Monday, September 27, 2010

Bullard Confirms QE Over $1 Trillion Would Result In Outright Debt Monetization, Which Geithner Said Would Never Be Allowed

 

Brazil Confirms What Everyone Knows: "A Currency War Has Broken Out" 

 

Prechter Reiterrates Call For Dow 1,000, Even As Surging Gold And Plunging Dollar Leave Much Credibility To Be Desired 

 

A Candid Appraisal of the Recovery
By: John Browne, Senior Market Strategist, Euro Pacific Capital

 

Posted: Sep 27 2010     By: Dan Norcini      Post Edited: September 27, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Filed under: Trader Dan Norcini
Dear CIGAs,
Click chart to enlarge today’s hourly action in Gold in PDF format with commentary from Trader Dan Norcini
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Posted: Sep 27 2010     By: Dan Norcini      Post Edited: September 27, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Filed under: General Editorial
Dear CIGAs,
Click chart to enlarge today’s US Long Bonds chart in PDF format with commentary from Trader Dan Norcini
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Posted: Sep 27 2010     By: Dan Norcini      Post Edited: September 27, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Filed under: Trader Dan Norcini

Trader Dan’s Commentary
Where did we hear this before? Oh yes, it was exactly what Jim said would occur years ago back when it seemed as if everyone and their dog were running and turning tail on gold every time an announced gold sale was taking place.
What this article does not cover is that while European Central Banks may be "halting" gold sales, other Central Banks from the far East are in the process of increasing gold purchases.
The effect is one of reduced supply at a time of increasing demand. Last time I checked that generally entailed higher prices.

European Central Banks Halt Gold Sales Published: Monday, 27 Sep 2010 | 4:27 AM ET
Jack Farchy, Financial Times

Europe’s central banks have all but halted sales of their gold reserves, ending a run of large disposals each year for more than a decade.
The central banks of the euro zone plus Sweden and Switzerland are bound by the Central Bank Gold Agreement, which caps their collective sales.
In the CBGA’s year to September, which expired on Sunday, the signatories sold 6.2 tonnes, down 96 per cent, according to provisional data.
The sales are the lowest since the agreement was signed in 1999 and well below the peak of 497 tonnes in 2004-05.
The shift away from gold selling comes as European central banks reassess gold amid the financial crisis and Europe’s sovereign debt crisis.
In the 1990s and 2000s, central banks swapped their non- yielding bullion for sovereign debt, which gives a steady annual return. But now, central banks and investors are seeking the security of gold.
The lack of heavy selling is important for gold prices [XAU=X  1299.1    3.50  (+0.27%)   ] both because a significant source of supply has been withdrawn from the market, and because it has given psychological support to the gold price. On Friday, bullion hit a record of $1,300 an ounce.
More…



The Cost of Fed Incompetence
By: Richard Daughty, The Mogambo Guru



How Hyperinflation Really Happens
By: Steven Saville, Speculative Investor





Timmins Gold Delivers to Investors; Ramping Up Production
By: Peter Spina, Founder GoldSeek.com

Cazenove Strategist Discusses PPT And POMO Interventions To Keep Markets Ramping Higher

 

Insider Selling To Buying Surpasses 1,400-1

 

Moody's Downgrades Unguaranteed Senior Debt Of Anglo Irish Bank By Three Notches To Baa3 From A3

 

Central Banks No Longer Selling Gold (Duh Factor: 10/10)

 

US Long Bonds Remain An "Enron-like" Train Wreck Sunday, September 26, 2010
Surging trend energy in bonds continues unabated since April 2010. REV(E), or trend energy, illustrates the strength of the surge. Trend energy as of August 2010 is approaching the all-time high in December 2008. This has been achieved while price remains roughly 20% below the all-time high. The divergence of trend energy with price only reinforces the power of the trend.
US Long Bonds ETF (TLT) clip_image001
At some point capital flows based on reality economics will override the short-term illusion. The unusual change in the distribution of buyers at the Treasury auctions some developing cracks in the global economic facade. Besides, technical analysis based solely on nominal (US dollar) trends is extremely myopic and largely useless during periods of aggressive currency debasement. The real or unbiased currency adjusted trend in US long bonds remain an "Enron-like" train wreck that few are willing to acknowledge. The sad truth for the public is that capital flows require zero "official" recognition to force change.
Long-Term U.S. Government Bonds Total Return Index (LTGBTRI) to Gold Ratio: clip_image002
More…


The Donkey in the China Shop
By: Antal E. Fekete



Gold and Silver
By: Howard S. Katz



Don’t Fear the Gold Dealers. Fear The Government!
By: Brady Willett



Unemployment Could Remain High Until 2013.


Yale Economist Robert Schiller Warns Seven Years of Economic 'Bad Times' in Store for US


Mortgage lending plummets to 10-year monthly low as housing market remains 'exceptionally' weak


Russian crop misery spreads to world’s supermarkets.


California Attorney General Asks GMAC to Stop Foreclosures 


They Are Printing Too Much Money 

 
Stocks Reignite a Rally as Economic Woes Fade


Business Spending on Capital Goods Rises in August 


Pace Of New Homes Sales Second Slowest On Record


Sarkozy: Tax The Banks


New US Unemployment Claims Rise Again 


Jim Willie: Permanent 0% On Road To Ruin


Food Inflation: Coming to the USA?

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Posted: Sep 25 2010     By: Jim Sinclair      Post Edited: September 25, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Filed under: General Editorial
Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
  1. Armstrong and I disagree on the fundamentals.
  2. The fundamentals can be a mixture of what he sees and what I believe as currency induced cost push inflation is inherent in his analysis.
  3. That however is not relevant to the trader or investor as it is gold that protects the investor from financial destruction.
  4. You will see how $1650 fits into his view which has been my price objective since you first tuned in to JSMineset.
  5. The history lessons are extremely interesting.
Click image to enlarge Armstrong’s latest in PDF format
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Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
Why not? You know she was a major victim of OTC derivatives with palace size losses.
UK Queen tried to use state poverty funds to heat her palaces

Queen tried to use state poverty fund to heat Buckingham Palace
Ministers were asked if money earmarked for schools, hospitals and low-income families could be used to meet soaring fuel bills
By Robert Verkaik
Friday, 24 September 2010

The Queen asked ministers for a poverty handout to help heat her palaces but was rebuffed because they feared it would be a public relations disaster, documents disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act reveal.
Royal aides were told that the £60m worth of energy-saving grants were aimed at families on low incomes and if the money was given to Buckingham Palace instead of housing associations or hospitals it could lead to "adverse publicity" for the Queen and the Government.
Aides complained to ministers in 2004 that the Queen’s gas and electricity bills, which had increased by 50 per cent that year, stood at more than £1m a year and had become "untenable".
More…


Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
The Green Hornet mentioned that if we owned a Chevy Volt we better have a bicycle rack on top.
Remember when This was going to be a hot seller for GM? What a bad joke this is.

GM: Volt Can Go 25-50 Miles on Batteries
(DETROIT) — General Motors on Thursday altered the expected range that its Chevrolet Volt electric car can travel on battery power alone.
The automaker now says the Volt can go 25 to 50 miles on battery power, compared with the 40 miles it had previously said it would travel.
The distance will depend on temperature, terrain, driving technique and the age of the lithium-ion batteries.
More…


Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
Here is another trillion dollar bag of worms. This means QE to infinity must occur or the black hole the Western world finances are in will be revealed with results so shocking they should not be discussed.
No wonder the present administration is losing people weekly.

Commentary: The Silence over Repos Is Shocking Published: Friday, 24 Sep 2010 | 7:55 AM ET
By: Gillian Tett, Financial Times

Four months ago, New York bankers issued a 43-page report on the tri-party repurchase, or “repo”, market, which solemnly described some of the sector’s shortcomings. The New York Federal Reserve then issued additional comments – and called for reform.
Both reports almost immediately vanished from public view. They were not, for example, mentioned in all the US Congress summer debates. Indeed, the Dodd-Frank bill barely touches them at all. And, this month, as European and US regulators have marked the second anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers by unveiling new financial reforms, the issue has barely cropped up at all.
Perhaps this is unsurprising: after all, until 2008 the workings of the repo market – or the part of finance where banks raise short-term loans backed by collateral – seemed distinctly dull. But in many ways this silence is shocking.
After all, the sector is huge: the total volume of so-called “tri-party repo contracts” – or those arranged via a third-party broker – in the US peaked at about $2,800 billion in early 2008 and is now at about $1,700 billion.
Moreover, the repo market was central to the dramas of 2008. One of the main reasons why entities such as Lehman Brothers collapsed, after all, was that investors fled from repo deals, because they became frightened about counterparty risk. They also feared that the collateral backing these deals was losing value, particularly in relation to mortgage bonds, which represented 37 percent of collateral.
More…


Rickards sees dollar collapse prompting new gold standard at +$5,000/oz

 

A Red-Alert Threat to the Regime
By: Gary North



Remobilize Gold To Save The World Economy!
By: Antal E. Fekete




If Currencies ‘Race To The Bottom’ With Competitive Weakening, Will Gold Return To The World Of Money?
By: Julian D. W. Phillips, Gold/Silver Forecaster - Global Watch




Seen At 11: Ready For Anything 'Preppers' Are Doing Exactly That In Anticipation Of Doomsday


Gold & Silver Are Sounding The Alarm

  
Currency Crisis Has Begun

 
Irish Economy Faces Double-Dip Recession


US Dollar Slumps Amid Gloomy Economic Prospects


US Dollar Hits New Low Against Yen After Fed Says Will Print More Money


China Allows Banks to Sell Loans on Interbank Market; 21 Lenders Sign On




Warren Buffett: We're Still in a Recession Despite What Officials Say.


Amazing video that shows a labor union hiring minimum wage non-union protestors to picket Wal-Mart for paying minimum wage and being non-union.



Sherman Oaks enters correction phase. $1,200,000 home now selling for $720,000.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Pat Heller: Supply squeeze in physical gold and silver may be heating up

 

How much gold would China need in 'rebalancing' of world economy?

 

Nepal will put FX reserves into gold and rig domestic market

 

Guest Post: The Shoeshine Boy

 

Posted: Sep 25 2010     By: Jim Sinclair      Post Edited: September 25, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Filed under: In The News
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Trader Dan’s Commentary
The article below is a follow up to an article posted Thursday about a new breed of computer viruses to be used as weapons of war.

Tehran confirms its industrial computers under Stuxnet virus attack  Exclusive Report September 25, 2010, 6:07 PM (GMT+02:00)
Mahmoud Alyaee, secretary-general of Iran’s industrial computer servers, including its nuclear facilities control systems, confirmed Saturday, Sept. 25, that 30,000 computers belonging to classified industrial units had been infected and disabled by the malicious Stuxnet virus.
This followed DEBKAfile’s exclusive report Thursday, Sept. 23, from its Washington and defense sources that a clandestine cyber war is being fought against Iran by the United States with elite cyber war units established by Israel. Stuxnet is believed to be the most destructive virus ever devised for attacking major industrial complexes, reactors and infrastructure. The experts say it is beyond the capabilities of private or individual hackers and could have been produced by a high-tech state like America or Israel, or its military cyber specialists.
The Iranian official said Stuxnet had been designed to strike the industrial control systems in Iran manufactured by the German Siemens and transfer classified data abroad.
The head of the Pentagon’s cyber war department, Vice Adm. Bernard McCullough said Thursday, Sept. 22, that Stuxnet had capabilities never seen before. In a briefing to the Armed Forces Committee of US Congress, he testified that it was regarded as the most advanced and sophisticated piece of Malware to date.
According to Alyaee, the virus began attacking Iranian industrial systems two months ago. He had no doubt that Iran was the victim of a cyber attack which its anti-terror computer experts had so far failed to fight.  Stuxnet is powerful enough to change an entire environment, he said without elaborating. Not only has it taken control of automatic industrial systems, but has raided them for classified information and transferred the date abroad.
More…



Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
Only two this Friday.

Bank Closing Information – September 24, 2010 These links contain useful information for the customers and vendors of these closed banks.
North County Bank, Arlington, WA
Haven Trust Bank Florida, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

http://www.fdic.gov/




Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
Do you take comfort knowing SIPC insures your brokerage account? Maybe not?
It was revealed in congressional testimony that Madoff claims have busted SIPC.

Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
Recent events between China and Japan are grossly misunderstood.
  1. Fishing is not the problem. It is oil and gas in the South China sea that is up for grabs.
  2. It is weapons testing and the weapon is strategic materials.
  3. The weapon has proved totally devastating.
  4. Meanwhile the num-nuts pass bills to challenge China economically.

Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
The problems are over? You have to be kidding. 30 billion for credit unions and that is only a start. QE to infinity is assured.

Credit Unions Bailed Out
U.S. Backs $30 Billion in Bonds to Stabilize Key Institutions; Subprime Legacy
By MARK MAREMONT And VICTORIA MCGRANE
Two years after the peak of the financial crisis, the federal government swooped in to stabilize a crucial part of the credit-union sector battered by losses on subprime mortgages.
Regulators announced Friday a rescue and revamping of the nation’s wholesale credit union system, underpinned by a federal guarantee valued at $30 billion or more. Wholesale credit unions don’t deal with the general public but provide essential back-office services to thousands of other credit unions across the U.S. The majority of retail credit unions are sound, but they will have to shoulder the losses through special assessments over the next decade.
Friday’s moves include the seizure of three wholesale credit unions, plus an unusual plan by government officials to manage $50 billion of troubled assets inherited from failed institutions. To help fund the rescue, the National Credit Union Administration plans to issue $30 billion to $35 billion in government-guaranteed bonds, backed by the shaky mortgage-related assets.
Officials said the plan won’t cost taxpayers any money. Still, it marks the latest intervention by the U.S. government into a financial system weakened by the real-estate bust. Bad bets on mortgage-backed securities have now killed five of the nation’s 27 wholesale credit unions since March 2009. The federal government, which now controls about 70% of the total assets at such credit unions, said the surviving institutions will be reined in so that they take fewer risks with their investments.
More…




Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
Volker is too smart to be stupid, and too old to be bullied.

Volcker Spares No One in Broad Critique By Damian Paletta
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker scrapped a prepared speech he had planned to deliver at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on Thursday, and instead delivered a blistering, off-the-cuff critique leveled at nearly every corner of the financial system.
Standing at a lectern with his hands in his pockets, Volcker moved unsparingly from banks to regulators to business schools to the Fed to money-market funds during his luncheon speech.
He praised the new financial overhaul law, but said the system remained at risk because it is subject to future “judgments” of individual regulators, who he said would be relentlessly lobbied by banks and politicians to soften the rules.
“This is a plea for structural changes in markets and market regulation,” he said at one point.
Here are his views on a variety of topics.
More…




Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
Leaving in 2010 to work on the 2012 campaign? Somehow that sounds quite questionable.

Axelrod leaving White House next year to work on campaign September 24, 2010 5:45 AM
David Axelrod, a top advisor to President Obama and the main architect of his election victory in 2008, will be leaving the White House next year and returning to Chicago to work on the president’s re-election campaign, a White House aide said Thursday.
Axelrod has not specified a departure date, but he plans to remain in his current position "well into 2011,” the aide said.
Axelrod, who calls himself a "Chicagoan on assignment,” has long made clear he missed his hometown and would return before the end of the four-year term. His wife still lives in the city.
One of Obama’s most trusted aides, Axelrod occupies a small office just steps from the Oval Office. On a wall in Axelrod’s office hangs a picture of the White House drawn by his daughter. The Chicago skyline is shown in the reflecting pool.
His portfolio is a broad one. He shapes the president’s message, oversees the speechwriting team, plots political strategy and advises on policy. A longtime campaign strategist, he is aware of his limitations when it comes to complex policy matters. He once made a self-deprecating reference to himself as "a duffer” when it comes to policy.
Other White House aides said part of Axelrod’s role is reminding the staff of the president’s campaign commitments and making sure that the White House agenda stays true to Obama’s promises.
More…



Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
I am not sure if they are ignorant, insane, or both.

China targeted in bill on currency manipulation By MARTIN CRUTSINGER (AP)
WASHINGTON — A bill that would give the U.S. government the power to impose economic sanctions on China and other countries found to be manipulating their currencies to gain trade advantages has won approval from a key House committee.
The Ways and Means Committee approved the legislation Friday and Democratic leaders said the measure would be taken up by the full House next week. Supporters say the bill would protect U.S. jobs against unfair trade competition at a time of high unemployment.
The measure was expected to win easy House passage, although trade analysts said it was unlikely to be taken up in the Senate before the November elections. However, they said the proposal would send a clear message to China that it risks U.S. trade sanctions unless it moves faster to allow its currency to rise in value against the dollar.
The House action comes as the Obama administration has stepped up its pressure on China to make more progress on currency reform and other contentious trade issues. The White House said that President Barack Obama pushed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to move faster on currency revaluation during a two-hour meeting the two leaders held in New York on Thursday.
American manufacturers contend that China’s currency is undervalued by as much as 40 percent against the dollar. That makes Chinese products cheaper and more competitive in the United States and American products more expensive in China.
More…




Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
I wrote a book on the following subject in the early 80s titled "The Strategic Metals War."

China’s Hold On Metals Worries Washington By NATHAN HODGE And JAMES T. AREDDY
WASHINGTON—China’s control of a key minerals market has U.S. military thinkers and policy makers alike worried about access to materials that are essential for 21st-century technology like smartphones—and smart bombs.
The concern over supplies of so-called rare-earth elements was highlighted this week by a report that Chinese customs officials had blocked exports of the materials to Japan. On Thursday, Beijing denied those reports. "China doesn’t block rare-earth exports to Japan," said Chen Rongkai, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Commerce.
At issue is a group of 17 metallic elements with magnetic properties suited for high-tech applications such as computer hard drives and digital cameras. Rare-earth elements are also key to "green" technology: Energy-efficient light bulbs use europium and yttrium, while hybrid car batteries and wind-power turbines use neodymium.
While rare-earth ore deposits are found around the globe, China’s dominance in mining and processing the elements has raised alarms in Washington. According to an April 2010 Government Accountability Office report, China now produces approximately 97% of the world’s rare-earth oxides, the raw materials that can be further refined into metals and blended into alloys that can be made into finished components.
Over the past year, China has imposed global export quotas on the elements. Its Commerce Ministry has said total exports for the year would be capped at just under 30,300 metric tons, down 40% from last year. Only 7,976 tons of that were allocated for the second half of this year. Experts say much of that has already been shipped.
More…


Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
Here is a list of FDIC enforcements. If your bank is on this list you ought to know!

Recent Enforcement Decisions
FINAL ORDERS ISSUED PURSUANT TO SECTION 8(b), 12 U.S.C. 1818(b)
(Consent Orders)
SouthPoint Bank, Birmingham, Alabama; FDIC-10-414b; Issued 8/10/10 – PDF
Farmers Exchange Bank, Louisville, Alabama; FDIC-10-382b; Issued 8/10/10 – PDF
United Pacific Bank, City of Industry, California; FDIC-10-392b; Issued 8/5/10 – PDF
Western Commercial Bank, Woodland Hills, California; FDIC-10-575b; Issued 8/20/10 – PDF
First Guaranty Bank and Trust Company of Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida; FDIC-09-686b;
Issued 8/11/10 – PDF

Syringa Bank, Boise, Idaho; FDIC-10-314b; Issued 8/19/10 – PDF
Builders Bank, Chicago, Illinois; FDIC-10-535b; Issued 8/5/10 – PDF
Bank of the Prairie, Olathe, Kansas; FDIC-10-459b; Issued 8/26/10 – PDF
The Community Bank, A Massachusetts Cooperative Bank, Brockton, Massachusetts; FDIC-10-588b;
Issued 8/12/10 – PDF

More…

 

"Gold's next hurdle is 1980's inflation-adjusted peak".  The graph shows that the January 1980 price of gold has an inflation-adjusted price of about $1,800... even though the writer says in the story that gold would have to reach around $2,300 the ounce in today's dollars to match the $875 back in 1980.  One wonders how the writer could make such an obvious mistake.  Of course John Williams over at shadowstats.com says that if you use real-world inflation numbers [rather than the ones provided by the U.S. government]... gold should be around $7,500/ounce.  Regardless of 'all of the above'... this bull market has miles to go before it breaths its last... and the link to the story is here.


THE NOT SO FUNNY... FUNNIES...


There are no markets anymore... only interventions. - Chris Powell, GATA 


.
Banking System Collapse, On The Edge Of The Precipice

 

Three Wholesale Credit Unions Nationalized As US Securitizes $50 Billion In Legacy Toxic Assets; Failure "Sweep Under The Rug" Friday Just Got Real

 

If Currencies ‘Race To The Bottom’ With Competitive Weakening, Will Gold Return To The World Of Money?


Gold-Freedom versus The Cartel ‘End-Game’ & A Strategy for Surmounting It


Undervalued Silver in a Government Spending Frenzy

 

Guest Post: Understanding The National Debt (Sesame Street Edition)

 

Guest Post: The Bastard Child Of The Mother Of All Bubbles

 

Russia’s kopeck coin may soon be scrap metal.



For the Unemployed Over 50, Fears of Never Working Again



Brazil's central bank president says no country can hold dollar up


Haven Trust is the 126th bank to collapse this year.



Gold/Silver Ratio Analysis 



How High Will Gold Go This Fall?




"What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter." - Terry Pratchett 

.

Friday, September 24, 2010

posted by Eric De Groot at Eric De Groot - 1 hour ago
Hardly. The market's know it. The US has been using currency debasement through the use of the printing press for years. Technically speaking, the US has been in on-going default since the London gold pool...



 

Peru Just Entered The Currency Devaluation Race... Yes, Peru

 

...Promptly Followed By Brazil

 

Competitive devaluations gain acceptance as justification for higher gold

 

Bank of Canada will follow Fed in any devaluation

 

Cleveland Fed: Bond Data Show Rising Recession Risk
The narrowing premium Treasury investors demand to hold longer-term government debt signals a rising chance the economy will slip into another recession, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.



Volcker Warns Bernanke: Watch Out for Inflation



Barron's: Why You Need to Own Gold



Defections Signal Mounting Obama Meltdown 



BOJ Intervenes For Second Time In A Week, Fails

 

Are Stocks Overvalued By $4+ Trillion? Quantifying The Fed's Impact On The Stock Market

 

POMO Results: $3.9 Billion Monetized, At 4.1 Submitted-to-Accepted Ratio

 

Posted: Sep 24 2010     By: Jim Sinclair      Post Edited: September 24, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Filed under: In The News
Thought For The Day
I believe that everything Dollar will top on a rising neckline head and shoulders formation. That is what I anticipate in the Long Treasury Bond.
Go back and take a look at how the USDX made its top. It is my opinion a similar chart pattern might be in the making now.
Stay alert because when this changes you can trade short for a decade, selling strength and buying back on weakness.

Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
Volcker goes ballistic. Resignations from the Administration invite a conclusion that something beyond what we know is awfully wrong.

Volcker launches into bankers, politicians, regulators. Former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker scrapped a prepared speech Thursday and delivered a blistering critique of nearly every corner of the financial system. While praising the financial overhaul, Volcker told attendees at the Chicago Fed the system is still at the risk of regulators being swayed by the relentless lobbying of banks and politicians. Volcker said central banks may have become, "a little too infatuated with their own skills and authority because they found secrets to price stability… I think its fair to say there was a certain neglect of supervisory responsibilities."


Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
Double dip? You have to be kidding.

Sunbelt Rentals closes 50 locations at Lowes (Sep. 21)
Sunbelt Rentals, the Fort Mills, S.C., equipment and tool rental company, has closed 50 of its underperforming facilities at Lowes stores, according to an article in Rental Equipment Register. The company has agreed to extend the leases on 40 remaining locations until October 2012.
Sunbelt Rentals became partners with Lowes when it acquired rival company NationsRent in September 2006 in a deal valued at more than $1 billion. At the time, NationsRent operated 100 rental centers at Lowes stores nationwide.
Lowes began testing NationsRent centers in six stores in May 2000. By February 2002, that number was extended to 42 locations in eight states.
More…


"Hi-yo Silver!"


Sobering Lesson for the World as Gold and Silver Set to Explode Higher


Obama tells UN leaders world has dodged depression.
Yeah, right... What a liar...


Fed Signals It Will Take Further Steps If Needed.


Millions Of Americans Risk Exclusion From The Job Market Forever, OECD Warns


More than Half Exit Foreclosure-Relief Program


 Food Makers Ready to Raise Prices



Posted: Sep 24 2010     By: Dan Norcini      Post Edited: September 24, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Filed under: Trader Dan Norcini

Dear CIGAs,
I wonder if Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, ever realized that his marvelous device which ushered in a new era of knowledge dissemination, would someday also be used to create wealth out of thin air. Apparently he did not for if he had, it is doubtful that the world of his day and future days would have ever experienced economic hardship or ruin again.
Witness the marvelous effect of the newly created Fed “wealth” as it makes its way into the equity markets and the commodity markets, at the horrific expense of the Dollar, which has now crashed below the critical 80 level and looks like it is on its way down to 76.
There was a literal fund orgy of buying across almost every single market today shoving prices north as the reflation trade was on full display for all the world to gaze at in admiration. “Who is like the Fed and whom else may we bow down and worship” comes the cry from the investment world which is swimming in a sea of liquidity with future consequences to the generation to come being damned. All it cares for is a rising equity market and a short-sighted “feel good” psyche.
The sinking Dollar is even negating to a certain extent the massive intervention efforts of the Bank of Japan to curtail its rise. Last evening there was a bizarre event with the Yen which suffered a massive drop in price leading to rumors that the BOJ had come back into the Forex markets and sold yen. When the rumor was not confirmed by the finance ministers of that country, hedgies wasted no time and bid it right back up again completely erasing the losses and even adding more on to it just to apparently insult the BOJ.
The yen is becoming a serious political issue in Japan with politicians facing increasing pressure from their constituent businesses for the government to take action to force a drop in the currency. AS it now stands, the rising yen is crushing what little is left of the Japanese economy and is eliciting howls of protest from leading Japanese exporters who are furious over what is happening to their market share. The comments are all almost unanimous from the heads of business: “ We are mired in a deflation and our economy is stagnant and there is no reason for the Yen to be rising so sharply. Speculators are leading the nation to ruin and the Bank of Japan must act now”.
I expect we are going to see them do just that as soon as next week. If they do not, the market has called their bravado and their reputation will be ruined seeing that they have made repeated statements that they intend to hold the line on the yen. Quite frankly, I am amazed at the boldness of the hedge fund crowd which continues to defy their intentions. Then again, maybe Chinese buying of Japanese bonds is too large for the Bank of Japan to deal with. I am not sure but after watching these Forex markets for years, I will be shocked if the BOJ does not foray forth and give the new Yen longs a severe butt whipping. If they do not, and the yen takes out its recent high, the BOJ will be finished as a market force.
The problem that they face is that the Fed is attempting to outdo them in ruining currencies and has printed trillions into existence. That is a lot of Dollar supply. The BOJ will simply have to print more than the Fed. Any wonder why gold is doing what it is doing and commodities are being siphoned into the holdings of big funds and institutions?
That brings us to the technical action in the metal – it is being stymied at $1300 by its enemies even as the rest of the commodity world goes beserk to the upside and silver makes a 30 year high! The same damn hedge fund ratio trade continues to lean on the mining shares in spite of record high prices in both metals. While the broad stock market is enjoying rip-roaring gains, the mining shares are languishing as if the metals were trading 20% of their peaks. You can thank the conjurers of those much heralded gold ETF’s for all this for they have siphoned off money that used to go into the shares into another paper gold market. Still, do not despair as gold and silver miners are making enormous profits on their chief product. It is still profits that drive stock prices even in this brave new world of hedge fund algorithms and the sadistic HFT crowd.
Gold will have to push above $1300 and hold that level to prevent some long liquidation as we are up near record levels on the open interest. We should be because we are at record levels in price. Momentum however rules the markets these days so it is up to the bulls to dislodge the perma bears (bullion banks) from behind their fortifications at $1300 if they hope to force a retreat to a new and higher level, closer to $1312- $1315.
Support still first lies near $1285 on any setback in price followed by better support at $1260. I would like to see how price acts on any setback to get a better feel for future price action.
Silver ran past its peak from early 2008 notching a 30 year high in the process which is simply breathtaking for the speed of its ascent. Should it be able to post a strong close above $21.50, look for it to make a runs towards $23. It has light chart support near $21 and better support back near $20.50 on the charts.
Nothing has changed for the HUI – it still needs to best the 520 level to see the shares accelerate higher. It is however working on its best weekly close since March 2008. It needs to hold above 493 to  accomplish that task.
Click chart to enlarge today’s hourly action in Gold in PDF format with commentary from Trader Dan Norcini



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"It is also important for the State to inculcate in its subjects an aversion to any outcropping of what is now called 'a conspiracy theory of history.' For a search for 'conspiracies,' as misguided as the results often are, means a search for motives, and an attribution of individual responsibility for the historical misdeeds of ruling elites. If, however, any tyranny or venality, or aggressive war imposed by the State was brought about not by particular State rulers but by mysterious and arcane 'social forces,' or by the imperfect state of the world -- or if, in some way, everyone was guilty -- then there is no point in anyone's becoming indignant or rising up against such misdeeds. Furthermore, a discrediting of 'conspiracy theories' will make the subjects more likely to believe the 'general welfare' reasons that are invariably put forth by the modern State for engaging in aggressive actions." - Murray Rothbard

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Phoenix Capital Research
09/23/2010 - 12:50
Let’s be honest. Forget recessions, forget even Depressions, the US is an empire in decline. You can literally see it crumbling right in front of you. Just start looking at how people live, eat, and act on a day to day basis. Look at how our Government runs itself, how it manages our affairs, how it spends our tax Dollars. Look at how our justice system works, who it protects and who it punishes. It’s all out there, right in the open for you to see. You don’t need an expert degree or some kind of advanced education. It’s OBVIOUS to anyone who bothers looking around. The fact we don’t admit it doesn’t mean it’s not tr


Guest Post: Stealth Monetization in the U.S.A.



Insofar as money is concerned, governments and central banks should be kept as far away from one another as a pedophile from Dakota Fanning. If ever the twain should meet, very bad things would happen. However, now, in the good ol’ U.S. of A., monetization is taking place—and it is happening right before our eyes, even though no one is realizing it. This monetization is invisible to sophisticated analyses, but obvious to anyone looking at the situation. It's what I call stealth monetization. —Gonzalo Lira.
   

Take It From Someone Who Called the Housing Crash (and its victims) in 2005, We Are About Midway Through the Downturn, If That Far
  • Reggie Middleton



    09/23/2010 - 13:09
    For anybody that values results over brand names, the housing market has a much rougher road ahead than many presume and banks are literally the walking dead! Having accurately called the fall of the WaMu, Countrywide, Bear Stearns, MBIA, Ambac, Lehman, residential and commercial real estate I am confident that the list of big name failures WILL EXPAND! Every single variable that can be plugged into a housing value equation is explicitly negative, save the manipulated mortgage interest rates (meaning another bubble to burst).

Marc Faber: The two investments every American should own
"You would be out of your mind... to even consider expanding in the US.."


Some Painful Truthiness From Paul Volcker

 

QE2 in Round Trillions


US Government 'hiding true amount of debt'


Fed hints it could buy more bonds


UK: Middle Class Families Could Face "Lie Detector" Tests Over Taxes

 

Guest Post: White House: Recovery to take years

 

Much money wants to buy dips in metals, Turk tells King World News

 

Are Corporate Insiders Ditching Their Firms for Precious Metals?
By: Dr. Jeffrey Lewis - 23 September, 2010

Corporate insiders are flocking out of their own companies, selling $290 in stock for every $1 they buy in S&P 500 firms. With outflows of more than $439 million dollars in equities by corporate insiders and inflows in the billions flowing into precious metals ETFs and securities, would it not be safe to assume that the same insiders dumping their shares are on the buying end of the metals spectrum? Full Story

 

Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
Contrary to general financial TV news and breaking news alert statements from Treasury, the Western World financiers do not have China shaking in any boot.

Wen Rebuffs U.S. Over Yuan Dispute
(RTTNews) – Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday said there is no basis for a rapid appreciation of the yuan (renminbi), rebuffing calls from U.S. officials to let the currency move more freely.
"There is no basis for a drastic appreciation of the renminbi," Wen was quoted as saying in a speech to the U.S.-China Business Committee in New York. He said a 20-40% rise in the yuan, as demanded by U.S. lawmakers, would render numerous export-reliant Chinese companies insolvent.
Wen, who is due to meet U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday at the U.N. Summit, said the yuan’s valuation is an economic issue and should not be politicized, adding that a rapid rise in the currency will not solve the trade imbalance between the U.S. and China.
Unlike other major currencies, China does not allow its yuan to trade freely according to market demand. Instead, Chinese policymakers set a central parity rate – an official reference for daily trading – every morning and allows the currency to fluctuate upto 0.5% from that level.
Critics of China’s exchange rate policy say the artificially weak yuan unfairly gives an edge to the country’s exporters, while disadvantaging exporters elsewhere by rendering them uncompetitive.
More…



Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
According the Lao Tzu and the art of war, when condemning the enemy send a conciliatory message to help take the edge off it. In India the theory is presented as "If you cannot oblige, speak obligingly."
As published, it is titled "When yes means no."

China seeks to play down differences with US By FOSTER KLUG
Associated Press Writer

(AP:NEW YORK) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expressed optimism Wednesday that the United States and China would resolve major trade frictions, even as he rejected U.S. claims that Beijing’s currency policies cost American jobs.
Despite sometimes tough words, Wen used much of a speech on the sidelines of a United Nations global summit to try to ease U.S. anger against China ahead of a Thursday meeting with President Barack Obama.
Relations between the powers have suffered recently, but Wen sought to play down economic, military and diplomatic tensions. The United States and China, Wen told business leaders gathered at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, are "not rivals in competition but partners in cooperation."
Wen, however, pushed back against U.S. claims that Beijing’s tightly regulated, undervalued currency _ the yuan _ gives China’s exporters an artificial advantage over U.S. manufacturers. Ahead of U.S. congressional elections in November and at a time of high American unemployment, China’s economic and trade policies are a major friction in ties with Washington.
Wen warned that China’s currency must not be turned into a political issue between the countries. He saw no link between the yuan’s value and China’s trade advantage over the United States. The politically sensitive U.S. trade deficit with China jumped to $26.2 billion in June, the largest one-month gap since October 2008.
More…



Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
There is no more serious dilemma in the world than China’s ability to shut down high tech by cornering the market and production of strategic materials and metals, yet the West simply paddles on with no plan whatsoever. In this case the only meaningful alternative is Tanzania, a country where China is extremely active.
I wrote a book in 1983 titled The Strategic Metals War. it was spot on then and is spot on now.

China Blocks Export of Crucial Minerals to Japan as Dispute Escalates By KEITH BRADSHER
Published: September 22, 2010

HONG KONG — Sharply raising the stakes in a dispute over Japan’s detention of a Chinese fishing trawler captain, the Chinese government has blocked exports to Japan of a crucial category of minerals used in products like hybrid cars, wind turbines and guided missiles.
Chinese customs officials are halting shipments to Japan of so-called rare earth elements, preventing them from being loading aboard ships at Chinese ports, industry officials said on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao personally called for Japan’s release of the captain, who was detained after his vessel collided with two Japanese coast guard vessels about 40 minutes apart as he tried to fish in waters controlled by Japan but long claimed by China. Mr. Wen threatened unspecified further actions if Japan did not comply.
A Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman declined on Thursday morning to discuss the country’s trade policy on rare earths, saying only that Mr. Wen’s comments remained the Chinese government’s position. News agencies later reported that Chen Rongkai, another ministry spokesman, had denied that any embargo had been imposed.
Any publication of government regulations or other official pronouncements barring exports would allow Japan to file an immediate complaint with the World Trade Organization, alleging a violation of free trade rules. But an administrative halt to exports, by preventing the loading of rare earths on ships bound for Japan, is much harder to challenge at the W.T.O.
More…


Posted: Sep 23 2010     By: Jim Sinclair      Post Edited: September 23, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Filed under: Jim's Mailbox
Jim,
Taibbi has done another great piece.
CIGA Ursel

BP’s Shock Waves
How the oil giant’s catastrophic spill in the Gulf could trigger another financial meltdown
By  Matt Taibbi
Sep 16, 2010 11:30 AM EDT

It was sickening enough when British oil giant BP set new standards for corporate scumbaggery in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, turning the Gulf of Mexico into its own personal toilet and imperiling entire species of wildlife in an attempt to save a few nickels. But with the Gulf geyser finally capped, there’s still a way for BP to cause an even more unthinkable disaster: an AIG-style, derivative-fueled financial shitstorm. If the company decides to declare bankruptcy — a very real possibility with these bastards — it could trigger chaos in our casino system of finance, underscoring the insane levels of leverage and systemic risk we have left in place, even after the global economic crash of 2008.
The first serious whiff of trouble came on June 15th, when Barack Obama manned up and went on national TV to tell the nation that he wasn’t going to let BP worm its way out of this one. "We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused," he declared, vowing to push BP to set aside $20 billion to clean up its mess and compensate victims.
More…


Jim,
Resistance is broken. Next level of attention is 1390 – 1400.
Kind regards,
CIGA Stefaan
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Dear Eric,
There is a greater why to this than the obvious.
The resignations are hitting hard and fast. the head of the FDIC has had some hard words for the administration.
What is the real cause of this phenomena? Could it be statistical?
Regards,
Jim

The Exodus Continues CIGA Eric
The metaphor of rats jumping from a shinking ship comes to mind. This clears the way for the new New Deal II.

Financial bailout chief announces resignation
Herb Allison, the head of the government’s $700 billion financial bailout program, announced on Wednesday that he would resign.
Allison said in a letter to his colleagues in the Treasury Department’s Office of Financial Stability that they had accomplished a great deal.
Lawrence Summers to leave economic council, return to Harvard
President Obama’s top economic adviser, Lawrence H. Summers, will step down as director of the National Economic Council after the November elections and return to a teaching post at Harvard University, the White House announced Tuesday.
The departure of Summers, 55, will complete the turnover of three of Obama’s four top economic advisers as the administration struggles with the political fallout of a stubbornly weak economy.
More…



Dear Jim,
Hope you are enjoying Tanzania. Please see the enclosed note below. Deutsche Bank is bullish on gold, citing the usual catalysts and fundamentally driven bullishness.
Congratulations on your calls which are right on as always.
Monty
Click image to enlarge in PDF format
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Interview: Dr. Marc Faber on the Federal Reserve and Hyperinflation 

Permanent 0% On Road To Ruin
By: Jim Willie CB - 23 September, 2010

Japan has proved without confusion that 0% is a permanent stuck position. The United States will repeat the path, but with a vast mudslide. Japan has had the advantage of a strong industrial base, a sizeable trade surplus, and no war budget. Thus it has been capable of funding much of its own deficits. It does possess a big debt burden. But the US has $1 of new debt for every $1 in government revenue. Full Story


Rah rah rah!
By: Gary Tanashian - 23 September, 2010

Officialdom does not want its herds to panic full force into gold because that would mean confidence is lost in the system. The system only knows how to keep on trying to perpetuate itself, even as it slowly degrades over time. Expect some serious volatility to attend the gold gushing Don Luskin and an increasingly bullish herd. But that is just volatility in the price casino; you have invested in gold for value, which has been a good strategy all the way up. Full Story


Chinese Duality: Fast Economic Growth or Social Stability?
By: Richard Daughty, The Mogambo Guru - 23 September, 2010

I finally managed, for about two minutes, to stop worrying about the coming ascendancy of the Chinese to overwhelm the planet – a welcome respite! – after I read Rick Mills of Aheadoftheherd.com quoting some Chinese doofus named Xiang Songzuo, who unbelievably is deputy head of the International Monetary Institute at Beijing’s Renmin University, and who said, “Export industries employ so many people, and a drop in exports would mean a rise in unemployment which could cause very serious social unrest.” Full Story



Got Gold?

Is Gold In A Bubble? A Visual Aid

 

Significant Technical Damage In The Dollar Going Unrecognized

Has anyone noticed significant technical damage to the dollar amid all the election rhetoric and Administration reshuffling confusion? A weak currency is good for everyone, right? If there was a time for a "line in the sand" currency intervention, it would be now.

Gold is neither blind nor bubble-like to this technical reality.

U.S. Dollar Index ETF (UUP):







Gold Shares: Subtle Changes Within The Trend Suggest Outcome Few Expect

Yesterday Dan's commentary and charts on jsmineset.com illustrated the under performance and out performance of the mining shares relative to bullion and stock market, respectively.

I would also like to add this analysis by illustrating the building strength within the gold shares group not captured by the widely followed indices such as the XAU and HUI (Huey).

The Gold Miner's Index has decisively broken out of its cup-and-handle formation. This breakout brings a minimum measured move into play.

Gold Miners Index ETF (GDX):


The junior miners, a subset within the mining group, are displaying exceptional relative strength to majors (major producers). This relative strength is revealed by the surge in the juniors to majors gold share ratio illustrated below.

Juniors to Majors Gold Share Ratio:


All of this positive action is supported by the long-term secular breakout of the gold stocks from the 30-year consolidation. Money flows into the gold shares will only intensify as recognition of the significance of this breakout increases.

S&P Gold (Formerly Precious Metals Mining)*
*S&P Gold from 1945, Barron's Gold Stock Index from 1939-1945, 1922-1939 Homestake Mining


Watch long-term, relative money flows closely. The subtle changes within the trend already suggest a peformance outcome that few expect.

S&P Gold (Formerly Precious Metals Mining)* to Gold Ratio:
* S&P Gold from 1945, Barron's Gold Stock Index from 1939-1945, 1922-1939 Homestake Mining

Unusual worry for economy: Is inflation too low?

Classic headline designed to confuse the issue at hand. Inflation/deflation is a product of confidence of nation's debt and fiscal management. When gold is tied to the circulating currency and confidence wanes, deflation is the end result. When it's not, the end result is an increased velocity of money - i.e. get rid of the stuff before it devalues further. This is currency-driven or cost push inflation. As long as confidence in a nation's debt and fiscal management deteriorates under a fiat monetary system, something we are seeing right now across the globe, inflation is inevitable. To suggest that inflation is too low is an effective misdirection tactic.

It might seem like prices are rising wherever you look, from medical care to college tuition. Yet to the Federal Reserve, they might not be going up fast enough.

The Fed says a little more inflation might be just the thing to start a chain reaction that would ultimately create jobs -- and avoid a spiral of falling prices that could damage the economy.

Source: finance.yahoo.com


Posted: Sep 23 2010     By: Dan Norcini      Post Edited: September 23, 2010 at 12:59 am
Filed under: Trader Dan Norcini
Dear CIGAs,
Click either chart to enlarge today’s HUI-Gold Ratio and HUI/S&P 500 Ratio action in PDF format with commentary from Trader Dan NorciniCharts for 9-22-2010_Page_1
 Charts for 9-22-2010_Page_2

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Wal-Mart's CEO Provides The Starkest Visual Of The Modern Bread Line Yet

 


 


 

Did Bill Gross Just Confirm On Live TV He Has An "Advance Look" At Non-Public Fed Data?

 

U.S. Dollar Now Ripe For Catastrophic Devaluation.
Here is quote that might have a familiar ring: "The inflation vs. deflation debate has been raging for nearly three years, but I suspect that when all is said and done, we will find that both sides in a sense were correct. The people who consistently miss the mark on what is truly going on in the economy are those who blindly insist that this is an either/or situation. The fact is, we are seeing symptoms of BOTH deflation and inflation simultaneously. Deflation in jobs, stocks, real estate, and wages. Inflation in energy, food, and commodities. At bottom, we are seeing the worst of both worlds colliding to make a financial mutation, an aberration of the natural processes of supply and demand. Our economy has become a frothing rampaging Frankenstein’s monster bent on the destruction of its former benefactors; the American citizenry. Anyone who alleges otherwise is either a liar, or a fool."



Momentum Gathers For A New, Massive Bailout Of Homeowners.


 New "Normal" is Fear Over the Economy 



After Friday's Panic, Will Ireland Go The Way Of Greece?


Establishment economist Sinai: Fed's code means 'buy gold'



Posted: Sep 22 2010     By: Dan Norcini      Post Edited: September 22, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Filed under: Trader Dan Norcini
Dear CIGAs,
If the FED wanted to give the Dollar the kiss of death with yesterday’s FOMC release, they certainly managed to accomplish their task. It continued its descent which began as soon as the statement hit the wires yesterday and has not looked back since. As it has done so, it has resulted in once again another huge inflow of funny money into the commodity sector in an exact replay of what was occurring in early 2008. There were very few individual commodities that were lower today as billions more were jammed into hard assets in an attempt to shield wealth from the depredations of a currency that has broken through support levels in a manner that is frightening for its intensity. Cotton in particular is on an awesome tear into the stratosphere. Get ready to see the price of your cotton clothing moving higher at the retail stores soon.
One more reference to the Dollar – it is clawing its way back above critical support near the 80 level on the USDX chart. Dollar bulls know that a weak close below that level spells a lot more pain to their trading accounts and therefore they will attempt to hold the greenback near this level if possible. If they can do that, we will probably see a short bounce here although without any change in the fundamentals, it is difficult to make a case for anything more than a dead cat bounce.
The metals benefited immediately from the influx of fresh buying related to the Dollar’s drop with both gold and silver leaping higher. Gold set another record just shy of $1300 while silver took out $21 with relative ease. Should silver be able to mount a sustained charge above $21.50 it could very easily be at $23 in a flash.  So far it has peaked out at $21.20.
Open interest in gold came in near 597,000 contracts, amazingly still below the record high even as gold has soared into a new all time high price in nominal terms. The very strong volume in yesterday’s trade coupled with what I consider a rather tame increase in open interest suggests a tremendous amount of short covering occurred right after the FOMC report hit the wires. Weak-handed shorts were annihilated in yesterday’s upside reversal.
The price level of $1295 – $1300 has been a target for gold once it broke out above $1285. Indeed we are seeing some longs booking profits after a nice run higher so it would not surprise me to see price set back and attempt to rest a bit. If any setback in price holds above $1285 it will be strongly suggestive that a very quick run through $1300 is in order. A deeper setback towards $1260 that holds that level suggests a bit more sideways trade before an attempt to kick off another leg upward. A breach of $1260 would send the metal back towards $1245 where I would look for strong buying to surface.
Also aiding the charge higher in the metals is the action in the HUI which has built on its breakout above the critical resistance level near 500 and has a shot at making a run towards 520. That is the last level that really needs to be cleared to see an acceleration upward in the mining shares. It is also the level at which a great deal of the persistent short sellers in this sector are going to be experiencing tremendous pain. The manner in which it has set back from its high near 514 today suggests that the share bears are fighting to hold the line and prevent a breach of 520. Let’s keep an eye on the price action of the HUI and the XAU for any potential clues as to the next move in bullion. It would be a great solace to the bullish cause to see the HUI maintain its footing above that pesky 500 level.
I still look for the hedge funds trapped in that ratio trade involving a long bullion/short shares position to eventually move to a long mining shares/short broader equities trade. Once that occurs, we will see the mining shares play catch up on the gold/HUI ratio not to mention outperforming the broader market as a whole.
I suspect that an eventual break of the 520 level in the HUI which is maintained will more than likely see gold enter into another phase in its decade long bull market, one marked by increasing awareness on the part of the average citizen about the metals markets. For all of their impressive performance over the last 10 years, gold and silver are just now, just now beginning to come on the radar screen of many small investors and citizens. One can see this sort of shift in the phases in a bull market by noting the slope of the upward lines on a long term chart. The initial increase is a very shallow rise with a low angle slope. The next phase sees the upward sloping line increase its angle of ascent while the final phase sees sometimes nearly vertical rises with incredibly steep slopes. Gold has obviously not yet entered the final phase.
As our wise friend Monty Guild has written in his recent commentary, the rise of the yellow metal is not going to be without its enemies notice. The problem for the West and its perennial gold price rigging scheme is that the Central Banks of other emerging economic powers around the globe have plans to increase their official gold holdings as part of their reserves and are now emerging as buyers of the yellow metal. While the West may attempt to fight the rise in price, the East is going to be there to buy it up on the dips that such machinations create. I have long maintained that the battle over gold is really a battle for economic supremacy.
The long bond speculators are doing exactly what their masters at the Fed expect them to do after receiving their marching orders from yesterday’s FOMC release. They are back bidding up the price taking the bond market up over a full point as I write this. Even with their buying the gold/bond ratio is currently moving in favor of gold.
Crude oil is again the weak sister in the commodity complex as it cannot seem to break out of its range trade and participate in the broader commodity sector price rise. It is being weighed down by ample supplies during a time of the year also when heating demand is still relatively tame and driving season for the summer is now long gone. While food and clothing prices will be soaring in the weeks and months ahead, at least we can deal a bit easier with decent energy costs. How long that will last is anyone’s guess however. Personally at some point next year I expect that to end.
Click chart to enlarge today’s hourly action in Gold in PDF format with commentary from Trader Dan Norcini
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"If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else." - Dave Ramsey


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