, chief executive of Dot Commodity, Inc, told Reuters.

“Gold is our main commodity product — by purchasing gold, investors can start including commodities in their portfolios.”

Since its establishment in 2005, the company has grown as Japan’s top online commodity trading firm, with about 20,000 accounts against some 50 initially, and assets of 8 billion yen ($87.45 million) by October. It is also second in the online commodity trading industry in volume terms.

The company is drawing interest from seasoned online traders who are turning to commodities for high returns, as Japanese stocks have plunged and the yen has strengthened.

“I expect online accounts to increase, given the strengthening appetite for asset diversification and more people finding commodity trading interesting,” Kurumada said.

There are two key kinds of investors who use the firm’s services. One of them has experience in trading currency or stocks online and can analyse technical charts or moves in other markets to aim for high returns amid price fluctuations.

“Some are day traders, others more longer term, like a few weeks. They are largely in their 30s and 40s,” Kurumada said.

The other type is non-traders interested in commodity investment who buy gold as a start, he said.

Reflecting the popularity of the yellow metal as an investment, the open interest in the gold mini contract, launched in July 2007, hit a record high 83,428 contracts on Jan. 8, according to Tokyo Commodity Exchange Inc (TOCOM), exceeding that of the standard gold contract.

TOCOM will extend trading hours of all derivatives contracts later this year to boost liquidity after Japan’s main commodity market launches upgraded trading systems in May.

Kurumada said this would help attract more investor interest to commodity investment and trading, as it would allow players to cut losses timely or swiftly react to overseas market moves.

“We hope that the environment will be set so traders can reap profits just like in currency and stocks,” he said.

While Japanese retail investors are waking up to the attraction of commodity investment, the pace of growth may be moderate.

About 20 percent of those investing in gold, for instance, are investing in TOCOM’s gold mini contract and about 10 percent are actively trading. The rest are investing in such products as gold savings plans, Kurumada said.

“Retail investors jumped on the gold mini contract a year after its launch. It takes time for them to catch up,” he said. ($1=91.48 Yen) (Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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That’s It for Now- I close with this quote below- Good Investing! – jschulmansr

“Nothing will unnerve the paper gold shorts more quickly and do more to undercut their confidence than to strip them of the real metal and force them to come up with more hard gold bullion to make good on deliveries. “Stand and Deliver or Go Home” should be the rallying cry of the gold longs to the paper gold shorts.” –Trader Dan Norcini

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Nothing in today’s post should be considered as an offer to buy or sell any securities or other investments; it is presented for informational purposes only. As a good investor, consult your Investment Advisor, Do Your Due Diligence, Read All Prospectus/s and related information carefully before you make any investments. –  jschulmansr

 

 

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Murphy’s Law? – What is Gold doing?

09 Monday Feb 2009

Posted by jschulmansr in Bailout News, banking crisis, banks, Barack Obama, Comex, Copper, Currency and Currencies, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, economic, Economic Recovery, economic trends, economy, financial, Fundamental Analysis, GDX, GLD, Gold Bullion, Gold Investments, gold miners, How To Invest, How To Make Money, hyper-inflation, inflation, Investing, investments, Jschulmansr, Junior Gold Miners, Make Money Investing, Markets, mining companies, mining stocks, palladium, physical gold, platinum, platinum miners, precious metals, price, prices, producers, production, rare earth metals, silver, silver miners, small caps, spot, spot price, stagflation, Stimulus, U.S. Dollar

≈ Comments Off on Murphy’s Law? – What is Gold doing?

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Austrian school, Bailout News, banking crisis, banks, bear market, Bollinger Bands Saudi Arabia, Brian Tang, bull market, central banks, China, Comex, commodities, Copper, Currencies, currency, deflation, Dennis Gartman, depression, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, economic, economic trends, economy, Federal Deficit, financial, Forex, futures, futures markets, gata, GDX, GLD, gold, gold miners, hard assets, hyper-inflation, India, inflation, investments, Jeffrey Nichols, Jim Rogers, Keith Fitz-Gerald, majors, Marc Faber, market crash, Markets, Michael Zielinski, mid-tier, mining companies, monetization, Moving Averages, palladium, Peter Grandich, Peter Schiff, physical gold, platinum, platinum miners, precious metals, price, price manipulation, prices, producers, production, protection, recession, risk, run on banks, safety, Sean Rakhimov, silver, silver miners, small caps, sovereign, spot, spot price, stagflation, Technical Analysis, TIPS, U.S., U.S. Dollar, volatility, warrants, XAU

As I write todays post Gold is testing support around the $895 level. Mr. Murphy is laughing today as you can tell by today’s articles. However, I still feel this is another buying opportunity to add more, especially among the Gold mining Stocks. Many of the producers are still selling at or near book value. Pull up a chair, take a bite, you won’t be eating humble pie! – Good Investing! -jschulmansr

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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Gold Charts Are Plugging Along – Seeking Alpha

By: Jeff Pierce of Zen Trader

I realize there’s been a lot of talk about gold putting in a top, and I’m aware that we are at longer term resistance on a multi-year chart, however short term I’m still seeing bullish charts. Take a look at the following 15 min chart on a few random gold stocks and you’ll see a very bullish constructive chart. It moves up 3 steps, and gives back 2. The moving averages have a nice flow to them as the stock continues to push higher and volume seems to favor the bulls. I’m a big fan of the 15 min chart and I always look at it to see which way the smaller trend is moving and until I see these charts roll over on this time frame, then the longer term time frames should be safe for now. 

One note of caution. This picture can change very quickly so you have to stay on top of it. Be on the lookout for double topping patterns and use it in conjuction with a 15 min of GLD while looking for breakdowns in the ETF.

gold

 

goldgold

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Gold poised, Experts predict $1000 plus – Mineweb

 

HIGHER INFLATION FOR YEARS TO COME

Many analysts and bankers now expect gold to break through $1,000 in the near term and probably go higher on financial instability and potential US dollar weakness.

Author: Pratima Desai
Posted:  Monday , 09 Feb 2009

LONDON (Reuters) – 

Gold prices are set to jump towards $1,000 an ounce and probably beyond to new records as droves of investors fearing financial instability and surging inflation pile into the precious metal.

Expectations of a weaker dollar, which makes gold priced in the U.S. currency cheaper for holders of other currencies, will also help boost prices of the precious metal seen as a store of value during uncertain times.

Strong investor interest in the precious metal can be seen in the record holdings above 867 tonnes of the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, the SPDR Gold Trust.

“The core problem for investors is financial instability, if you look at the IMF numbers, we are only halfway through the non-performing loan cycle,” said Ashok Shah, chief investment officer at fund manager London & Capital.

The IMF last month declared losses on U.S. loans and securitised assets were likely to reach $2.2 trillion (1.5 trillion pounds), up from an October estimate of $1.4 trillion.

These losses replicated in other major developed economies have frozen bank lending to corporates and consumers and led to recession in the global economy.

In an attempt to kick-start bank lending and activity central banks have slashed interest rates. Governments have pumped large amounts of money into the global economy and more is planned.

“Governments are supplying liquidity into the system and unless they sterilise it (issue bonds) they are laying the foundations for much higher inflation for years to come … These are the things gold thrives on,” Shah said.

“More corporate, financial and economic bad news will do the trick. Once it gets a foothold and picks up momentum gold can easily break through to new highs.”

Spot gold hit a record high of $1,030.80 an ounce in March 2008 and is now at around $910, a gain of more than 10 percent since the middle of January.

INSURANCE POLICY

Potential inflationary pressures can be seen in the growth of money supply. January M1 rose about 20 percent year-on-year in the United States where a stimulus plan of about $800 billion is in the works.

“M0 is growing at about 9 percent worldwide,” said Angus Murray, founder of fund manager Castlestone Management.

“People need a real asset to offset inflation. Investors are putting gold into their portfolios as an insurance policy. In 24 or 36 months time, gold will be higher by a minimum of the growth rate in money supply.”

Also on the horizon is a weaker dollar, which in recent weeks has risen against the euro and pound, partly because U.S. investors have been taking their money home, fund managers say.

“When that repatriation reverses the dollar will weaken. Let’s call it 14 or 16 percent — in dollar terms gold will rise by that much again,” Murray said.

UPSIDE RISK

Bank analysts too, for similar reasons have changed their gold price forecasts. But they expect prices to peak this year.

Swiss-based UBS (UBSN.VX: Quote) expects gold prices to average $1,000 an ounce this year from a previous forecast of $700 and $900 in 2010 from $700 an ounce.

“Gold has rallied in most major currencies despite a firm US dollar, a sign of strong buying interest in the metal,” UBS said in a note this week.

Gold priced in euros hit a record of above 726.89 an ounce early this week and in sterling it touched a record above 660 last month.

U.S. bank Goldman Sachs (GS.N: Quote) followed with a forecast of $1,000 an ounce in the next three months from $700 previously.

“If financial risks … remain high, gold prices could remain higher for longer, presenting upside risk to our forecasts,” Goldman said.

“The recent strong demand for gold has not been irrational but rather pretty much in line with the probabilities of financial and sovereign default.”

(Editing by Sue Thomas)

© Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved.

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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Brian Tang: Bullish on Finite Resources – The Gold Report

Source: The Gold Report

 

Since 2003, Fundamental Research Corp. (FRC) has been focusing on companies not widely followed by brokerage firms, bringing investors and undervalued small and micro cap companies together. In this exclusive interview with The Gold Report, FRC founder Brian Tang and his crew forecast the primary driver of base metal prices in 2009, the future of gold and copper and the infinite upside of investing in finite resources.

The Gold Report: Brian, could you give us a summary of your firm and its business model? You have strong opinions about how individual investors should approach paid-for research.

Brian Tang: Sure. I founded the firm in 2003. At that time, a lot of the investment banks were being scrutinized for producing research that was tied to corporate finance and I was also in corporate finance—but more on the debt side. On the debt side, all research is paid for. Firms like Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s will charge firms money, and then issue a credit rating on them. So given that the corporate finance model was being scrutinized, I thought why not apply the debt model simply to the equity side, where we would charge a fee to issue a rating on the equity of companies?

Of course, there is the potential for a conflict in that type of situation. What we’ve done is instigate policies to mitigate those conflicts; for example, we only charge our fees flat and in advance and we don’t accept stock, so the companies have to pay in full before we get started. We sign agreements with the companies that basically relieve us from any liability for negative reports. They agree that they will not sue us for negative comments. Once we’re engaged, we have to finish the contract. They cannot prevent us from publishing further research. And, if you look at the distribution of our ratings—where 25% of our ratings are hold, sell or suspend—I think you can get an idea that our analysts are truly independent. We’ve issued sell ratings right off the bat, and that company has paid, we’ve done our due diligence, and we didn’t like the company; so we initiated coverage at a sell. So that is the business model. Also, if you look at our performance on Investars, you will see we have done quite well in the past.

In terms of our focus, we focus on small and micro cap companies that aren’t widely followed by brokerage firms. We think by focusing on companies that no other analysts are following, we can add value by discovering these undervalued companies.

Currently, a lot of our coverage is in the natural resource sector—mining, oil and gas—and the other two sectors that we cover are industrials and healthcare. From time to time, we publish special reports, industry reports, on topics of interest that we think investors would like to read about.

TGR: In this market, many people are suggesting that people avoid the micro small caps because of the shakeout in the marketplace. In essence, avoid the juniors and focus on the producers. What insights can you provide to our investors regarding that?

BT: I definitely think that, in this type of environment, the producers or the near-term producers will do better just because there’s less risk to them. Also, it really depends on what type of company you’re looking at. If the company is well financed, we don’t see that as a problem. We have downgraded some companies to sell recently because they were not well financed; we think they might run into some liquidity problems, so definitely I would avoid those kinds of companies. It also depends on what kind of commodity they’re in. I’d look for some commodities that are better than others.

But, also, small caps tend to recover first when a bull market does resume, and they also tend to do worse when a bear market starts, simply because they’re more levered in terms of operating leverage. They’re smaller, so they get affected more by swings in the economy. They recover first, but they falter first, as well. So if you avoid them totally, I would say you would miss out when the economy starts to turn again. And because nobody can predict when that will happen, I would not totally avoid them, but I would be very selective.

TGR: In the research you do and provide to subscribers, do you give specific sell-hold recommendations and pricing?

BT: Yes. We issue buy, hold or sell recommendations. We don’t call it a target price; we call it a fair value, and we also issue a risk rating from very low risk to highly speculative. We’re registered as a securities advisor with the BC Securities Commission.

TGR: Could Siddharth Rajeev, your head of research, give us your global outlook for what will happen in commodities in 2009? Specifically base metals, precious metals, and gold-silver?

Siddharth Rajeev: The primary factor that we believe is going to affect the pricing of base metals is the global GDP growth assumptions; and we believe that in 2009 we are going to see a significant drop in GDP growth. For example, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts global GDP growth of 2.2% in 2009; and that was about 5% in 2007 and 3.7% in 2008. And then most of the developed economies like the U.S., Japan, Europe and Canada are expected to be in a recession in 2009, while emerging countries like China, India, Brazil and Russia are not in a recession (but they are expected to have a significant drop in their growth rate). So we believe that these reductions in the GDP growth rates will affect demand growth for most of the base metals.

We have a long-term positive outlook on copper, primarily because we still believe in the Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) countries’ growth; so we believe that, in the long term, they will achieve growth. Those countries will drive the demand for base metals.

BT: Also, if you look at current commodity prices, they have declined a lot from the peaks—but those peaks were not necessarily based on fundamentals. I think they were based more on speculation. If you look at where the price is today compared to historical averages, the prices are still much higher. For example, we have a long-term forecast (2012+) for gold of $600 per ounce. Even though that’s lower than today’s prices, it’s still double the historical average. Gold has historically averaged only about $300 per ounce, and that’s the same with oil prices.

SR: For gold we expect prices to converge to $600 per ounce in the long term. But in the near term, we are bullish on gold, especially because we expect the U.S. dollar to depreciate due to the slowdown in the U.S. and the negative real interest rates in the U.S. And we expect inflation to creep in once the effects of the large stimulus package are felt. So, it’s because we expect the U.S. dollar to depreciate and we have seen in the past that gold prices have had a negative correlation with the U.S. dollar. Other reasons that we’re bullish include higher cash costs, as well as relatively flat supply. So we’re bullish on gold in the near term; but in the long term, we expect prices to converge to $600 once the global economy improves and the U.S. dollar recovers.

TGR: Do you have some specific companies you can share with us that you feel are getting some good financing and are close to production, which you feel our investors should know about?

SR: One of our top picks is called SilverCrest Mines Inc. (TSX.V:SVL). They have three silver-gold projects in Mexico with 43-101 compliant resources, and then they are planning to put their main project, the Santa Elena project, into production later this year. Based on our evaluation, our valuation of the company is $1.98 per share while the shares are trading at 45 cents.

In terms of comparables, their enterprise value (EV) to resource ratio is just 25 cents per ounce, while our estimate of the average ratio of its peers is over $2. So we like the company, number one, because we have a positive outlook on both silver and gold; number two, they’re closer to production; number three they have a favorable valuation; number four, and most important now, is that they are in a decent cash position. The second company I want to talk about, that we’re currently doing due diligence on, is called Gold Resource Corp. (OTCBB:GORO) (FSE:GIH). They have four high-grade silver-gold projects in Mexico.

They’re planning to put their main project in Mexico into production mid-2009, and their plans are to produce 70,000 ounces of gold in the first 12 months of production. And the best part is that management estimates that their cash cost is going to be just $100 per ounce.

TGR: Wow. For gold?

SR: Yes. So they’re aiming to be one of the lowest-cost producers around. That’s one of the companies that we think investors could track.

TGR: Do they have the management team or the production team to start producing gold there, or will they be joint venturing?

SR: No, no. They have the management team, and they are arranging the financing now. Recently, they had announced a strategic alliance with Hochschild Mining (LSE:HOC). They hold 5% of equity in them and they are planning to do another 10%. So, even though they have to raise capital, we don’t think it will be that tough compared to a lot of companies. Management is also expecting a payback of less than a year, which is pretty good.

TGR: I know one of the companies you’re following is Commerce Resources Corp. (TSX.V:CCE) (PK SHEETS:CMRZF). Can you comment on them?

BT: Vincent, our geologist, will discuss Commerce.

Vincent Weber: With regard to Commerce, they’re focusing largely on their Upper Fir project. They did 131 HQ diameter drill holes totaling just over 26,000 meters in their last phase of drilling, and they’re targeting carbonatites that host tantalum and niobium mineralization. Tantalum is used for capacitors, like those used in cell phones; niobium is used for special alloys for steels. They just put together a 2,000-ton bulk sample on the Upper Fir Carbonatite, which they’re sending to a company in Richmond, B.C., for sampling to characterize the deposit. They’re also going to put together a flow sheet and a pilot test plant to try and determine the appropriate recovery method.

SR: We believe that Commerce is one of the companies that raised capital at the best time—when the market was at a peak, so based on their latest financial statements, they had about $22 million in cash at the end of July 2008 and that’s like 20 cents per share. Share prices are currently 24 cents per share, so the market value is very little for their projects.

TGR: What’s the burn rate?

SR: Burn rate, based on the last financial statement, was around $700,000 per month in the second half of 2008. If they continue to spend at the same rate, we are expecting at least $15 million in cash right now, which is like 13 cents – 14 cents per share; so it shows that the market values their project at 10 cents per share and they have over 100 million shares outstanding, which is like $10 million for their projects.

TGR: You just issued an update on Castle Gold Corporation (TSX.V:CSG). Can you share with us any insights on that company?

SR: Yes, they have two producing projects; and, in our valuation, we actually raised our fair value estimate to $1.67. Currently shares are trading at 46 cents. We like the company because it’s currently producing, generating cash flows and is expecting to reduce operating costs next year. This year, the company had very high operating costs; but they expect to reduce costs in the next year, which will help them generate positive cash flows starting in ’09.

BT: The El Castillo mine experienced operating costs of $685 per ounce, which was higher than expected, and the reason for that was they incurred a high strip ratio of 1.55. They were expecting only .6. This strip ratio is waste to ore. When we spoke to management, the company said that they expect operating costs to decrease in 2009 by improving mine efficiencies, which would include utilizing larger equipment and also using that larger equipment to increase their gold production from the mine.

TGR: Where are they currently producing, and do you expect them to spend a lot on capital investments in ’09?

BT: Guatemala and Mexico. In our models for ’09, we estimated a capex budget of $2.15 million. Our models are showing that, in 2008 and 2009, they should be cash flow positive.

TGR: Are there any other base or minor metals or gold or silver companies that you currently like?

VW: Another project that I’m currently doing some due diligence on, which is an intriguing deposit, is West High Yield Resources (TSX.V:WHY). They have a large magnesium deposit that they’re exploring in British Columbia; that’s a different type of metal from all the other companies.

TGR: What is magnesium used for?

VW: It’s used for lightweight alloys. That’s one of the main uses.

TGR: What is the outlook for minor metals in 2009?

SR: In terms of minor metals, I can give a general idea on where those metals will perform in 2009 – 2010. Basically, for several minor metals, including molybdenum, manganese, chromium, vanadium, these companies serve the steel sector and most of these metals had a good run in 2007 primarily because of a significant increase in steel production in China; and, of course, their forecast at that time of steel production was very optimistic, which is why we believe that those metals had a good run in 2007.

But now, as we expect the global GDP growth to slow down, we expect steel production also to slow down, which will affect the demand side of all these metals. So we are expecting all these metal prices to stay soft in 2009 and 2010, just like our outlook for base metals.

TGR: Do you think the stimulus package that Barack Obama is proposing will have an impact on that?

SR: It will have a positive impact on it, but then we think that in 2009 – 2010 the GDP growth drop will have a stronger effect, which will push down the prices or soften the prices. Beyond that point, once the infrastructure and the BRIC country GDP growth starts to improve, we expect the demand for these metals to improve then.

TGR: Thanks so much for your time today. We really appreciate it.

Brian Tang, BBA, CFA, founded Fundamental Research Corp. in 2003, and has successfully led the firm to be recognized as on of the fastest growing companies in the province of B.C. Prior to Fundamental Research Corp., Brian was an analyst in the corporate banking group of one of the world’s largest international banks where he performed fundamental analysis on Financial Post 500 companies (the Canadian equivalent of the Fortune 500). Prior to this, he worked at a financial advisory firm where he analyzed and published research on Canadian equity mutual funds.

Fundamental Research provides institutional quality equity research coverage on small and micro cap companies through its extensive distribution network. Its major institutional delivery channels include institutional sites such as Reuters, retail sites such as Stockhouse, and subscribers. Fundamental Research’s performance has been highly ranked in the past by Investors.

Want to read more exclusive Gold Report interviews like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you’ll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Expert Insights page.

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

As I said Mr. Murphy is smiling this morning! – I still thing $950 is opur next target, if that level is broken then we are on our way to $1000+. Good Investing!- jschulmansr

Nothing in today’s post should be considered as an offer to buy or sell any securities or other investments; it is presented for informational purposes only. As a good investor, consult your Investment Advisor, Do Your Due Diligence, Read All Prospectus/s and related information carefully before you make any investments. –  jschulmansr

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Resurgence! Gold Demand is Picking Up!

06 Friday Feb 2009

Posted by jschulmansr in bull market, China, Comex, Currencies, currency, Currency and Currencies, dollar denominated, dollar denominated investments, economic, economic trends, economy, Forex, Fundamental Analysis, futures, futures markets, GDX, GLD, gold, Gold Bullion, Gold Investments, gold miners, How To Invest, How To Make Money, hyper-inflation, India, inflation, Investing, investments, Latest News, Make Money Investing, Markets, Michael Zielinski, mining companies, mining stocks, Peter Grandich, physical gold, platinum, platinum miners, precious metals, price, prices, producers, production, silver, silver miners, small caps, spot, spot price, stagflation, Stimulus, Stocks, Technical Analysis, Today, U.S. Dollar

≈ 1 Comment

As I write this post Gold is consolidating after another $12 oz rise yesterday, currently off $1.70 at $912.00. Today’s post has some must read articles if you are or are about to invest in Gold. Demand is experiencing a strong resurgence, and all the factors are lining up for a spectacular rally! Time to get aboard the Gold Train! – Good Investing – jschulmansr

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This is where I am buying my Gold Bullion…

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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Gold Demand Resurges – Seeking Alpha

By: Nicholas Jones of Bourbon and Bayonets

We love to analyze gold in issues of Bourbon and Bayonets, especially with a focus on the macroeconomic issues that are extremely bullish for our favorite yellow metal. The economic crisis and complete lack of competence from our leaders has resulted in a current financial climate that will result in the most fantastic run the price of gold has ever experienced. The quantitative easing around the globe is definitely the greatest single bullish fundamental that will drive gold going forward. It’s not the only reason gold will rise in price, but it definitely carries the most weight.

The thing is, gold is a sort of hybrid investment vehicle. Essentially it’s part commodity part currency. When I discuss things like monetary inflation and the stimulus package, I’m referring to the aspect of gold that acts as a monetary vehicle. I absolutely don’t want to downplay that importance of this notion, but it’s not the whole story. Gold, like all other assets, is affected by supply and demand fundamentals. Monetary issues may be the driving force behind gold, but looking at supply and demand figures can be very telling, especially in the short run. In this article I am going to dig through the recent 3Q global S&D figures released by the World Gold Council. The numbers are very interesting.

Gold Demand Resurges

Gold demand in the 3Q of 2008 was very strong after being weak for several quarters. Identifiable demand was 1,133.4 tonnes. That figure was up 170.1 tonnes or 18% year over year. Valued in U.S. dollars gold demand was $31.8 billion and up 51% year over year. That number is a record and marks a 45% increase from the record numbers set in the 2Q.

The sector experiencing the largest increase was identifiable investment which was up 137.5 tonnes or 56% year over year. Breaking down the identifiable investment, the largest increase in that subset was net retail investment. Net retail investment increased 121% to 232.1 tonnes.

Leading the growth in demand was Switzerland, Germany, India, and the U.S. At this point in the report, the authors made a statement that there were noticeable shortages of bars and coins around the world. We’ve discussed this story extensively at Bourbon & Bayonets. A result of the dealer shortages has been the divergence between the spot and futures price of gold. Please refer to past issues for a more extensive explanation.

Gold ETFs also had a record net quarterly inflow of 150 tonnes. The report mentions that peak inflows occurred after the collapse of Lehman. In the 5 days following the debacle inflows increased by 111 tonnes ($7 billion). Once the treasury market collapses, gold will revert back to its rightful place as the number one flight to safety asset in the world. I would like to put a precaution on using ETFs. When using ETFs to buy gold, you remove one very important element. Physical gold has no counterparty risk. ETFs do. This will become more important going forward from here, but in the mean time just think of what the Hunt Brothers would have to say about PM ETFs.

Moving back to the WGC report, early demand in the 4Q has picked up where it left off in the 3Q. They also mention that gold shortages are expected to continue, de-hedging will continue to abate, and central bank sales will be weak.

[All figures provided by the World Gold Council 3Q Gold Demand Trends report.]

Monetary forces may be the driver in the gold market, but we can use these reports to help with short term expectations. Demand is strong, really strong. There were record figures across the board. On the other side of the story, supplies are tight and will continue to be tight. The players are coming back to the game and this will provide strong underlying support in the gold market going forward. I still hold to my views that gold may test $1000 in the near term, but I believe we’re one correction back to $850 away before we make a run up to $1500.

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My Note: If demand is still increasing then fundamentally upward pressure remains intact. We have probably seen most of the cash starved stock investors, hedge funds, and etc. have already sold their positions to raise cash to offset their losses. Yes, I agree we will see a retest of the $850 level but not until we have made new all time highs in the Gold Markets. Then at that point we will retrace and then I think the next rally will be to $1500 – $2000 oz. level. This is without any major flare-ups in the Middle East or a U.S. debt default. One other potential trouble spot is a small war between China and India over the disputed border areas, especially with India being distracted by growing tensions with Pakistan. If any of those scenarios happen, then Gold can and will easily go to well over $2000-$3000. You heard it here first folks!-jschulmansr

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

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Gold’s Performance Relative to Dollar, Yen and Euro – Seeking Alpha

By: Richard Shaw of OVM Group

As gold receives headlines, let’s look at it relative to the three key global currencies – Dollar, Yen and Euro.

Gold is sometimes viewed more as a commodity for jewelry and electronic applications, and at other times more as a quasi-currency. It has an ancient history for both roles. As of late, gold has been taking on more of the alternative currency role.

Paper currencies pay interest, but physical gold does not. As the interest rate on paper currency approaches zero, the short-term opportunity cost of holding gold versus paper currencies becomes minimal (noting, however, that there are storage and security or management costs with gold).

Reasonable proxies for gold and currencies are: gold (GLD), Dollar (UUP), Yen (FXY) and Euro (FXE).

The 3-year weekly chart below uses “price channels” to identify the highest highs and the lowest lows for the twenty prior periods. It also presents a Fibonacci study that essentially marks the levels for an approximate 1/3, 1/2 and 2/3 retracement of the most recent peak-to-bottom price range.

click images to enlarge

3-Year Chart with Fibonacci Study

Theory would say that having retraced 2/3 of the prior peak-to-bottom, the current move is more likely to persevere than not.

One approach to identifying resistance and support levels is to find prior highs and prior lows. Price channels are one way to have a computer generate visual queues to resistance and support levels automatically. Just be sure the historical period for the price channels is what you want. Note also that prior consolidation areas tend to create resistance or support levels. This daily study uses price channels over 20 trailing periods as does the 3-year weekly chart above.

1-Year Chart with Resistance Levels and Trend Lines

Having pierced two resistance levels and flirting with a third shows great strength. The higher bottoms and higher tops is a favorable indication.

Gold is near twenty-year highs, having pierced several key resistance levels since its slide in Q4 2008. Some predict new highs ahead.

Here is a twenty-year monthly chart showing how gold performed on a percentage basis relative to the Dollar, Yen and Euro.

20 years

Gold may reach new twenty-year highs. A trend is a trend, until it is not a trend. On the other hand, every rubber band can only stretch so far.

Investor sense of success in the multi-national recovery programs may divert investor money flows to other asset categories, possibly slowing or capping the advance of gold. Alternatively, investor sense of failure by recovery programs would likely direct more money flows to gold, possibly extending its advance.

10 years

5 Years

1 Year

4 Months

 

Sometimes it is more informative to look at discrete periods of time, such as successive individual calendar years or groups of years, rather than cumulative periods of time. That is because of the persistent impact by past periods on cumulative returns, whereas discrete periods start fresh without the quantitative effect of the past.

The following charts show 3-year monthly performance for eight successive discrete periods beginning with 1999. Gold has been the superior performer in seven of the eight periods. The question remains, when has it gone high enough. So much may depend on the conduct of governments in the near-term.

 

3 Years Beginning 1999

3 Years Beginning 2000

3 Years Beginning 2001

3 Years Beginning 2002


 

3 Years Beginning 2003

3 Years Beginning 2004

3 Years Beginning 2005

3 Years Beginning 2006

Disclosure: The author holds a small allocation in gold via the ETF, symbol GLD, with a 10% persistent trailing stop.

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My Note: Can’t forget Silver!

Long-Term Trend in Investment Demand for Silver – Seeking Alpha

By: Michael Zielinski of Gold and Silver Blog

In a previous post, I reviewed the amount of silver bullion sold by the United States Mint during 2008. With this post, I will take a longer term look at silver demand, which highlights the absolute explosion in demand which has occurred in recent years.

The supporting data for the charts included with this post comes from a new section of Gold and Silver Blog which collects the US Mint Silver Bullion Sales data since the inception of the program in 1986. You can visit the page to find the monthly sales figures for any date from 1986 to present. The section also calculates the approximate silver bullion value of each period’s sales based on the average monthly price of silver.

Silver Bullion Sales in Ounces

Here’s a chart summarizing the total ounces of silver bullion sold by the US Mint each year since 1986. (Click on the chart for a larger version.)

During 2008, the US Mint sold 19,583,500 ounces of silver through its bullion program. As explored previously, this marks an all time high for the program. It represents an increase of more than 98% from the prior year, and an increase of 92% from the previous all time high reached in 2002.

One important thing to note when considering the magnitude of the increase for 2008 is that the number of ounces sold could have been much greater. The US Mint suspended silver bullion sales during February before resuming sales on a rationed basis. When the rationing first began, one dealer claimed that he could have sold 500,000 ounces of silver per week, but was only allocated 100,000 ounces.

2008 Silver Bullion Sales in Dollars

Here’s a second chart which illustrates the explosion in demand for silver in even more dramatic fashion. The chart shows the approximate dollar value of silver bullion sold by the US Mint each year. As mentioned, this was calculated based on monthly silver bullion sales and the average monthly price of silver. (Click on the chart for a larger version.)

Silver Bullion Sales Value Chart

During 2008, The US Mint recorded silver bullion sales of approximately $286,451,715. This marks an all time high and an increase of 114% from the prior year, which was also the prior all time high.

The magnitude of the increase is more pronounced when compared to silver bullion sales from earlier years of the program. Throughout the majority of the 1990’s, the US Mint was selling less than $30 million worth of silver each year. The year for the lowest value of silver bullion sold was 1996 with $17,434,050. During 2008, the US Mint recorded monthly sales exceeding this level for ten out of twelve months.

Silver Bullion Sales and the Price of Silver

But what about the price of silver amidst this explosion in demand?

Here’s a third chart which plots the value of US Mint silver bullion sales from the last chart, together with the average annual price of silver for each year. (Click on the chart for a larger version.)

Silver bullion sales increased from a low of $17,434,050 to last year’s high of $286,451,715 representing an increase of 1,543%. The average annual price of silver increased from a low of $3.95 per ounce to last year’s high of $14.99 representing an increase of 203%. While this is a respectable gain, it pales in comparison to the increase in demand.

Everyone has been waiting for the disconnect between the demand for silver and the price of silver to resolve itself. Will it finally happen in 2009?

Disclosure: Long physical silver.

===================================

My Note: Me too! Long Physical Silver Too!-jschulmansr

Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

===================================

Now from Peter Grandich:

I spend almost no time on conspiracy theories. However, a couple events today made me feel that 1 + 1 = 3 today.

We start the day with horrific economic news. Retails sales fall sharply and the weekly unemployment number comes in higher than any forecasts. The stock market falls over 100 points in the first hour and once again is testing key support around 7900 (I’ve mention this area as key several times recently). Just when it appears we’re going to break support, Tout-TV “reports” the government may be suspending the “mark to market” rule and there will be a big announcement Monday from the Treasury. The “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” crowd did their thing and Tout-TV filled the air with “Happy” people praising this expectation and how well the market is handling bad news today.

So how did 1 + 1 = 3 today? It was publicly announced that the “Working Group on Financial Markets“, better known as the Plunge Protection Team (PPT) met for the first time today under the new administration. After seeing the horrific economic news and believing tomorrow’s unemployment numbers could be real bad, one could envision a sharp sell off today that could have been followed be another one tomorrow. That could have left the stock market teetering going into Monday’s “big” announcement. Hmmm….

Despite poor economic news, the treasury market continued to weaken. As any one asked how all the governments around the world are going to fund all the debt being created for their bail-outs and stimulus packages? Hmmm…

There are two things you can’t keep down these days, a good man and gold. If we can clear $940 on a closing basis, I think we’re off to the races. Gold rises on up days in the U.S. Dollar and falls on days the dollar is down. Hmmm…

Oil – For three straight weeks we’ve had bad supply numbers for oil but it still manages to keep its head above $40. This has to be frustrating for the bears. Next Wednesday’s inventory number should be big as if we continue to build more than expected, oil may not hold. But if we see a drawdown, we could see a rally of $5 to $10 in rather short order.

U.S. Dollar – Sideways despite rising U.S. interest rates. I love the Canadian dollar (its people but not the Vancouver Canucks).

Northern Dynasty Minerals has run up sharply but is very overbought short term. Some profit-taking and consolidation would be healthy.

======================================

Bipolar Gold – Nichols onGold.com

By: Jeffrey Nichols of NicholsonGold.com

With the price of gold lurching first one way then the other, it looks like the market has been suffering from bipolar disorder.  I expect this split-personality behavior, characterized by extreme price volatility, to continue for some time to come with big swings up and down — but, importantly, around a rising trend with support levels moving up step-wise over time.

goldbars11In short, gold is heading much higher, but not without more struggle and occasional disappointment for those looking for a speedy ascent.  Further out — over the next year or two — I have no doubt that gold will move to new historic highs well above the $1030 level touched a year ago March.

The principal engine of gold’s ultimate ascent is the continuing rapid pace of monetary expansion – in part necessitated by a trillion-dollar stimulus program in the United States — and the acceleration in U.S. price inflation will surely follow sometime in the next year or two.

There are at least three other less certain but entirely possible developments any one of which could touch off a real panic in the gold market and carry the metal’s price to levels most would consider unimaginable:

  • First, another large-scale financial catastrophe in which one or more financial institutions seemingly suddenly need hundreds of billions of dollars more in government bail-out funds.
  • Second, a growing reluctance on the part of foreign central banks and other major investing institutions to continue underwriting the U.S. federal budget deficit without a significant rise in nominal U.S. interest rates.
  • Third, a run on the U.S. dollar, though it is hard to imagine where dollar holders would run since other currency markets (and certainly the gold and other precious metals markets) are not large or deep enough to absorb a major shift in currency preferences and when other major currencies are also losing creditability as reliable stores of value.

History Lesson

It is instructive to examine the forces that held gold back during the past year for clues to the metal’s future path.

Much of gold’s weakness during the past year and its inability to sustain periodic price advances was due to the indiscriminate selling of commodities-related investments by hedge funds, other institutional players and some wealthy families in order to raise cash, increase liquidity, cover big losses in equity and other asset markets.

Often these institutional sellers were not holding individual commodities but baskets or indexes that included gold – so gold got dumped along with everything else.  In other words, gold was sold not because it was singled out as an unworthy holding but because it was a component in the indexed baskets of commodities held by many hedge funds and institutional traders.

In addition, the decline in inflation and inflation expectations due to the fall in oil and other commodities prices and the increasingly gloomy economic outlook dampened demand for gold among some who look to the metal as an inflation hedge.

Despite all of this, one must still acknowledge the yellow metal’s staying power and relative performance as a store of value during a tumultuous period for the world economy and the sizable loss of value in other asset classes.

Indeed, gold has done rather well compared to the $30 trillion loss in world equity market capitalization, the unfathomable loss in real estate values, and the $1.2 trillion of losses and write-downs on worthless assets held by banks worldwide (IMF estimates).  Measured in U.S. dollars, gold is now up a few percent from the end of 2007 – but it is at all-time highs against nearly all of the major currencies.

Bipolar Investment Demand

By late 2008, the wave of commodity disinvestment had come to an end.  Simply put, the commodity holdings of hedge funds and other large-scale players had been largely depleted — and, to the extent that these were actual physical positions, the gold has moved to stronger hands.

Recent data from commodity futures exchanges confirm that the liquidation of long gold futures positions has not only ended but has been replaced with some fresh buying.  In the week ending January 27th the net long position increased by 49 metric tons to reach a total of 564 metric tons (18.1 million ounces).  This compares with a net long position of 516 tons (16.6 million ounces) at the end of last year and a recent low point of 213 tons (6.85 million ounces) in mid-November.

An even more encouraging indicator of gold’s future price is the continuing strength of investor interest among retail investors and conservative institutional investors wishing to hold physical metal.  Importantly, these buyers are not traders looking for quick gains but many are simply scared individuals, families, and prudent institutional investors seeking to protect their wealth, their savings, and their retirement nest eggs (for themselves or their clients).

One need only look at the holdings of exchange-traded funds (or ETFs) such as the SPDR Gold Shares ETF traded on the New York Stock Exchange.  Holdings of gold bullion on behalf of SPDR Gold Shares investors reached an all-time high of 859.5 tons (27.6 million ounces) on February 4th.  This compares with 780.23 tons (25 million ounces) at the end of last year and 630 tons (20.3 million ounces) in early 2008.

Without doubt, the introduction of SPDR Gold Shares just over four years ago (along with a number of smaller exchange-traded gold funds in other global markets) has been an important structural change in the gold market facilitating the participation of individual investors as well as institutions, some of which have prohibitions from direct purchase and ownership of physical metal.  Importantly, ETF gold investors have become a force in the market with total ETF holdings now exceeding the COMEX net long position.

Great Expectations

I remain bullish on gold because — even as the global economic recession deepens — governments will find the only way out of this mess is to print more money.

It’s not just the U.S. monetary authorities pumping up the money supply, though that would be enough to boost the U.S. dollar price of gold.  Their counterparts in every major economy – including the United Kingdom and the Euro zone, China, Russia, Japan and on and on – are doing likewise.

We have never in the history of money seen such an expansion in its supply without, after a period of time, a rapid deterioration in its value.  More than any other factor influencing the gold market, it is the inevitable devaluation of money and the corresponding rise in price inflation that will propel gold skyward in the next few years.

As sure as day follows night, reflationary monetary policies — however necessary — have long-term implications for global inflation.  Typically, monetary creation affects price inflation with a lag of six months to a couple of years or more . . . so it may be some time before inflation is recognized as a serious problem.  But gold prices have shorter lags and, in fact, have already begun moving up long before rising inflation becomes apparent or worrisome.

As I have said before, with the right confluence of economic and geopolitical developments we could see gold break through $1500, then $2000, and possibly still higher round numbers in the next few years.

Not Without Risk

Despite expectations of much higher gold prices this year and beyond, it would be wise to remember that gold remains volatile and vulnerable.  We are in an unprecedented environment with daily evidence of a deteriorating U.S. and global economy, where policy makers are employing powerful, yet untested, tools to repair a broken economy, and politicians cannot be trusted to do all the right things.  In this environment, we could still get a quick sell-off that would bring us back to support levels well below recent prices.

That said, there are some specific factors that could trigger a sizable correction in gold prices in the next few months:

First and foremost, a temporarily stronger U.S. dollar vis-à-vis the euro:  The European Central Bank is a few steps behind the Federal Reserve in lowering short-term interbank lending rates.  As the ECB catches up by lowering interest rates in two or three steps over the next few months, the dollar will likely pop up briefly each time – and, each time, a stronger dollar could precipitate a sell-off in gold as it did in January and several times last year.

Second, weakness in Indian gold demand:  India, the world’s largest gold-consuming country with imports last year of 720 metric tons (23.1 million ounces), has seen a sharp decline in gold imports.  The Bombay Bullion Association reports that gold imports plunged more than 90 percent to roughly 1.8 tons in January from 24 tons a year earlier.  Imports are down largely in response to the record-high rupee-denominated price of gold.   High prices are discouraging demand and eliciting large-scale sales of old jewelry from profit takers, sales that are refined locally into bars and re-enter the market displacing imported metal.

Sources in India say the recent data exaggerates the situation and expect at least a partial recovery as gold buyers adjust to the high and rising price for the yellow metal.  They also say that holiday and wedding-related demand, which is an important component of total consumption should pick up shortly.  In addition, the new government program of offering small gold coins at rural post offices could be a spur to gold buying.

But if Indian buying does not pick up soon, there could be more metal available in world markets to satisfy the rise in U.S. and European investment demand and correspondingly less upward pressure on the price of gold.

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

In subsequent posts, I will take a look more closely at some of the other variables that could influence gold – for better or worse — in the months ahead: Central bank and IMF gold policies and prospects, the economic and political situations in China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia – and, of course, we’ll continue to comment on the unfolding economic crisis and policy response in the United States.

=============================================

GLD Working While S&P Is Floundering  – OTC Journal

Earlier this week I published two buy recommendations- GLD at $88.47 (the ETF for Gold, which is the easiest way to own it), and EZA- the ETF of the Dow like stocks of South Africa.

My view- GLD is probably headed to $100 in pretty short order, which equates to $1,000 per ounce in gold. EZA should mirror the movement in Gold as South Africa industry is very mining focused, and has the longest established and some of the most prolific producers. And, as importantly, EZA pays a cash dividend of 6%, which significantly enhances your total return opportunity.

The S&P and DOW are both stuck in trading ranges since coming off the November lows. There’s lot of talk about the DOW being skewed. 9 of the 30 DOW stocks are trading below $10 per share which has never happened – courtesy of the financials. Remove the financials from the DOW and the S&P 500, and you have a much healthier picture. Tech is trading up along with Small Cap Value. There is more underlying strength than the major indexes are indicating.

I want to take another look at my published ideas from earlier this week. Here’s a longer term look at GLD, the ETF for Gold. Gold made the $1,000 level last March, and then fell all the way be to $700 as the recession gained strength.

Since making it’s bottom in November along with all the equities, Gold has behaved like a champion. It’s made a serious of higher lows and higher highs for the last 3 months. More importantly, Gold is butting up against the downtrend line from the top made last March. A solid break above $92 would suggest a major breakout, and we’re very close right now.

So, let’s turn to my arbitrage idea if you like Gold. EZA- the South Africa ETF. South Africa is one of the largest and longest established mining centers in the world. Nearly 50% of the holdings in the ETF are basic materials companies. The average PE ratio in the portfolio is 8.79.

EZA is not as close to a breakout relative to GLD, which suggests a bit of a lag factor in the idea. I recommended this South Africa fund made in December at $34. Yesterday, it closed at $34.36, which isn’t bad when one considers both the DOW and S&P 500 took 10% hits in the month of January. Factored into the total return on EZA is the 6% dividend. This idea is starting to work, but hasn’t really broken out yet.

It probably needs to eclipse the $36.50 to really get into breakout mode. As Gold appreciates, I’m hypothesizing EZA will follow it up. Owning EZA gets you both the dividend and the appreciation.

If you like these ideas, but don’t want to pledge the kind of capital it takes to own a $34 stock or a $90 stock, you might want to consider the options. They are much riskier, but offer a lot of leverage for a little money.

For GLD- the April $90 calls are trading at $6.25- it’s a big time premium, but if GLD finds its way to $100 you’re likely to enjoy a 50% to 100% return. The calls trade under the symbol GLD.DL. If you’re more sophisticated and have a lot of capital, you should consider shorting the puts. It’s a bit trickier and takes a lot of money.

For EZA- The April 35 Calls are trading at about $2.25. That’s a pretty reasonable premium. A $2250 investment gets you 10 calls, and you control 1,000 shares. This call trades under the symbol EZA.DG. With EZA, shorting the puts might be a good strategy as well. If you’ve never done it and don’t understand it, now is not the time to educate on this strategy.

Own either or both- in my view money is flowing to Gold. The dollar is losing steam, and the US is going to have to print a lot of money to spend our way out of this recession, which is favorable for gold. Here’s two ways to make money on that trend.

Home Page : www.otcjournal.com
Email Questions or Comments To: editor@otcjournal.com

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Analysts Pile On The Gold Bull – Gold and Silver Blog

By: Michael Zielinski of Gold and Silver Blog

Gold’s recent move above $900 has analysts scrambling to increase their price targets.

The last time I looked at gold price targets from analysts was in early December, when a similar flurry of activity took place. Morgan Stanley got the ball rolling by saying that gold could reach $1,000 in three years, Merrill Lynch followed with a price of $1,500 at an unspecified date, and Citigroup topped them all by mentioning $2,000.

This time around started in the same way with Morgan Stanley making a timid call for $1,075 gold in three years. From their report: “A globally synchronous and aggressive fiscal and monetary stimulus may be needed to re-inflate the global economy, and we think this continues to present significant upside to gold prices.” For their rhetoric, their target price is ridiculous, unless you consider “significant upside” to be an average 6% gain over three years.

Merrill Lynch chimed in next with their Chief Investment Officer reiterating their prediction of $1,500 gold, but this time with a time frame of 12 to 15 months. Quote from the CIO: “With confidence in currencies shaken to the core, the yellow metal is increasingly assuming the role of “the most trusted currency. We have never seen such a rush to buy gold. It’s bringing in security and it’s still affordable.”

A few days following, both UBS and Goldman Sachs updated their previously underwater gold price targets. UBS raised their 2009 price target from $700 to $1,000. Goldman Sachs raised its forecast of $700 to $1,000 within a three month time frame.

As expressed before, I do not think we have reached the point where these periodic analyst pile ons can be used as a contrary indicator for gold. Analysts are still showing restraint, and for the most part raising their targets simply to keep up with the rising price of gold.

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Catch the New Bull! – Buy Gold Online – Safely, quickly, and at low prices, guaranteed! Bullion Vault.com

That’s All for Now- Good Investing! – jschulmansr

Nothing in today’s post should be considered as an offer to buy or sell or as a recommendation for  any securities or other investments; it is presented for informational purposes only. As a good investor, consult your Investment Advisor, Do Your Due Diligence, Read All Prospectus/s and related information carefully before you make any investments. –  jschulmansr

 

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