Silver vaults past $46.00 per oz/gold surpasses the $1500.00 mark.

Harvey Organ, Thursday, April 21, 2011

Silver vaults past $46.00 per oz/gold surpasses the $1500.00 mark.

 

Monex Silver American Eagles Pass $50/Ounce

No commentary necessary. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BlackRock Issues Refutation Of SLV Fraud Allegations; Is It Time To Panic For SLV Holders?

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/21/2011 17:06 -0400

That over the past few years there has been a substantial push to expose some of the chicanery at the SLV iShares silver ETF, especially among the non-indoctrinated blogosphere, is no surprise. After all fear of a massive paper silver wipe out is not only the reason for success of Eric Sprott's physical silver ETF, but for the massive and consistently record premium over NAV of the PSLV. Yet up until now, we were not all that concerned about such allegations (despite having written about this ourselves on several occasions). After all, the one thing that would essentially validate such, at time exorbitant, allegations, was missing: a formal refutation. That is, until now. Kevin Feldman, a Managing Director in the iShares unit of BlackRock, has just blasted out the following email which we were lucky enough to become privy to. Basically, we now have the one and only thing we were missing: an official denial of all the "rumors." It may now be time to abandon the SS SLV, because if this letter is the best defense iShares can muster, then SLV holders may be in trouble. But better confirmation than. And leaving the content of the letter aside, its existence, and that Blackstone itself is willing to engage the tinfoil hat clad blogosphere, is the biggest red flag so far... 

 

 

 

America's Fiscal Dead End: A 2013 "Minsky Moment"

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/21/2011 15:04 -0400

Often times we are amazed that Deutsche Bank's Peter Hooper works in the same place as that other "economist." The reason is that yesterday, Hooper, who tends to have some of the most original sellside thoughts, came out with one of the best summaries of America's fiscal dead end:an 8 page summary far more accurate and detailed than anything to ever come out of the rating agencies, yet one which reaches the correct conclusion. What is startling is that a Wall Street institution (well technically desk.... there is of course that other "economist") is willing to come to grips with the truth. Which according to Hooper is rather ugly: America may have 2 years at the most before it all comes crashing down when the world's former superpower hits its own Minsky Moment. 

 

 

 

Guest Post: Our "Let's Pretend" Economy

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/21/2011 11:23 -0400

There are two economies--the real one, which is in decline, and the "let's pretend" one touted by the State and corporate propaganda machines. Children love to play "let's pretend." Let's pretend the economy is "recovering." Why does this "recovery" remind me of an addict who's conning his caseworker? (Yes, I'm really in recovery--those aren't tracks, they're insect bites....) Let's play pretend that jobs are really really coming back...Let's pretend that households, corporations and government are reducing their debt...Let's pretend that wages are rising...Let's pretend your purchasing power isn't in a free-fall...Let's pretend unemployment is falling...Let's pretend corporate profits are the most important metric of our financial well-being...Let's pretend those great profits trickle down to the greater good...Let's pretend the corporate profits trickle down via the "wealth effect" to pension funds that benefit workers everywhere...How much longer are we willing to play "let's pretend"? Eventually we'll have to return to the grown-up world and deal with reality. 

 

 

 

Jim Grant Explains Why QE3 Is Coming

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/21/2011 17:34 -0400

Once again we are reminded why we like Jim Grant so much. From his latest Grant's Interest Rate Observer (which, trust us, is worth the subscription): "Almost 30% of the respondents to a poll conducted by UBS a few weeks back said they anticipate a third round of so-called quantitative easing... We count ourselves among the expectant 30%. To its congressional directed dual mandate the Bernanke Fed has unilaterally added a third. It has undertaken to make the markets rise. The chairman himself has more than once taken credit for the post-2008 bull market (on one such occasion in January, he reminded the CNBC audience how far the Russell 2000 had come under Fed ministrations). Could he therefore stand idly by in the face of a new bear market. Byron Wien, vice chairman of Blackstone Advisory Services, went on record the other day predicting a summer swoon in stocks following the scheduled winding down of QE2 in June. Let us say that Wien is right, and that, furthermore, drooping stocks are accompanied by sagging house prices and a weakening labor market. Bernanke was hard put to explain why he chose to let Lehman go while acting to save Bear Stearns. He would be harder put to explain why he chose to implement QE1 and QE2 but, in another hour of need, refused to launch QE3." And "Sooner or later, gravity turns speculative markets into investment markets. When this transformation occurs, the Fed will confront the need to bail out the innocents it had previously bailed in. Hence, QE3." And therein lies the rub. Simple, sweet, and, for the US dollar, suicidal.

 

 

 

Guest Post: Bernanke's QE^X Box

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/21/2011 14:27 -0400

Chairman Bernanke has placed himself in a box. It is not a box of his choosing, but rather the result of his misguided economic beliefs, use of flawed statistical data, geo-political events occurring during his watch, poor decisions and a penchant for political pandering. Some of these may be requirements for academia success but not for leading global financial markets during turbulent times. It is time for Professor Bernanke to return to the collegial setting of Princeton University while the world still has time to correct the path he has mistakenly set us on. I was angry during most of former Chairman Greenspan's tenure because of his persistent use of liquidity pumping to solve every problem from Y2K to the Peso crisis. Greenspan's inability to see a bubble two inches from his nose and yet still pontificate about irrational exuberance, rather than taking the punch bowl away from the party, incited me. Bernanke does not affect me that way. He simply disappoints and leaves a taste like eating dry shredded wheat, with the hope of a child, to eventually get the prize at the bottom of the box. Character flaws show during times of stress. Honesty, integrity, value systems and beliefs are put to test and are highlighted under the public media microscope. I'm sure Chairman Bernanke is a nice guy, loved by his family but he is missing a backbone. On April 27th, 2011, that will become obvious to all. 

 

 

 

 

China Inflation And Wage Protests Spread, Turn Violent

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/21/2011 13:10 -0400

Yesterday we reported news that has so far received almost no media exposure, namely that thousands of striking truck drivers had poured into Shanghai's Waigaoqiao zone, one of the city's busiest container ports, protesting over "rising fuel prices and low wages." Today, via Reuters, we learn that this situation has escalated materially, and progressed into violence: "A two-day strike over rising fuel prices turned violent in Shanghai on Thursday as thousands of truck drivers clashed with police, drivers said, in the latest example of simmering discontent over inflation. About 2,000 truck drivers battled baton-wielding police at an intersection near Waigaoqiao port, Shanghai's biggest, two drivers who were at the protest told Reuters. The drivers, who blocked roads with their trucks, had stopped work on Wednesday demanding the government do something about rising fuel costs, workers said." And while we have violent uprisings over austerity in Europe, now we have violent strikes over inflation in China? The question thus now is just how much longer will China continue to take massively ineffective steps such as RRR and rate hikes, both of which have been a tremendous failure in reining in inflation, instead of picking the nuclear option of revaluing the currency. And while many believe China may announce something along those lines over the weekend, Win Thin, global head of emerging market strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman, is not so sure and put the odds of a yuan revaluation at 25%. "With regards to currency policy, we are putting forth the following three possibilities along with odds: 1) keep current pace of appreciation (10%), 2) do one off revaluation (25%), and 3) speed up pace of appreciation (65%)." Either way, with more people joining the populist movement against inflation, China is now between a rock and a hard place: will it continue happily importing Bernanke's inflation exports or finally retaliate. Unfortunately for its economy, the appropriately called "nuclear option" of revaluation, will leave it export economy flailing. So the real question: is China ready to migrate from an export-led to a consumer-led model. Alas, the answer is a resounding no.

Silver Takes A Sizable Lead Over JPM

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/21/2011 12:13 -0400

And in exclusively silly, but oh so symbolic news, the race track crowd bursts into a frenzy following the ultimate comeback story, as One Ounce Of Silver has now taken a full length lead over One Share Of JPM Stock into the final stretch.

  

Greek 30 Year Bond Cash Price: 50 Cents

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/21/2011 11:53 -0400

For a stunning reminder of just how much of a haircut the market is expecting on Greek debt in actual cash terms, look no further than the country's 30 Year bonds. These are now trading just above 50 cents on the euro. That's a "50% off" blue light special and roughly comparable to the recovery the market is expecting on the paper. Alternatively any "liability management exercise" price on these notably above 50 will result in a Greek revolution. 

 

 

 

 

Jim Sinclair’s Commentary

The USDX is going to take out .7200 and lock below. Gold will leave $1650 in the dust. History will be written this year.

Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
The developments in the Middle East are best described as from “order” to “disorder." This has accelerated the concept of peak oil into present time.
Gold will make a huge percentage of its hyperbolic gain in this situation that is now taking full foundation. It will re-enter the monetary system in the way I have explained at least 100 times, including in yesterday’s interview.

China’s Sinopec cuts off oil exports: state media by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) April 20, 2011
Chinese oil giant Sinopec has stopped exporting oil products to maintain domestic supplies amid disruption concerns caused by Middle East unrest and Japan’s earthquake, a report said Wednesday.
The state-run Xinhua news agency did not say how long the suspension would last but it reported that the firm had said it also would take steps to step up output "to maintain domestic market supplies of refined oil products".
Sinopec would ensure supplies met the "basic needs" of the southern Chinese special regions of Hong Kong and Macao, but they also should expect an unspecified drop in supply, Xinhua quoted an unnamed company official as saying.
AFP was not immediately able to reach a Sinopec spokesman by phone for comment.
The report said Sinopec has raised output of refined oil products this year, with its first-quarter production reaching 31.55 million tonnes, an increase of 6.2 percent from the same period last year.
Sinopec last month said its 2010 net profit rose nearly 14 percent on higher oil prices and strong domestic demand for refined oil and chemical products.
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