Gold Falls on Rate-Hike Fears

Gold fell below $1,300 yesterday for the first time since the Brexit vote in June, as the dollar index rose to a two-month high.

The dollar rose amid increasing speculation that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates by December. Both Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Loretta Mester and Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Jeffrey Lacker have come out in favor of higher interest rates. Manufacturing data released Monday was stronger than expected.

Also pushing down gold is the U.S. dollar's rise against the British pound, which fell to a 31-year low against the dollar after the release of a timeline for Britain's exit from the European Union. Aiding gold's woes is a rise in Deutsche Bank shares today, signaling at least a temporary easing of worries over the bank's liquidity, and lessening gold's role as a safe haven. Continue reading "Gold Falls on Rate-Hike Fears"

Assessing The Short-Term Outlook For The Precious Metals And The Miners

Precious metals expert Michael Ballanger assesses the gold-silver ratio and its ramifications for the market.

Gold-Silver Ratio Chart

I want to go on the record and state categorically that, in my opinion, technical analysis is of limited value when trying to predict the short-term movements of precious metals. However, there are millions of traders and investors out there who believe that it does work despite interventions, manipulations, and the ability of the bullion banks to fabricate a surrogate for actual physical gold by way of paper futures. In light of that, the short-term technical set-ups for gold and silver and the miners are all different in that after Friday's month-end bombardment, which originated in the London options market, that formidable uptrend line that began in December 2015 has finally been vanquished. The ramifications could be nasty next week because for the second year in a row, the seasonally strong month of September failed to shine (at least for gold). The big question is now whether or not we get a follow-through to the 200-dma at $1,252 before resuming the uptrend or will that large Commercial short position serve as a demand catalyst and limit any meaningful downside? Continue reading "Assessing The Short-Term Outlook For The Precious Metals And The Miners"

'Gold vs.', Pre-FOMC

By: Gary Tanashian of biiwii.com

We are well along in the precious metals correction and have downside targets for gold, silver and the miners.  In order for that to be a ‘buy’, the sector and macro fundamentals will need to be in order.  Some of those are represented by the gold ratio charts vs. various assets and markets.  Below are two important ones.

Gold vs. Stock Markets has been correcting the big macro change to the upside since leading the entire global market relief phase (potentially out of the grips of global deflation) earlier in the year.  A hold of these moving averages, generally speaking, keeps a key gold sector fundamental in play as the implication is that conventional casino patrons are choosing gold over their traditional go-to assets, stocks.  A breakdown from the moving averages and it’s back to Pallookaville for the gold “community”.

Despite gold having topped out (in nominal terms) months ago, the gold vs. stock markets indicators are intact. Continue reading "'Gold vs.', Pre-FOMC"

Precious Metals Sector Downside Target on Friday's Market Rout

Technical analyst Clive Maund assesses the precious metals landscape after Friday's broad market selloff, and offers strategies for precious metals investors.

After what happened on Friday, many Precious Metals sector investors are naturally concerned about the effect of further heavy losses in the broad market on the sector. Let's now review Friday's action, starting with the broad market itself, before moving on to consider the likely impact on the PM sector.

After almost two months of quietly drifting sideways, the ground opened up beneath the broad market on Friday, as we can see on the 6-month chart for the SP 500 index below. It gapped down at the open and plunged by 2.45%, heading ever lower as the day unfolded, there was not even the customary bounce in the last hour of trading. Continue reading "Precious Metals Sector Downside Target on Friday's Market Rout"

Putting Gold Miners Into Proper Perspective

Precious metals expert Michael Ballanger reviews a number of the key elements that have characterized 2016's advance in gold, silver and the associated mining, development and exploration stocks.

GDXJ Chart

With the summer of 2016 passing by at an alarming pace, I think it is important to take a few moments away from the enchanting beauty of Georgian Bay and review a number of the key elements that have characterized 2016's breathtaking advance in gold, silver and the associated mining, development and exploration stocks. While gold bullion is ahead 26.6% year-to-date, the gold mining stocks have demonstrated their incredible contained leverage and why, when the market operates properly, they are vastly more rewarding than the physical metals themselves. However, the 2016 advance has had many analysts questioning the integrity of this latest move as the HUI (NYSE Arca Gold BUGS Index) and the XAU (Philadelphia Gold and Silver Index) have defied gravity, the laws of physics, the Law of Diminishing Returns, and just about every other law that historically pertains to the behavior of stocks. Continue reading "Putting Gold Miners Into Proper Perspective"