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Sunday, June 27, 2010

Gold World News Flash

Gold World News Flash


Guest Post: Will you answer JFK’s call?

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 07:51 PM PDT

"Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country."

That wasn't just another cheap talking point from a politician's speechwriter.  It was the last real president's attempt to remind the American people of the need to self-govern, to play our part in keeping the republic, rather than being passive, submitting to the rising banking/corporate/military empire, and becoming debt servants.  Will we finally heed his call?

This video explains some of the things JFK might ask us to do today–the "to do" list some of you have been asking for.  It also points out the nexus between economics and our psychology and spirituality.  Our current economic system, driven by the predatory financial system, has profoundly impacted both in negative ways.  It imposes destructive, controlling energy from the top-down.  We need to respond from the bottom-up with positive energy rather than the incessant negativity we typically see.  I think it's the only real hope of changing things, given the level of control in the system at this point.

Some of you may already be shouting "impossible!"  Well, it would require nothing less than the next Enlightenment…certainly no small task.  But hardly impossible.  Join us at the Council on Renewal and the Council's blog after the video.


This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

A Modest Proposal: Fed Looking to Purchase More Assets? Don't

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 06:34 PM PDT

Annaly Salvos submits:

Some recent economic data (like Friday’s downwardly-revised “final” reading on 1Q 2010 GDP) have suggested that the economic recovery is waning. Not surprisingly, talk of additional stimulus has started to show up. A widely circulated column from Friday’s UK Telegraph titled “Ben Bernanke Needs Fresh Monetary Blitz as US Recovery Falters” theorizes that the Fed is debating further asset purchases. The rationale is that since there is reduced appetite for further fiscal stimulus, the Fed will pick up the baton and expand its balance sheet, possibly to $5 trillion.

Our modest proposal? Don’t.


Complete Story »


China's Currency Change Isn't Necessarily a Win for the United States

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 06:12 PM PDT

Carnegie Endowment submits:

China recently announced that it would allow greater flexibility in its currency. In a video Q&A, Yukon Huang, former country director for the World Bank in China, explains the significance of the timing, what a flexible currency will mean for China and the West, and whether the renminbi is likely to rise or fall.

While China was ready to introduce greater flexibility for some time, the political pressure from the West actually delayed movement as Beijing didn’t want to be seen as bending to outside demands. Huang says that the upcoming G20 meeting likely influenced the specific timing of the announcement, but the collapse of the euro offered a good opportunity for change. This signals Beijing’s emphasis on increasing domestic consumption and alleviating income disparity, but Huang cautions that it won’t necessarily be beneficial for the United States.


Complete Story »


Trading Week Outlook: June 28 - July 2, 2010

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 06:07 PM PDT

All Things Forex submits:

In the aftermath of a sequence of ugly housing market data and the Fed’s renewed commitment to keep interest rates low for an “extended period”, the U.S. Non-Farm Payrolls and Employment Situation report scheduled for release in the week ahead, should add another piece to the economic puzzle that could reveal further weakness in the recovery of the largest economy in the world.

In preparation for the new trading week, here is a list of the Top 10 spotlight economic events that every currency trader should pay attention to.


Complete Story »


Is discovering the gold fraud worse than the fraud itself?

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 05:56 PM PDT

By Adrian Douglas Saturday, June 26, 2010 Friday's commentary by MineWeb's Lawrence Williams, "Now China Sources Newly Mined Gold from the USA" (http://www.mineweb.co.za/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page33?oid=106850&sn=De...), cited in a GATA Dispatch yesterday (Lawrence Williams: Is China manipulating gold UP? | Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee), incensed me, for it was disingenuous for Williams to suggest that China's buying gold assets off-market could be construed as manipulating the gold price up. If it wanted to manipulate the market, China would need only to buy 30,000 gold contracts on the Comex and stand for delivery. I was so upset by Williams' nonsense that I went looking for other recent articles written by him. I came across a comment Williams made on Twitter of May 10: http://babybulltwits.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/lawrence-williams-what-gol... In this commentary, in a reference to my expose of the unallocated metal accounts maintained by London Bullion Marke...


Worlds Collide

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 05:56 PM PDT

www.preciousmetalstockreview.com June 26, 2010 World leaders are meeting in Toronto, Canada, this weekend and the protests have begun. They’ll be discussing how they can manage to save the global economy. Gold will be a topic, but not admitted. Rest assured the outcomes will not benefit the general population, only the global elite even though it may seem at first that it is them being penalized. Any further costs will trickle down to the consumer, that’s us. Talk of the oil spill has been put on the back-burner, but a tropical storm is now approaching the gulf. The situation will continue to worsen until the company goes bankrupt or is taken over. When it comes down to it though, the US taxpayer will pick up a large portion of the tab. It’s the same old story of the corporatocracy being in control. Once day though the people will rise again. That day is getting closer and closer as anger spreads. ...


Bear Market Race Week 141: Gold & Silver’s Advancing & Declining Lines

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 05:56 PM PDT

The 1929 & 2007 Bear Market Race to The Bottom Week 141 of 149 Gold & Silver’s Advancing & Declining Lines Mark J. Lundeen [EMAIL="mlundeen2@Comcast.net"]mlundeen2@Comcast.net[/EMAIL] 25 June 2010 Color Key to text below Boiler Plate in Blue Grey New Weekly Commentary in Black Below is my BEV chart for the Bear Race. It’s that time of the week where I have to come up with something to say, that if not pure genius, then at least something insightful. Humm, give me a moment. Ahh! If the DJIA in the chart above breaks below its BEV -30% Line next week, it’s not good. Okay, so in Wk 141, I didn’t blow away my readers with dazzling brilliance, but it’s the truth. And I’ll say something else that while not genius, is the truth too. When the DJIA is South of its BEV -30% Line, the DJIA is closer to its BEV -40% Line, than it is to its BEV -20% Line. Believe me; that matters quite a bit. In the 125 year history ...


GLD Up... Again. SLV Down... Again.

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 05:56 PM PDT

The gold price didn't do much of anything in Far East trading on Friday. But, at the Hong Kong close at 6:30 p.m. local time, which just happens to occur at the same moment as the London a.m. gold fix at 10:30 a.m. Friday morning in London... all that changed. Gold set its low price of the day [around $1,242 spot] and continued to climb in fits and starts until it got to its high of the day around half-past lunchtime in New York. That high was $1,259.50 spot. From there it sold off about four bucks into the close at 5:15 p.m. Eastern time. Volume was incredibly light... well under 90,000 contracts net of all spreads and roll-overs. This was far lighter than the volume on Thursday... which was no great shakes, either. Silver followed a very similar price path to gold. The only big difference was that silver's price rally came to an end with a 20 cent price spike just before lunch in New York... and basically traded sideways for the rest of the New...


Trader Dan Comments On This Week?s COT Report

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 05:56 PM PDT

View the original post at jsmineset.com... June 25, 2010 11:47 PM Dear Friends, This week's Commitment of Traders reports details pretty much what we have come to expect in gold over the years; fund buying and bullion bank and swap dealer selling. What is interesting is the fact that gold soared into an all time record high with neither the Managed Money camp setting a record for a net long position nor the producer/merchant/processor/user and Swap Dealer camp setting a record for their respective net short positions. Considering the sell off on Monday's downside reversal day was included in the statistics, it is all the more remarkable that the Managed Money camp witnessed an INCREASE in their net long position. Apparently, the move lower Monday and the early dip overnight into Tuesday attracted more buying from this camp instead of selling. The running off the long side was done by the "other reportables" crowd which includes CTA's and other large players. The small investor, ...


Gold: A Bubble on the Verge of Bursting?

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 05:56 PM PDT

courtesy of DailyFX.com June 25, 2010 03:36 PM Gold has marched steadily higher over the past ten years, with only the reasons behind investors’ demand for the yellow metal changing along the way. Looking ahead however, mounting fundamental and technical evidence suggests that a sharp downturn lies around the corner. GOLD 6-MONTH FUNDAMENTAL FORECAST Real Gold Supply, Demand Pressure Prices Lower The trends in real demand look decidedly lackluster, with gold for the manufacture of jewelry as well for industrial and dental use clearly tracking lower (the former for over a decade and the latter for at least three years). Meanwhile, supply seems to be picking up. Indeed, mine production has snapped a multi-year downtrend with output rising for the first time in close to seven years. Further, gold scrap such as jewelry melted down for its metal content is on the rise as well. Reasonably enough, if real factors were the only forces driving the market, falling demand and ri...


Expect Markets to Trade Within Range

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 05:23 PM PDT

David I. Templeton submits:

If history doesn't repeat itself perfectly, it often looks similar. As the below chart from Chart of the Day details, it is not uncommon for the market to trade within a range after a strong recovery off of a significant bear market. On top of this, the market tends to be choppy during the summer months. If the presidential election cycle market plays itself out, a better market environment may be upon us beginning in the fourth quarter and carrying over into early next year.

Click to enlarge:


Complete Story »


James Turk: People are starting to distinguish between paper gold and real gold

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 04:06 PM PDT

12:03a ET Sunday, June 27, 2010

Dear Friend of GATA and Gold (and Silver):

In a 16-minute interview with Eric King of King World News, GoldMoney founder and GATA consultant James Turk says that the near-term outlook for gold is exciting, that people shouldn't take risks with their gold, that in large part because of GATA's work people are beginning to understand the difference between real metal and paper gold, and that the key moment in the long-running gold rally may have come a year ago when the Greenlight Capital hedge fund managed by David Einhorn shifted its investment from the GLD exchange-traded fund into bullion. The interview with Turk is 16 minutes long and you can find it at King World News here:

http://www.kingworldnews.com/kingworldnews/Broadcast/Entries/2010/6/26_J...

CHRIS POWELL, Secretary/Treasurer
Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc.



ADVERTISEMENT

Prophecy to Become Coal Producer This Year
with 1.5 Billion Tonnes of Resource

Prophecy Resource Corp. (TSX.V: PCY) announced on May 11 that it has entered into a mine services agreement with Leighton Asia Ltd. to begin coal production this year. Production will begin with a 250,000-tonne starter pit as planned in August, with production advancing to 2 million tonnes per year in 2011. Prophecy is fully funded to production and its management team includes John Morganti, Arnold Armstrong, and Rob McEwen.

For Prophecy's complete press release about its production plans, please visit:

http://www.prophecyresource.com/news_2010_may11.php



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Wednesday-Saturday, October 27-30, 2010
Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel
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Or a colorful poster of GATA's full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal on January 31, 2009:

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As 1.3 Million Americans Are About To Lose Their Jobless Benefits This Week, The Unemployment Rate Will Surge To 10.5%

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 03:24 PM PDT


As we reported on Friday, a critical bill that was unable to pass this past week was the extension of unemployment benefits to millions of Americans currently collecting a $1,200 average monthly stipend from the US government for sitting on their couch and not paying their mortgage. As a result of this huge hit to endless governmental spending of future unearned money, the WSJ reports that "a total of 1.3 million unemployed Americans will have lost their assistance by the end of this week." Furthermore, the cumulative number of people whose extended benefits are set to run out absent this extension, will reach 2 million in two weeks, and continue rising: as a reminder the DOL reported over 5.2 million Americans currently on Extended Benefits and EUC (Tier 1-4). The net result is yet another hit to the US ledger, as soon 2 million Americans will no longer recycle $1,200 per month into the economy. In other words, beginning in July, there will be $2.4 billion less spent each month by America's jobless on such necessities as LCD TVs (that critical 4th one for the shoe closet), iPads and cool looking iPhones that have cool gizmos but refuse to hold a conversation the second the phone is touched the "wrong" way. As the number of jobless whose benefits expire grows, the full impact of lost money will progressively increase, and absent some last minute compromise, the monthly loss will promptly hit $5 billion per month. Annualized this is a hit of $60 billion to "consumption", and represents roughly 120 million iPads not purchased, and about half a percentage point of GDP (ignoring various downstream multiplier effects). Worst of all, as these people surge back into the labor force, the unemployment rate is about to spike by nearly 1%, up to 10.5%.

From the WSJ:

On Thursday, Senate Democrats failed to secure the 60 votes needed to break off a GOP-led filibuster. Sen. Ben Nelson (D., Neb.) voted with Republicans in a 57-41 roll call. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) said this third vote on the matter would be the last, allowing the Senate to move on to modest legislation cutting taxes for small businesses.

The collapse of the wide-ranging legislation means that a total of 1.3 million unemployed Americans will have lost their assistance by the end of this week. It will also leave a number of states with large budget holes they had expected to fill with federal cash to help with Medicaid costs.

Up in the air are other provisions that were to be included in the legislation, including some $50 billion in new taxes designed to help offset its cost. They included an increase in levies paid by private investment groups, including hedge-fund firms and real-estate partnerships, a provision long sought by some Democrats that will likely return another day.

Under a program initially enacted last year—which expired June 2—jobless workers could receive up to 99 weeks of aid, including 26 weeks of basic assistance provided by states plus longer-term federal payments. The Labor Department estimates that the long-term unemployed, meaning those out of a job for at least six months, make up 46% of all jobless workers in the U.S.

And like every other stimulus program, there are those who focus on possible cons from the program end...

There are economic risks in ending benefits. Workers receiving them tend to funnel money back into the economy immediately, helping prop up demand and jobs.

In addition, said Harvard economist Lawrence Katz, if workers are unable to find work and no longer eligible for unemployment benefits, some will turn to other government programs, such as disability and Social Security. "If you're really concerned about the long-term deficit, you should be really concerned about the long-term unemployed," Mr. Katz said.

and pros...

Other economists argue that extended benefits have played a part in keeping people out of the labor force. "There's a very large body of research that says that more generous benefits and benefits that last longer…encourage people to stay out of work longer," said Bruce Meyer, an economist and public policy professor at the University of Chicago.

James Sherk, a labor economics analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, said that while it could be argued that the benefits made available last year were too extensive, cutting off workers who expected to receive the full 99 weeks of benefits isn't ideal either. "You don't sort of pull the rug out from someone halfway through," he said.

In our view, what will happen is that the 1.3 million who had gotten used to receiving benefits (and for whom we certainly feel sorry, as once again expectations and reality under the current administration diverge in a dramatic fashion) and had no desire to look for work, will immediately flood back into the labor force to find some job, any job, that pays even remotely as well as what the government did. What this means is that the total labor force (which incidentally dropped by 322,000 From April to May) of 154.393 million, is about to grow by at least 1.3 million, and as much as 2 million, in July. And since census employment peaked, and the number of employed will stay flat (at best) at 139.420 million, the expansion in the total labor force, will increase the unemployment rate by almost 1% in just a month, growing from 9.7% in May to 10.5% in July. That number will be reported in late August. But by then the sequel to the Great Depression v2 movie will be playing in every theater across the land, and this number will be the least of our worries.

Appendix A: average monthly benefits check as per the Daily Treasury Statement and the DOL's weekly claims report.

Appendix B: For an extended discussion of jobless benefits, how they work, and how their expiration will adversely impact the economy, read As Extended And Emergency Unemployment Benefits Finally Begin Expiring, A Much Different Employment Picture Emerges


Protesters Set fires, Smash Windows in Violent G20 Demonstration

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 01:09 PM PDT


TORONTO — Downtown Toronto was in chaos Saturday as roving bands of G20 protesters set fire to police vehicles and smashed windows despite a $1-billion security tab and thousands of police at the ready.
A core group of militant protesters, dressed in black balaclavas and using what's referred to as a Black Bloc tactic, remained at large more than four hours after their campaign of violence began.
Police in riot gear marched through city streets, pounding their shields in warning as they tried to restore order in a city under siege.
A newspaper photographer has been shot with a rubber bullet in the backside, while another had an officer point a gun in his face despite identifying himself as a member of the media.
The violence came as leaders of the world's G20 nations met behind the steel and concrete barrier that has earned the city the moniker "Fortress Toronto."


Toronto G-20 Protests, Police Car On Fire, And More

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 12:07 PM PDT


Toroto's G-20 meeting is shaping up as the most impotent yet most confrontational of all recent summits so far.  As Bloomberg reports, "Group of 20 leaders will agree to targets to tackle deficits in their final statement without prescribing when nations should begin to move to balance their books, according to officials with knowledge of the document." Due to the escalating schism between US and Europe, or Geithner and Merkel (incidentally, for definitive proof Merkel is spot on, Argentina just joined the pro-Keynesian chorus saying Europe's focus on cutting deficits is "absolutely wrong" - and if anyone knows anything about top notch economic policy, it is surely Argentina), it is likely that neither will push their own agenda on others, and with the yuan's recent symbolic depegging, everyone will be able to go home pretending victory was achieved. Yet despite the complete lack of consensus, somehow the leaders have decided to cut deficits in half by 2013, even though this target is beyond ridiculous, coming at a time when the entire world is spending with a profligacy that would make a drunk sailor blush (even one that has access to Bernanke's printer). "The draft of the statement includes targets championed by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to have countries halve deficits by 2013 and start to stabilize their debt-to-output ratios by 2016, the officials said. There is a consensus to maintain stimulus now with the focus on deficits in the “medium- term,” Harper said in a June 21 interview." In other words, nothing will change, and eventually, when the entire world has over 5 times its entire GDP encumbered in real cash debt (as opposed to the $1.2 quadrillion in pseudo-metaphysical debt), and interest payments alone account for well over 30% or more of economic production, the G-20 might, just might, consider debt cutting approaches. In the meantime, initial protests which had been largely peaceful, quickly turned violent as over 30 arrests have been made in Toronto so far, coupled with burning police cars, the use of gas masks, and direct police-protest engagements.

Below is a video from RT showing some of the festivities

 

And another:

 

And some more:

 

Courtesy of Reuters, some pictures that capture the antiglobalization mood. If you look closely, you will find the Americans in the crowd, closely following the riots on their iPads.

Those who wish to follow's Reuters live-coverage of the G-20 summit can do so here.


For the Last Time, Is Gold in a Bubble?

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 09:14 AM PDT

The Daily Reckoning

While a few mainstream outlets are coming around to at least acknowledging gold's stellar run, most remain skeptical or outright bearish. And the blasphemy they purport is that gold is in a bubble.

Let's settle it, right now, and shut these naysayers up.

Gold Price

Gold returned 10 (and as much as 14) times your money in the 1970s bull market, and the NASDAQ advanced over 1,900% during its run. Our current gold price is up about 400% (when measured on a daily basis, not monthly as in the chart).

In fact, the NASDAQ gained 182% in the final year of its peak, and gold surged 80% in four weeks during the blow-off top of January 1980. None of this is happening to our current gold price.

Note to doubters: we've got a long way to go before we start legitimately using the "bubble" word.

Besides, the fact that these skeptics aren't buying – and don't even own any gold in the first place – is further proof we're not in a bubble. Ever notice none of them claim to own it?

And they definitely need to catch up on world affairs. The World Gold Council (WGC) reported that Russia, Venezuela, the Philippines, and Kazakhstan all bought gold in the first quarter. Central bank sales, meanwhile, remain depressed.

Russian President Medvedev won't quit his quest to move international reserve assets away from the dollar. And his country's central bank is backing up his words; it increased its gold reserves by $1.8 billion and decreased its currency reserves by $6.6 billion so far this year.

China, the world's largest gold producer, already buys all the gold produced within its country. But the WGC recently forecasted that overall gold consumption in China could double in the coming decade, a demand that production certainly won't be able to match.

The Iran/Israel showdown appears closer almost every week. As further evidence that each side is preparing for conflict, Saudi Arabia recently agreed to permit Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran – all done with the agreement of the US government. Simultaneously, the UN Security Council imposed a new round of sanctions on Tehran. Nobody appears to be backing down.

And the current run in gold is with no inflation. Core CPI has fallen to the lowest level since the mid-1960s – but what happens when inflation does set in? And what if it's as bad or worse as the 14% rate we got in the '70s? Sure, deflation is the immediate concern, but with a US federal debt of $13 trillion, unfunded future liabilities exceeding $50 trillion, and a current budget deficit of over 10% of GDP, a massive debasement of the dollar is virtually ensured, triggering an onslaught of inflation. It's coming.

With all these concerns, these guys don't want to own gold?

Bubble, schmubble. Stocks are vulnerable, bonds are toast, currencies are fiat. Other than cash, where are you going to put money right now?

Gold could correct, of course, and I frankly hope it does. I'm not counting on it, though. The price is just as likely to head the other direction. But if it does temporarily fall, while the bubble-heads are smirking, I'll be buying.

Someday I think we'll be reversing roles.

Regards,

Jeff Clark
for The Daily Reckoning

For the Last Time, Is Gold in a Bubble? originally appeared in the Daily Reckoning. The Daily Reckoning, offers a uniquely refreshing, perspective on the global economy, investing, gold, stocks and today's markets. Its been called "the most entertaining read of the day."

More articles from The Daily Reckoning….



US Mint Sales: Silver Eagles Sail, Boy Scouts Coins Hit 350,000 Max

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 09:04 AM PDT

Sales for U.S. Mint silver products were mixed last week, according to the most recent United States Mint statistics. Two out of five numismatic products outperformed their prior increases, and Silver Eagle bullion coins were hot as authorized buyers stocked up their inventory.
With less than one week left in the month, American Silver Eagles [...]



Silver Prices Surge, Narrowing Weekly Loss

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 09:04 AM PDT

U.S. silver prices surged on Thursday and Friday, paring sharp prior day declines to significantly narrow the metal's weekly loss.
New York silver futures for July delivery marked an intraday high of $19.46 an ounce to start the week, but plummeted Monday afternoon to close at $18.808 an ounce. Prices picked up by [...]



Bullion Prices & Business Weekend Recap – June 26, 2010

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 09:04 AM PDT

Weekend Recap: Silver, Gold and Platinum Prices; Business Week NewsU.S. gold futures prices rushed toward their all-time high on Friday, capping a second day of gains and trimming losses from earlier in the week. A weaker dollar, stronger investor demand, and safe-haven buying were cited factors for lifting prices.

The yellow metal edged a touch lower than last Friday's record high, narrowly halting a weekly winning streak that began in mid-May. Bullion's sprint pared losses in other metals, although palladium was least affected having fallen the furthest.

In other markets, crude oil soared to close at a seven-week high while U.S. and European stocks ended with a down week as major indexes plunged between 2.35 percent and 4.54 percent.

(…)
Read the rest of Bullion Prices & Business Weekend Recap – June 26, 2010 (1,453 words)


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220 Pound Gold Coin “Disappoints” And Only Sells For $4.02 Million

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 09:00 AM PDT

The Vienna auction house Dorotheum has sold the world's largest gold coin, a Canadian Maple Leaf manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2007. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records and carries a face value of one million Canadian dollars (800,000 euros, 970,000 US dollars) measuring 53 centimetres (21 inches) in diameter and weighing 100 kilograms (220 pounds).

According to the Wall Street Journal,The coin was sold as part of the liquidation of the assets of bankrupt Austrian investment firm AvW Group, founded by Wolfgang Auer von Welsbach, the great-grandson of a 19th century Austrian nobleman and industrialist who invented the lighter flint and gas mantle.

Mr. von Welsbach is in police custody and faces possible charges of embezzlement and fraud in connection with the company's collapse.

AvW had acquired the coin in 2007, joining an exclusive club of owners including Queen Elizabeth, who is also displayed on one side of the coin, two unidentified investors in Dubai and one who is so reclusive even his or her residence is unknown.

The bidding started at 3.27 million euros, with Oro Direct, a Spanish gold-trading firm being the lone bidder. It is reported that up to 8 different bidders had registered but no counter bids were made. The auction room was packed with more journalists than potential buyers.

The auction price disappointed Michael Beckers, Dorotheum's coin expert who oversaw the sale. He had predicted that the price could go as high as €4 million "on a good day".

"I'm a little disappointed. I had hoped and expected to achieve more," he said, minutes after the hammer fell.

The Royal Canadian Mint manufactured and launched the coin in 2007 to showcase its production facilities and steal the entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the world's biggest gold coin.

That title had previously been held by the Austrian mint, who in 2004 produced fifteen 100,000-euro coins weighing 1,000 troy ounces (31.1 kg) to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its best-selling Philharmonics coin.

Valencia-based Oro Direct's managing director Michael Berger said his firm intends to use the coin in its marketing efforts, .

"We believe in gold, and therefore also believe we have made a great investment. We believe that going forward, gold will offer the only real safe haven in this uncertain economic environment,"

Related posts:

  1. Giant pound coin in Potters Fields to promote People's £50 Million
  2. Astonishing 1907 Denver Mint Double Eagle ($20 gold coin) Sells for More Than a Half Million Dollars
  3. Stack's Sells $5 Million in Americana Rare Coin Sale!



Adrian Douglas: Is discovering the gold fraud worse than the fraud itself?

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 08:59 AM PDT

By Adrian Douglas
Saturday, June 26, 2010

Friday's commentary by MineWeb's Lawrence Williams, "Now China Sources Newly Mined Gold from the USA" (http://www.mineweb.co.za/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page33?oid=106850&sn=De…), cited in a GATA Dispatch yesterday (http://www.gata.org/node/8767), incensed me, for it was disingenuous for Williams to suggest that China's buying gold assets off-market could be construed as manipulating the gold price up.

If it wanted to manipulate the market, China would need only to buy 30,000 gold contracts on the Comex and stand for delivery.

I was so upset by Williams' nonsense that I went looking for other recent articles written by him.

I came across a comment Williams made on Twitter of May 10:

http://babybulltwits.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/lawrence-williams-what-gol…

In this commentary, in a reference to my expose of the unallocated metal accounts maintained by London Bullion Market Association members, Williams endorses the view that the bullion banks have sold much more bullion than they have.

Williams wrote: "It does also seem that the feeling that the bullion banks — and even reserves held by central banks — may not be all they are held out to be is gaining credence. While some of the wilder theories are almost certainly wide of the mark, suggesting that the banks are trading far more gold than they hold title to may well be correct. Banks have nearly always operated in this manner with cash. While they probably feel that they have the collateral to cover their potential commitments at current gold prices, it may not be quickly available. Thus a run on physical gold would leave them very exposed indeed and likely unable to meet the demand — or so the theory goes! A run would also inevitably drive the yellow metal to huge heights as the banks struggle to cover — indeed perhaps to the extent that even the best-financed institutions would be bankrupted. The financial turmoil which would accompany such a run could be bloody indeed, so one has to hope that it never happens."

It is comical that Williams hopes that, for the benefit of humanity, the fraud being committed by the bullion banks is never exposed. Perhaps Williams also wishes that Bernie Madoff's scam had never been exposed, or that Enron had been better at lying and we had never discovered that the company was a sham, or that we had never learned about the toxic derivatives of AIG.

Of course Williams is not alone in thinking that the huge financial scandals are best left alone because they are so damaging when exposed. After all, this seems to have been the attitude of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, some of whose employees preferred to watch Internet pornography than to regulate, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which has taken almost two years to investigate silver market manipulation in a classic example of how to whistle in the wind.

Williams then has the audacity to intimidate the smart investor who tries to protect himself from the corruption of the bullion banks and the complicity of the regulators. He writes:

"Even the slightest prospect that such a circumstance could materialise might lead again to political confiscation of gold similar to that instituted by Roosevelt in an attempt to pre-empt the turmoil which would ensue."

So according to Williams not only are the bullion banks corrupt in selling gold they don't have and the regulators are asleep, but if investors ask for enough of the real stuff that it exposes the scam, the government might take the real stuff back and give investors a piece of paper gold instead.

And then Williams has the temerity to accuse China of manipulating the gold market?

The Chinese government is encouraging its people to buy gold. But nothing the Chinese can do to buy real gold could be remotely close to the manipulative effect of selling more gold than there is gold left to be mined.

Williams has missed his vocation as a defense trial lawyer in coming up with the wonderful justification for allowing the gold market manipulation to continue because the consequences of stopping it are just too tumultuous.

—–

Adrian Douglas is publisher of the Market Force Analysis letter (www.MarketForceAnalysis.com) and a member of GATA's Board of Directors.

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Physical demand overpowering COT, Ted Butler tells Eric King

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 08:59 AM PDT

1p ET Saturday, June 26, 2010

Dear Friend of GATA and Gold (and Silver):

Silver market analyst Ted Butler tells Eric King of King World News that the commitment of traders reports in gold and silver did not get much more negative last week despite the rally in the precious metals, and he increasingly feels that the configuration of trading positions is losing influence over prices as physical demand for the metals increases. You find the interview at the King World News Internet site here:

http://www.kingworldnews.com/kingworldnews/Broadcast_Gold+/Entries/2010/…

CHRIS POWELL, Secretary/Treasurer
Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc.

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Lawrence Williams: Is China manipulating gold UP?

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 08:59 AM PDT

4:02p ET Friday, June 25, 2010

Dear Friend of GATA and Gold:

MineWeb's Lawrence Williams today has posted excellent and incisive commentary about China's agreement to buy gold concentrates from a Coeur d'Alene mine in Alaska, seeing it as evidence that China cannot obtain all the gold it wants from domestic production and wants to build its gold reserves without the market-exploding publicity that might result from buying gold from the International Monetary Fund.

But Williams concludes with a puzzling reference to GATA: "The move has to be seen as long-term bullish for the gold price and is yet another way of limiting downside risk for gold investors. GATA has for a long time been railing against what it sees as gold price suppression by the gold banks and governments, but probably none of this has the potential impact for control of the gold market which can be and probably is being exerted by the Chinese. But because this is broadly positive for gold it may not be in that organisation's interests to comment. Yet it is an equally manipulative policy if indeed it is in effect!"

In the context of its work, GATA would define "manipulative" as involving interference against a free market — like the coordinated dishoarding of gold by central banks at strategic moments to knock gold's price down, or the sale of more promises of gold than can realistically be delivered or more gold than even exists. GATA has documented this sort of market manipulation:

http://www.gata.org/taxonomy/term/21

Is it "manipulative" for a buyer to try to arrange his buying so it doesn't proclaim the danger of shortages and invite front-running by other buyers? Not in the sense of what GATA has complained about. As Williams notes, China's careful acquisition of gold is hugely bullish for the long term and spells doom for the Western central bank gold price suppression scheme — eventually, when China thinks it has adequately hedged its huge dollar reserve exposure, but not necessarily soon. But if China means to get all the gold it can and has decided to stagger its purchases to minimize their market impact, such a policy just as easily can be said to be manipulatively suppressive.

In any case China's gold policy seems somewhat more transparent than that of the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve, whose determined secrecy in gold matters probably secures for them for all time the prize for gold market manipulation.

Williams' commentary is headlined "Now China Sources Newly Mined Gold from the USA" and you can find it at MineWeb here:

http://www.mineweb.co.za/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page33?oid=106850&sn=De…

CHRIS POWELL, Secretary/Treasurer
Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc.

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"New Austerity" Threatening Global Recovery?

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 05:53 AM PDT


Via Pension Pulse.

Earlier this week, George Soros said German fiscal policy endangers the European currency union:

“The German policy is a danger for Europe, it could destroy the European project,” Soros was quoted as saying. “If the Germans do not change their policy, their exit from the currency union would be helpful for the rest of Europe,” he added, according to the report.

 

Soros also said that one “can’t rule out a collapse of the euro,” Die Zeit said.

Collapse of the euro? Obviously Soros is short euros, but he's not the only one concerned about Europe's fiscal policies. In counterpunch's weekend edition, Michael Hudson writes, Europe's Fiscal Dystopia: the "New Austerity" Road:

Europe is committing fiscal suicide – and will have little trouble finding allies at this weekend’s G-20 meetings in Toronto. Despite the deepening Great Recession threatening to bring on outright depression, European Central Bank (ECB) president Jean-Claude Trichet and prime ministers from Britain’s David Cameron to Greece’s George Papandreou (president of the Socialist International) and Canada’s host, Conservative Premier Stephen Harper, are calling for cutbacks in public spending.

 

The United States is playing an ambiguous role. The Obama Administration is all for slashing Social Security and pensions, euphemized as “balancing the budget.” Wall Street is demanding “realistic” write-downs of state and local pensions in keeping with the “ability to pay” (that is, to pay without taxing real estate, finance or the upper income brackets). These local pensions have been left unfunded so that communities can cut real estate taxes, enabling site-rental values to be pledged to the banks of interest. Without a debt write-down (by mortgage bankers or bondholders), there is no way that any mathematical model can come up with a means of paying these pensions. To enable workers to live “freely” after their working days are over would require either (1) that bondholders not be paid (“unthinkable”) or (2) that property taxes be raised, forcing even more homes into negative equity and leading to even more walkaways and bank losses on their junk mortgages. Given the fact that the banks are writing national economic policy these days, it doesn’t look good for people expecting a leisure society to materialize any time soon.

 

The problem for U.S. officials is that Europe’s sudden passion for slashing public pensions and other social spending will shrink European economies, slowing U.S. export growth. U.S. officials are urging Europe not to wage its fiscal war against labor quite yet. Best to coordinate with the United States after a modicum of recovery.

 

Saturday and Sunday will see the six-month mark in a carefully orchestrated financial war against the “real” economy. The buildup began here in the United States. On February 18, President Obama stacked his White House Deficit Commission (formally the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform) with the same brand of neoliberal ideologues who comprised the notorious 1982 Greenspan Commission on Social Security “reform.”

 

The pro-financial, anti-labor and anti-government restructurings since 1980 have given the word “reform” a bad name. The commission is headed by former Republican Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson (who explained derisively that Social Security is for the “lesser people”) and Clinton neoliberal Erskine Bowles, who led the fight for the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Also on the committee are bluedog Democrat Max Baucus of Montana (the pro-Wall Street Finance Committee chairman). The result is an Obama anti-change dream: bipartisan advocacy for balanced budgets, which means in practice to stop running budget deficits – the deficits that Keynes explained were necessary to fuel economic recovery by providing liquidity and purchasing power.

 

A balanced budget in an economic downturn means shrinkage for the private sector. Coming as the Western economies move into a debt deflation, the policy means shrinking markets for goods and services – all to support banking claims on the “real” economy.

 

The exercise in managing public perceptions to imagine that all this is a good thing was escalated in April with the manufactured Greek crisis. Newspapers throughout the world breathlessly discovered that Greece was not taxing the wealthy classes. They joined in a chorus to demand that workers be taxed more to make up for the tax shift off wealth. It was their version of the Obama Plan (that is, old-time Rubinomics).

 

On June 3, the World Bank reiterated the New Austerity doctrine, as if it were a new discovery: The way to prosperity is via austerity. “Rich counties can help developing economies grow faster by rapidly cutting government spending or raising taxes.” The New Fiscal Conservatism aims to corral all countries to scale back social spending in order to “stabilize” economies by a balanced budget. This is to be achieved by impoverishing labor, slashing wages, reducing social spending and rolling back the clock to the good old class war as it flourished before the Progressive Era.

 

The rationale is the discredited “crowding out” theory:

 

Budget deficits mean more borrowing, which bids up interest rates. Lower interest rates are supposed to help countries – or would, if borrowing was for productive capital formation. But this is not how financial markets operate in today’s world. Lower interest rates simply make it cheaper and easier for corporate raiders or speculators to capitalize a given flow of earnings at a higher multiple, loading the economy down with even more debt!

 

Alan Greenspan parroted the World Bank announcement almost word for word in a June 18 Wall Street Journal op-ed. Running deficits is supposed to increase interest rates. It looks like the stage is being set for a big interest-rate jump – and corresponding stock and bond market crash as the “suckers’ rally” comes to an abrupt end in months to come.

 

The idea is to create an artificial financial crisis, to come in and “save” it by imposing on Europe and North America a “Greek-style” cutbacks in social security and pensions. For the United States, state and local pensions in particular are to be cut back by “emergency” measures to “free” government budgets.

 

All this is an inversion of the social philosophy that most voters hold. This is the political problem inherent in the neoliberal worldview. It is diametrically opposed to the original liberalism of Adam Smith and his successors. The idea of a free market in the 19th century was one free from predatory rentier financial and property claims. Today, an Ayn-Rand-style “free market” is a market free for predators. The world is being treated to a travesty of liberalism and free markets.

 

This shows the usual ignorance of how interest rates are really set – a blind spot which is a precondition for being approved for the post of central banker these days. Ignored is the fact that central banks determine interest rates by creating credit. Under the ECB rules, central banks cannot do this. Yet that is precisely what central banks were created to do. European governments are obliged to borrow from commercial banks.

 

This financial stranglehold threatens either to break up Europe or to plunge it into the same kind of poverty that the EU is imposing on the Baltics. Latvia is the prime example. Despite a plunge of over 20 per cent in its GDP, its central bankers are running a budget surplus, in the hope of lowering wage rates. Public-sector wages have been driven down by over 30 per cent, and the government expresses the hope for yet further cuts – spreading to the private sector. Spending on hospitals, ambulance care and schooling has been drastically cut back.

 

What is missing from this argument? The cost of labor can be lowered by a classical restoration of progressive taxes and a tax shift back onto property – land and rentier income. Instead, the cost of living is to be raised, by shifting the tax burden further onto labor and off real estate and finance. The idea is for the economic surplus to be pledged for debt service.

 

In England, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has described a “euro mutiny” against regressive fiscal policy. But it is more than that. Beyond merely shrinking the economy, the neoliberal aim is to change the shape of the trajectory along which Western civilization has been moving for the past two centuries. It is nothing less than to roll back Social Security and pensions for labor, health care, education and other public spending, to dismantle the social welfare state, the Progressive Era and even classical liberalism.

So we are witnessing a policy long in the planning, now being unleashed in a full-court press. The rentier interests, the vested interests that a century of Progressive Era, New Deal and kindred reforms sought to subordinate to the economy at large, are fighting back. And they are in control, with their own representatives in power – ironically, as Social Democrats and Labor party leaders, from President Obama here to President Papandreou in Greece and President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in Spain.

 

Having bided their time for the past few years the global predatory class is now making its move to “free” economies from the social philosophy long thought to have been irreversibly built into the economic system: Social Security and old-age pensions so that labor didn’t have to be paid higher wages to save for its own retirement; public education and health care to raise labor productivity; basic infrastructure spending to lower the costs of doing business; anti-monopoly price regulation to prevent prices from rising above the necessary costs of production; and central banking to stabilize economies by monetizing government deficits rather than forcing the economy to rely on commercial bank credit under conditions where property and income are collateralized to pay the interest-bearing debts, culminating in forfeitures as the logical culmination of the Miracle of Compound Interest.

 

This is the Junk Economics that financial lobbyists are trying to sell to voters: “Prosperity requires austerity.” “An independent central bank is the hallmark of democracy.” “Governments are just like families: they have to balance the budget.” “It is all the result of aging populations, not debt overload.” These are the oxymorons to which the world will be treated during the coming week in Toronto.

 

It is the rhetoric of fiscal and financial class war. The problem is that there is not enough economic surplus available to pay the financial sector on its bad loans while also paying pensions and social security. Something has to give. The commission is to provide a cover story for a revived Rubinomics, this time aimed not at the former Soviet Union but here at home. Its aim is to scale back Social Security while reviving George Bush’s aborted privatization plan to send FICA paycheck withholding into the stock market – that is, into the hands of money managers to stick into an array of junk financial packages designed to skim off labor’s savings.

 

So Obama is hypocritical in warning Europe not to go too far too fast to shrink its economy and squeeze out a rising army of the unemployed. His idea at home is to do the same thing. The strategy is to panic voters about the federal debt – panic them enough to oppose spending on the social programs designed to help them. The fiscal crisis is being blamed on demographic mathematics of an aging population – not on the exponentially soaring debt overhead, junk loans and massive financial fraud that the government is bailing out.

 

What really is causing the financial and fiscal squeeze, of course, is the fact that that government funding is now needed to compensate the financial sector for what promises to be year after year of losses as loans go bad in economies that are all loaned up and sinking into negative equity.

 

When politicians let the financial sector run the show, their natural preference is to turn the economy into a grab bag. And they usually come out ahead. That’s what the words “foreclosure,” “forfeiture” and “liquidate” mean – along with “sound money,” “business confidence” and the usual consequences, “debt deflation” and “debt peonage.”

Somebody must take a loss on the economy’s bad loans – and bankers want the economy to take the loss, to “save the financial system.” From the financial sector’s vantage point, the economy is to be managed to preserve bank liquidity, rather than the financial system run to serve the economy. Government social spending (on everything apart from bank bailouts and financial subsidies), disposable personal income are to be cut back to keep the debt overhead from being written down. Corporate cash flow is to be used to pay creditors, not employ more labor and make long-term capital investment.

 

The economy is to be sacrificed to subsidize the fantasy that debts can be paid, if only banks can be “made whole” to begin lending again – that is, to resume loading the economy down with even more debt, causing yet more intrusive debt deflation.

This is not the familiar old 19th-century class war of industrial employers against labor, although that is part of what is happening. It is above all a war of the financial sector against the “real” economy: industry as well as labor.

 

The underlying reality is indeed that pensions cannot be paid – at least, not paid out of financial gains. For the past fifty years the Western economies have indulged the fantasy of paying retirees out of purely financial gains (M-M’ as Marxists would put it), not out of an expanding economy (M-C-M’, employing labor to produce more output). The myth was that finance would take the form of productive loans to increase capital formation and hiring. The reality is that finance takes the form of debt – and gambling. Its gains were therefore made from the economy at large. They were extractive, not productive. Wealth at the rentier top of the economic pyramid shrank the base below. So something has to give. The question is, what form will the “give” take? And who will do the giving – and be the recipients?

 

The Greek government has been unwilling to tax the rich. So labor must make up the fiscal gap, by permitting its socialist government to cut back pensions, health care, education and other social spending – all to bail out the financial sector from an exponential growth that is impossible to realize in practice. The economy is being sacrificed to an impossible dream. Yet instead of blaming the problem on the exponential growth in bank claims that cannot be paid, bank lobbyists – and the G-20 politicians dependent on their campaign funding – are promoting the myth that the problem is demographic: an aging population expecting Social Security and employer pensions. Instead of paying these, governments are being told to use their taxing and credit-creating power to bail out the financial sector’s claims for payment.

 

Latvia has been held out as the poster child for what the EU is recommending for Greece and the other southern EU countries in trouble: Slashing public spending on education and health has reduced public-sector wages by 30 per cent, and they are still falling. Property prices have fallen by 70 percent – and homeowners and their extended family of co-signers are liable for the negative equity, plunging them into a life of debt peonage if they do not take the hint and emigrate.

 

The bizarre pretense for government budget cutbacks in the face of a post-bubble economic downturn is that the supposed aim is to rebuild “confidence.” It is as if fiscal self-destruction can instill confidence rather than prompting investors to flee the euro. The logic seems to be the familiar old class war, rolling back the clock to the hard-line tax philosophy of a bygone era – rolling back Social Security and public pensions, rolling back public spending on education and other basic needs, and above all, increasing unemployment to drive down wage levels. This was made explicit by Latvia’s central bank – which EU central bankers hold up as a “model” of economic shrinkage for other countries to follow.

 

It is a self-destructive logic. Exacerbating the economic downturn will reduce tax revenues, making budget deficits even worse in a declining spiral. Latvia’s experience shows that the response to economic shrinkage is emigration of skilled labor and capital flight. Europe’s policy of planned economic shrinkage in fact controverts the prime assumption of political and economic textbooks: the axiom that voters act in their self-interest, and that economies choose to grow, not to destroy themselves. Today, European democracies – and even the Social Democratic, Socialist and labour Parties – are running for office on a fiscal and financial policy platform that opposes the interests of most voters, and even industry.

 

The explanation, of course, is that today’s economic planning is not being done by elected representatives. Planning authority has been relinquished to the hands of “independent” central banks, which in turn act as the lobbyists for commercial banks selling their product – debt. From the central bank’s vantage point, the “economic problem” is how to keep commercial banks and other financial institutions solvent in a post-bubble economy. How can they get paid for debts that are beyond the ability of many people to pay, in an environment of rising defaults?

 

The answer is that creditors can get paid only at the economy’s expense. The remaining economic surplus must go to them, not to capital investment, employment or social spending.

 

This is the problem with the financial view. It is short-term – and predatory. Given a choice between operating the banks to promote the economy, or running the economy to benefit the banks, bankers always will choose the latter alternative. And so will the politicians they support.

 

Governments need huge sums to bail out the banks from their bad loans. But they cannot borrow more, because of the debt squeeze. So the bad-debt loss must be passed onto labor and industry. The cover story is that government bailouts will permit the banks to start lending again, to reflate the Bubble Economy’s


Guest Post: Is UTA's James Galbraith A True Economist?

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 05:49 AM PDT


Submitted by Taylor Conant at Economic Policy Journal

Is UTA's James Galbraith A True Economist?

It's hard to arrive at that conclusion after listening to an hour long interview/debate on Scott Horton's Antiwar Radio program between Austrian economist Robert Higgs and Keynesian "economist" James Kenneth Galbraith.

Most of Galbraith's support for Keynesian government intervention rest on what he believes one could "reasonably" argue, where the word "reasonable" is always and everywhere a Marxist code-word for "What I think I can get unprincipled people to agree to my stealing without too much fuss."

Furthermore, he puts forth this bizarre notion of "social value" as opposed to economic value as the standard by which he judges whether government expenditure or regulation is worthy of his support (note, there are few, if any, government activities that do not meet the muster of Galbraith's rigid standards). The odd thing about "social value" is it seems completely undefined beyond his personal, arbitrary declarations. This means that other economists and scientists wishing to recreate Galbraith's economic studies and verify they arrive at the same findings as he does are unable to do so. It also means that there is no metric by which one can compare economic value and "social value" in order to judge if, for example, the "social value" gained by a program of mass highway building during the Great Depression outstrips the economic cost of doing so, arriving at a surplus of utility (Galbraith doesn't even make it clear if utility can be derived from "social value").

In other words, economists are individuals who study the production and consumption of scarce resources amongst societies. They refer to marginal utility and subjective value theories in analyzing the choices individuals make in their patterns of production, consumption and exchange to arrive at conclusions about economic efficiency and the economic value of courses of action pursued by the various actors within an economy.

Galbraith does none of these things. In fact, he explicitly discounts the value of studies of economic value, in favor of his "social value" and "social rate of return" on investment. Galbraith, then, is not an economist studying the economy but rather a socialist studying society and how it responds to the various arbitrary dictates of the political elite that have captured it. Yet, "study" is perhaps too kind a word to describe what Galbraith does on an intellectual level, because it implies something academic or scientific in nature when the truth is that Galbraith, as a socialist, is a politician, not a scientist.

In fact, he's much further from a practitioner of science and much closer to a practitioner of divine mysticism. Galbraith is like some kind of self-appointed high priest of the social value cult, the only one able to communicate with the social value gods and return from the holy mount with the latest prophecy. What if someone else wants to go up and have a word with the spirits? Sorry, says Galbraith, they only talk to me. But, I think you're wrong, says you. I'll be the judge of that, says Galbraith.

So, Galbraith is not a true economist but a politician masquerading as one. He's also not much of a historian, which makes his interactions with Higgs (who is a historian, specifically a scholar of economic history) all the more comical. Whereas economics, according to the Austrian school, is a science of deductive logic rather than empirical examination, history is decidedly a study based in and on human experience. That's what history is, or is supposed to be, a record of human events and experience. And yet, it is here where Galbraith's arguments fall flat on their face even harder than in the theoretical arguments department.

Galbraith continually argues for a particular form of enlightened, compassionate, interventionist statism. He supports this imaginary benevolent State on the grounds that "we're better off when the government works efficiently." But how are we off when the government works inefficiently, or worse yet, works in the specific interest of a few against the many? Here, Higgs points out, the record on the matter is clear-- that the State is a predatory nightmare at its worst and a bumbling, idiot buffoon at its best, that history is an almost completely uninterrupted record of it being so and that given that kind of track record, it's a bit naive to hope or expect for the State to ever be anything else in the future given the clear demonstration of its nature in the past.

Galbraith, the non-economist, non-historian's response? "You can point to many failures, but you can also point to some successes" in studying the record of regulators, bold emphasis mine. It seems from Galbraith's imprecise choice of words that even he is aware of the futility of his viewpoint, and yet he holds to it anyway. Even more appallingly, Galbraith observed that the original gold standard in the United States was "controlled to the benefit of the money center banks in New York," and yet, acknowledging this fact of history he supports the Federal Reserve system and the fiat currency monetary regime it controls. But who, then, does Galbraith think controls the Federal Reserve? Apparently not, still, the money center banks of New York.

Another thing Galbraith proves he is not in this debate is a sound legal or ethical philosopher. Perhaps to burnish his "realist" credentials vis-a-vis the incredulous "romantic" idealist Bob Higgs, Galbraith announces to the listeners that "government is not a dirty word to me. Instead, I think of government as a tool."

Oh yes, government is a tool, and a mighty tool at that, much like the swords, clubs, chains, prisons, guns, bombs and tanks that government is after you remove all the fancy, euphemistic governmental-rhetoric. Galbraith lobbed a lot of logical softballs that any sound thinker could've smashed out of the ballpark, but claiming that "government is not a dirty word" as if this brought him and his ideas out of the clouds, planting them firmly on the ground, has got to be one of the more imbecilic moves Galbraith made.

Seeing that the idea of theft and the use of violence to achieve social ends is not a taboo one in Galbraith's mind, one is left to conclude that the only reason Galbraith prefers and advocates for the State's criminality over private criminality is because Galbraith concedes the libertarian point that the State is nothing but a monopoly crime syndicate. And because of its unique monopoly position amongst mafia groups, the State is therefore the the most efficient band of thieves around.

Galbraith is a great many things, for sure. As a man who understands almost nothing about the subjects he regularly opines on, he is undoubtedly a fool, and a self-deluded one at that. As a tool of the State and its beneficiary elites, he has proven himself to be a consistent and able-minded socialist politician. But a historian, an etho-legal philosopher and an economist, James Kenneth Galbraith surely is not.


The Wise Investor - June 2010 Newsletter From Sundaram BNP Paribas Asset Management

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 05:10 AM PDT


Submitted by Sundaram BNP Paribas Asset Management

The Wise Investor - June 2010

 

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Presenting The Key H2 Milestones To Observe As The Economy Begins Its Next Pre-Stimulus Contraction Cycle

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 04:54 AM PDT


Goldman's Andrew Tilton has laid out a useful framework of the most relevant factors to keep an eye on as the double dip unfolds in its entirety. While Goldman's bias is traditionally bullish, we are confident that as more and more economic indicators surprise to the downside (and June so far has been an unmitigated disaster - we will post Goldman's macroeconomic "surprise" tracker as soon as the latest version is released - it will be a bloodbath), which will eventually pull H2 GDP far below the administration's expectations for a number well north of 2%, and even Goldman's more tame forecast of 1.5%. Our thesis from the beginning of the bear market rally has consistently been that both the economic "rebound" and the market surge have all been a dollar for dollar translation of fiscal and monetary largesse, which in turn is just borrowing from future growth, via assorted credit mechanisms and an adherence to a Keynesian philosophy that eventually growth pick up will be large enough to overtake the incremental debt funding costs. We know from Reinhart and Rogoff's studies that this is no longer the case when you get into stratospheric sovereign debt levels. And as this is a closed loop, there is no way to get out of this Keynesian toxic spiral without inflicting terminal damage on the economy - perhaps in September 2008 there may have been a different outcome, but now it is too late. Which is why anyone looking for any modest economic bounce will be satisfied for only a quarter or two, as yet another greater stimulus flows through the economy. However, with the marginal utility of any new debt at or below zero, even the government's fiscal stimulus is now becoming useless (even when assuming a perfectly efficient distribution system, which in this corrupt political environment is a stretch). Which only leaves monetary stimulus as the last bastion of the reflation attempt, and we are certain it will be abused over and over by Bernanke, as America slowly careens to the unwinding of the current iteration. Which is why fiat paper will become increasingly worthless, and tangible, undilutable assets: vice versa.

Macro convictions aside, below we present Tilton's checklist for the key items that none other than Ben Bernanke is looking at most intently. We suggest readers use this list not so much as a guideline of when the economy will rebound (never in its current form), but when Bernanke will finally decide to pull the trigger on another $2+ trillion QE episode. Once the negative surprises become sufficiently dramatic, he will have no other choice. And since Obama will be forced to blame the inability of this most recent reflation attempt to heal the economy precisely on the Fed head, the one good outcome from this event, would be the Chairman's (and soon thereafter, the Fed's) exit, stage left, from the US policymaking arena. Alas, it will be too late.

  • As the recovery approaches its second year, the jury is still out on its sustainability and strength. Our long-held view is that US economic growth should decelerate to about 1.5% in the second half of the year as short-term supports fade out.
  • Consumer spending will be even more important to economic growth in the second half than its 70% share of GDP suggests. The twin boosts of government stimulus spending and early-cycle inventory accumulation are fading. Residential investment appears likely to retrench temporarily over the next few months as the hangover from the homebuyer tax credit sets in. Business investment and net exports are likely to be only small positives.
  • Spending growth should slow in coming months if our gauge of ?household discretionary cash flow? (see chart below) is on the mark. Our forecasted deceleration of cash flow and consumer spending could be avoided if bank credit? which is still contracting at a gradual pace? begins to ease in the second half, and/or if employment growth in the private sector accelerates beyond the 100,000-150,000 per month that we expect. Of course, deterioration in either of these areas would likely portend a sharper slowdown.
  • Revisions to first-quarter GDP growth revealed a slower pace of consumer spending and more inventory accumulation, with final demand rising at less than a 1% rate. Housing activity slumped following the end-April expiration of the homebuyer tax credit, with new home sales at an alltime low in May. Unsurprisingly, the latest FOMC statement took a more cautious line on growth and reiterated that rates would stay ?exceptionally low? for an ?extended period.?
As the recovery approaches its second year, the jury is still out on its sustainability and strength. Our long-held view is that US economic growth should decelerate to about 1.5% in the second half of the year as the tailwinds from government stimulus and the early-cycle swing to inventory accumulation peter out.  We recently laid out a “road map” for major economic indicators in the second half that will help our clients assess whether this forecast remains on track.  But which factors are most likely to determine the verdict?


Consumers Remain the Key

Anyone who attended an economics class will remember the standard GDP accounting identity Y = C + I + G + NX.  Since consumer spending, C, is 70% of overall GDP, it’s obviously an important part of the outlook at all times.  But this is particularly true if we take a quick spin through the other components (splitting I—investment—into its residential, business fixed, and inventory components):

Residential investment has slumped after the expiry of the homebuyer tax credit
at the end of April.  New home sales fell by roughly one-third in May, more than reversing the entire acceleration in prior months; permits for new construction are down 15% over the past two months.  Some of this is a short-term hangover, but we think it illustrates that the housing sector has a long and probably slow path back to normalcy.  At only 2½% of GDP, it would need to show very strong growth indeed to move the needle on the overall economy.

Business fixed investment is on a modest growth track, averaging a bit over a 4% annualized pace in the past two quarters, with a modest contribution of 30 basis points to Q1 GDP growth.  This masks a sharp divergence between rapidly growing outlays for equipment and rapidly declining structures activity.

Inventory investment added an average of two points to GDP growth in recent quarters
, as companies ramped up production sharply after a period of inventory liquidation.  But with inventories clearly growing now, this phase is nearly over.

Government spending on stimulus outlays is likely to peak soon as elements of the stimulus package term out. Alongside a likely increase in taxes in 2011, fiscal stimulus is turning from a strong positive to a clear negative going forward (see Exhibit 1, which also shows the contribution of inventories).



Net exports are likely to be an eventual boost as the BRICs and other key fast-growing markets increase their share of the global economy.  But this is a gradual process and in the near term, a strengthening dollar and hints of decelerating global activity suggest only a limited contribution to US growth.

In short, although business investment and net exports may provide some help, the 2% growth in real consumer spending that we forecast for the second half will account for nearly all of the growth in the overall economy.  Thus, gauging any shift in its pace will be critical.

As Goes Cash Flow, So Goes Spending?

One altimeter for the direction of spending is our proprietary measure of the cash flow available to the household sector.  We calculate “discretionary cash flow” as follows: beginning with after-tax household income, we adjust for noncash items, add net growth in consumer credit (including home equity), and subtract spending on essentials like food and gasoline.  We then project this series forward based on known policy changes as well as forecasts for specific components.  A nontrivial portion of households appear to spend essentially all of their cash flow, so this simple approach has proved a useful guide to broad shifts in spending in the past.

Our estimate for cash flow, including projections through next year, is graphed on the top chart on the previous page (along with the actual and forecasted path of real spending growth).  Cash flow growth should decelerate modestly in the second half of the year because of a) the fading boost from tax refunds associated with the Making Work Pay credit, b) a softer tailwind from credit normalization, c) a bit more drag from nondiscretionary spending, including expected increases in oil prices, and d) temporarily slower income growth as short-term Census jobs end.

The most likely candidates for a “surprise” to this path—in either direction—are credit and the labor market.  Every 1% increase in consumer credit boosts discretionary cash flow by about 1/3 percentage point.  Every 1% increase in employment growth (a little more than 100,000 jobs per month) adds about ¾ percentage point to household cash flow. Of course, other factors such as oil prices could materially affect cash flow as well, but it would be difficult for real spending growth (and overall GDP growth) to deviate sharply from our forecast without a significant change to credit conditions and/or employment growth.

Still Waiting for a Revival of Bank Lending

The availability of credit to households and businesses is critical for the second-half economic outlook. Beyond its impact on consumer spending, a return to more normal bank lending conditions would also enable investment and hiring by businesses too small to access the credit markets; survey evidence continues to suggest that this is a meaningful constraint on growth for at least some firms.  Conversely, a renewed tightening would put the brakes on growth at a critical time.

Probably the best measure of bank lending standards over time is the Fed’s Senior Loan Officer Survey.  Unfortunately, it is updated only four times per year, so in the interim we must rely on indirect evidence such as lending volumes (which mix drawdowns on old commitments with new lending), bank funding costs, and anecdotal commentary from bank managements.  Exhibit 2 illustrates that the modest rise in bank funding costs over the past couple of months pales in comparison with the financial crisis, and still looks consistent with stable (if not improving) willingness to lend.


Private-Sector Payroll Expansion to Continue

Easier credit could boost both hiring and spending, thereby revving up the so-called economic “multiplier,” the virtuous recycling of business revenues into increased employment and wages, and ultimately more spending.  With temporary supports for income fading, private-sector employment growth is now as important as spending itself.

The news here has been mixed.  Employment is clearly growing again, with private-sector employment up about 100,000 per month on average so far in 2010 (and the admittedly volatile household survey showing a far stronger 374,000).  However, new jobless claims remain relatively high, and the total number of people reliant on benefits seems to be trending down only gradually (see chart).   Growth in job advertising has slowed after a sharp acceleration in late 2009.


We are cautiously optimistic that June’s payroll report will show a pickup in private-sector payroll growth to around 150,000.  In part, this is because there seems to be some “crowding out” of private sector payroll growth by short-term Census hiring—indeed, this may explain a good part of the payroll disappointment last month.  Total payrolls should be down about 100,000 in June as a large portion of Census employment rolls off.  Softer employment should be reflected in the household survey as well, pushing the unemployment rate back up to 9.8%.


Alex Becomes First Named Tropical Storm Of Atlantic Hurricane Season

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 03:58 AM PDT


Tropical Storm Alex has officially been promoted. According to the NHC, the cyclone, which is due to pass over the Yucatan Peninsula in 12-24 hours, and once in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to become a hurricane by the end of the forecast period. Trajectory projection maps are still inconclusive as to just how much of an impact the hurricane would have on BP clean up operations.The chart below provides a snapshot of the three major storms currently in both the Atlantic and Pacific, where both hurricanes Celia and Darby appear to be no major threat.

As for Alex, here is the latest update from the NHC:

WTNT41 KNHC 261446
TCDAT1
TROPICAL STORM ALEX DISCUSSION NUMBER   4
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL012010
1000 AM CDT SAT JUN 26 2010

SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW THAT ALEX IS A LARGE CYCLONE WITH AN EXTENSIVE AREA OF CLOUDINESS...NUMEROUS SQUALLS IN RAINBANDS...AND A WELL ESTABLISHED UPPER-LEVEL OUTFLOW IN ALL QUADRANTS. HOWEVER... A RECENT MICROWAVE IMAGE REVEAL THAT ALEX STILL HAS A POORLY ORGANIZED INNER CORE.  THE INITIAL INTENSITY OF 40 KNOTS IS BASED ON  3.0 AND 2.5 DVORAK T-NUMBERS FROM TABF AND SAB RESPECTIVELY...AND SURROUNDING SURFACE OBSERVATIONS.  AN AIR FORCE PLANE IS SCHEDULED TO INVESTIGATE ALEX LATER TODAY AND WILL PROVIDE A BETTER ESTIMATE OF THE INTENSITY. ALTHOUGH ALEX IS EMBEDDED WITHIN A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR INTENSIFICATION...THE STRENGTHENING WILL BE LIMITED BY THE EFFECT OF LAND PRIMARILY AS THE CYCLONE CROSSES THE YUCATAN PENINSULA WITHIN 12 TO 24 HOURS. ONCE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO...IN A COUPLE OF DAYS...THE CYCLONE COULD GAIN SOME STRENGTH AND ALEX IS FORECAST TO BECOME BECOME A HURRICANE BY THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. THE OFFICIAL INTENSITY FORECAST IS A BLEND OF BOTH THE LGEM AND DECAY SHIPS MODELS.

SINCE WE DO NOT HAVE A RELIABLE CENTER LOCATION...THE INITIAL MOTION CONTINUES TO BE UNCERTAIN. THE BEST ESTIMATE IS 290 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS. ALEX IS CURRENTLY LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF A SUBTROPICAL RIDGE EXTENDING WESTWARD FROM THE BAHAMAS ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO.  THIS RIDGE WILL KEEP ALEX MOVING ON THE SAME GENERAL WEST-NORTHWEST TRACK FOR THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS. THEREAFTER...THE RIDGE IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN AND ALEX SHOULD DECREASE ITS FORWARD SPEED. HOWEVER...MOST OF THE GLOBAL MODELS SHOW THAT THE RIDGE WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO KEEP THE CYCLONE ON A GENERAL  WEST-NORTHWEST TRACK OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. IN FACT...THE GFDL/HWRF PAIR WHICH PREVIOUSLY MOVED ALEX ON A MORE NORTHERLY COMPONENT ACROSS THE GULF HAVE SHIFTED SOUTHWARD AND ARE NOW SHOWING A MORE WESTERWARD TRACK LIKE MOST OF THE GLOBAL MODELS.

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

  INITIAL      26/1500Z 17.3N  86.1W    40 KT
 12HR VT     27/0000Z 17.7N  87.5W    50 KT
 24HR VT     27/1200Z 19.0N  89.1W    30 KT...INLAND
 36HR VT     28/0000Z 20.5N  91.0W    30 KT...OVER WATER
 48HR VT     28/1200Z 22.0N  92.5W    40 KT
 72HR VT     29/1200Z 23.0N  94.0W    55 KT
 96HR VT     30/1200Z 23.5N  96.0W    65 KT
120HR VT     01/1200Z 24.0N  98.5W    25 KT...INLAND

$$
FORECASTER AVILA

And some preliminary forecast snapshots:

As we have wondered before, how "value investors" are in the business of finding relative value in hurricane-variable situations where the downside is 100%, is just beyond us.


Alf Field "World's Best Gold Analyst": Gold Going to $10,000

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 03:21 AM PDT





Note: Left is the baltic dry rate index: plunging.


My first reaction when I read an article on this site by Arnold Bock - articulating why gold would go to $10,000 – by 2012 no less - was amazement. Who in their right mind would suggest that gold would eventually reach $2,500, let alone $5,000 or even $10,000? Well, I did some investigation and, believe it or not, Bock is in lofty company. Many respected individuals, such as David Rosenberg, Peter Schiff, Harry Schultz, Rob McEwen and many others, have come to the same conclusion. Below is a partial list of such individuals with sound reasons to substantiate their views.

1. Peter Schiff:
As President & Chief Global Strategist of Euro Pacific Capital, Schiff correctly called the current bear market before it began. As a result of his accurate forecasts on the U.S. stock market, economy, real estate, the mortgage meltdown, credit crunch, subprime debacle, commodities, gold and the dollar, he is becoming increasingly more renowned.

He recently was reported in Business Week as saying that "People are afraid of the debasement of all the currencies. What's surprising is that gold is still as low as it is ... Gold could reach $5,000 to $10,000 per ounce in the next 5 to 10 years."
Source: Here..

2. David Rosenberg:
Rosenberg, the former Merrill Lynch North American Economist and current Chief Economist and Strategist for Gluskin Sheff, an independent investment firm for high net worth individuals, believes that "$3000 an ounce on gold may yet prove to be a conservative forecast." He went on to say:

- "if the gold price to world GDP ratio were to ever scale up to the peak three decades ago, it would imply an ultimate peak for gold of $5,300 an ounce.

- if the relationship between gold and the M3 money measure where to revert to the 1990 high, then gold would move to $5,700 an ounce.

- if gold were merely put on the same footing as the CPI, and head back to the previous peaks in this ratio, it would suggest $2,300 as the peak in gold — only a double from here.

- if the gold price-M1 ratio was used then gold would go to $3,100 per ounce under the proviso that prior highs get re-established."
Source Here..

3. Alf Field:
Alf Field has been called the "world's best gold analyst." He is well known for his many spot-on predictions in the precious metals market and these are some of his determinations regarding the future price of gold;
More Here..


Look Where GOLD and Silver is Going!
Here..


This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Whats Bearish For Stocks Is Not Be Bearish For All Precious Metals…

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT



Jim Rogers Would Rather Buy Silver, Hold Gold

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 01:43 AM PDT



U.S. Financial CDS Prices Post-FinReg

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 01:25 AM PDT

Hickey and Walters (Bespoke) submit:

With the House and Senate reaching a deal on financial regulation early this morning, we checked up on credit default swap prices of key US financial companies to see what -- if any -- impact the deal had. Default risk climbed quite a bit for the financials in the early stages of the recent market correction, but it then eased quite a bit in the middle part of this month as shares rebounded. This week's decline in the market once again caused default risk for the sector to spike, however. Yesterday's market decline coincided with a big jump in financial CDS prices.

The financial sector was one area of strength in the market today as investors tried to dissect the impact of the rules that did and didn't make it into the proposed legislation (at least those in the 2,000+ page document that people have been able to read). But the strength in financial shares today didn't really carry over into the CDS market, as default risk pretty much held steady. As shown in the CDS prices (in basis points) of six major US financial firms below, today's move was a very small blip lower. So while stock investors saw the finreg agreement as somewhat of a positive for financials, the swap market is still be trying to make up its mind.


Complete Story »


Gold, Silver, How High? When?

Posted: 26 Jun 2010 12:11 AM PDT



Compendium 3 Now Available!

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 08:27 PM PDT

Dear CIGAs,

At long last we are now offering Compendium Version 3 for sale. There will also be a very limited printing of Compendium Version 1 and 2 for sale as well. If you want a copy I suggest you order it while you have the chance.

We release Compendiums every couple years to help cover the operating costs of running a site like JSMineset. Over the years we have gotten quite large and these costs have grown substantially. If you like what we do here please purchase a copy – you will be supporting a good cause and allow us to continue providing this service free of charge.

**PLEASE NOTE YOU DO NOT NEED A PAYPAL ACCOUNT TO PURCHASE ANY OF THE COMPENDIUM SETS. COMPENDIUMS SHOULD ARRIVE WITHIN 2-4 WEEKS DEPENDING ON YOUR LOCATION**

What you will receive with each set:

**NEW** Compendium Version 3 ($80 USD):

Included in this two DVD set is a DVD Rom (accessible by computer DVD drive only) that is a searchable database of nearly two thousand articles over the last two years from Jim Sinclair, Trader Dan, Monty Guild and a collection of other JSMineset contributors. This is one of the largest collections of articles related to the Gold market available today on DVD and includes all charts we have posted over the last year and a half.

The second DVD is the much anticipated CIGA Meeting in Toronto from February 2010. This DVD includes over 3 hours of discussions with Jim Sinclair himself and is playable in any DVD player.

**NEW** Compendium Version 1-3 Package ($210 USD):

This package includes Compendium 1 & 2 listed below and the new Compendium 3 above.

Compendium Version 2 ($80 USD):

Compendium Version 2 includes all articles posted from December 2005 to the end of October 2008. All articles are categorized and presented in HTML format and are PC and Mac compatible. Several thousand articles are again included in this archive disc which makes up literally thousands of pages of market commentary from Jim himself. Compendium Version 2 also includes an hour long DVD video commentary on financial markets by Jim Sinclair. This disc is playable in any DVD player and any computer that supports DVD playback.

Compendium Version 1 ($50 USD):

Compendium Version 1 includes all articles posted from the inception of JSMineset in 2002 to December 2005. It comes packaged as a searchable PDF database and includes several thousand articles on Gold and financial markets. As a bonus, a separate Technical Analysis video disc by Jim Sinclair is included in the package. This video is viewable on a computer only and is both PC and Mac compatible.

Compendium Version 1 & 2 Package ($130 USD):

This package includes both compendium 1 & 2 which are shown above.

As you have noticed by this point, JSMineset does not subsidize costs with garbage advertising nor do we ever promote products through our free eblast system. If you feel JSMineset has helped you over the years, purchase Compendiums 1, 2 and/or 3 and help keep us alive! For the price you pay the information you receive is unbeatable and you know it is going to a good cause.

All prices are in US dollars and include shipping and handling.

Thank you all for your continued support!

Dan Duval
JSMineset Editor


Trader Dan Comments On This Week's COT Report

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 07:47 PM PDT

Dear Friends,

This week's Commitment of Traders reports details pretty much what we have come to expect in gold over the years; fund buying and bullion bank and swap dealer selling. What is interesting is the fact that gold soared into an all time record high with neither the Managed Money camp setting a record for a net long position nor the producer/merchant/processor/user and Swap Dealer camp setting a record for their respective net short positions.

Considering the sell off on Monday's downside reversal day was included in the statistics, it is all the more remarkable that the Managed Money camp witnessed an INCREASE in their net long position. Apparently, the move lower Monday and the early dip overnight into Tuesday attracted more buying from this camp instead of selling.

The running off the long side was done by the "other reportables" crowd which includes CTA's and other large players.

The small investor, the general public, did what the big managed money crowd did; they too increased their net long positions.

Based on this alone, we will need to see a CLOSE below Tuesday's low near $1,233 to generate any large scale long liquidation. A close of such nature will indicate that the speculative long side is not buying the dip but is instead liquidating.

A push above $1262 will force short covering on the part of the "Other reportables" camp and some of the small specs.

Click chart to enlarge in PDF format

COT 6-25-2010 (2)


GLD, GDX and SLV: Does November 2009 Repeat in July 2010?

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 06:55 PM PDT

Last week I offered some analysis using the True Strength Index indicator on the daily and hourly charts of GLD, GDX and GDXJ.  This week I would like to offer what I believe to be a realistic look at what could be headed our way in the upcoming month of July.  The GLD, GDX and SLV charts in this article were made using the publically available software at FreeStockCharts.com.
The best way to understand the big picture is to look at the big picture, so let's do that.  What follows is a weekly chart of GLD.  I set the time frame back over a year and use the True Strength Index indicator below the weekly price data.
What you will notice is that the current setup for GLD is practically identical to that which existed in November 2009.  Not only can we say that of the price movement, but also the movement of the green colored True Strength Index (TSI) indicator below price.  Click on the chart to ENLARGE.
I have taken the liberty of hand drawing the green TSI indicator line and its accompanying white 3 week moving average with what I believe may be the likely outcome in July.  I have also drawn straight white trend lines under the GLD price and attempted to render its possible direction for next month, as well.
One of the things I will be looking for in the upcoming weeks is whether or not the green TSI line fails to continuously make new highs.  Any failure to do so will spell likely failure of the potential parabolic pattern.
The other thing I will look for is the relative distance between the green TSI line and its white moving average counterpart.  If the green momentum indicator gets too far apart, a pull back in price will occur.  For example, one can observe in the GLD chart above that this is precisely what happened during the latter weeks in May.
If a pullback is mild, lasts only a week, maybe two, and does not violate the 3 week moving average, the parabolic move can remain intact.  And by the way, this price scenario – the red candle pull backs to the trend line – is when the bull throws off a few of his overly emotional riders.  Keep your eye on the bigger picture of the trend line and the TSI and you will ride the bull until he tires.
Next, let's take a look at the miners as represented by the GDX ETF.  On this weekly chart I also took the liberty of offering a hand drawn hypothetical outcome for the month of July.
I also offer some indicator measurement details to highlight how sell signals are given when negative divergences between price and the TSI occur.
The sell signal is simply this:  when price makes a new high and the TSI concurrently makes a lower high, that is usually when the party is over.  That is the time to sell.
I say usually because there is a scenario, seen in both the upcoming GDX and SLV charts, where a second rally occurs in a retest attempt of the previous highs, before heading into a painful correction.
The setup required for this to happen occurs when the TSI value is reading much much higher than ZERO.
Theoretically, the only time the TSI indicator is guaranteed to be correct on price heading south is when the indicator is BELOW zero.  With the indicator far above the zero level but falling, there is time on the shot clock for another rally attempt, as the indicator will not fall from a very high reading to the zero line for some time.
Rally attempts in this situation are simply doomed to fail.  You will notice this occurred in the GDX chart below on the second week of January 2010.  Click on the chart to ENLARGE.
The key I will be eyeing for the next 4-6 weeks is whether the TSI continues to make higher highs.  So long as it does, the rally still has legs.  Today's reading of .17 surpassed the high TSI reading of .16 six weeks ago, and that tells me GDX is still going higher.
Now to SLV.  Silver, from my True Strength Index understanding, has got itself in a tricky situation.  The problem is that the last high reading was .18 and today's reading is only .12.  That means any higher high in price from here on out must be accompanied by a TSI reading in excess of .18, or it will be a negative divergence and create a sell signal.
To avoid this sell signal, either SLV is going to now trade sideways some, allowing the TSI to nudge higher while not scoring a new price high…… then SLV is going to have to put its foot to the pedal and simply scream higher week after week until the weekly TSI reading exceeds the previous high's reading of .18.
This is the scenario I envision – some sideways movement, then a moon shot higher.  Click on the chart to ENLARGE.
I invite you to visit my website at www.theTSItrader.blogspot.com.  I usually offer a few posts each day on my market observations, often comment on the particular stocks I am currently trading, and try to show ways to use the True Strength Index indicator to make some sense of where the precious metals and their miners are heading.  You may comment at my blog or contact me at:  TSItrader@gmail.com
Thank you for reading my thoughts.  I look forward to hearing some of yours.
Wishing you a profitable week,
John Townsend
Website:  The TSI Trader


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