Monday, February 29, 2016

Gold in Zero-bound / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2016

By: Michael_J_Kosares

“When you have zero money for so long, the marginal benefits you get through consumption greatly diminish – but there’s one thing that doesn’t diminish, which is unintended consequences.” – Stanley Druckenmiller

Something happened on the way to negative interest rates. Something unexpected. Gold and silver demand went through the roof. The first two months of business at USAGOLD were reminiscent of the 2009 run to gold. In London, where people have the additional concern of a potential exit from the European Union, investors were lining up around the block to purchase precious metals, and reports were circulating that “Some London banks are placing unusually large orders for physical gold.” For the first two months of the year, the U.S. Mint reported gold coin sales running double what they were for the same period in 2015.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Crowded Gold / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2016

By: Bob_Loukas

Even though Gold did not continue higher this week, sentiment still seems to be dangerously elevated. Talk of $2,000 Gold and a new bull market has become common, and Gold seems ripe for a fall, at least in the short term. Don’t misinterpret my point – I see the evidence that a new bull market trend is developing, but that’s in the intermediate term. Shorter term, the current rally is approaching its limits.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Gold's Message / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2016

By: Mike_Shedlock

Steen Jakobsen, Saxo Bank CIO and chief economist, emailed a chart of gold last week with his comments on what the chart means. I meant to comment on his comments at the time, but will do so now.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Silver Prices in Five Years? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2016

By: DeviantInvestor

What will the price of silver be in 2021?  You can find articles suggesting the price of silver will be over $1,000 and under $10.  Perhaps this is the wrong question.

A better approach:  The global financial system is increasingly unstable and fragile, more so than in 2008.  The important question is: How will governments, central banks and financial systems respond to the ongoing crisis?  Future prices for silver are dependent upon the answer to that question.  I suggest three possible scenarios.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Overseas Stock Markets are Down. SPX Targeted by HFTs / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2016

By: Anthony_Cherniawski

The SPX Premarket is marginally lower this morning. However, it has not crossed beneath the 50-day Moving Average at 142.90, so anything may happen at the open.

The largest influence on the markets appears to be China. ZeroHedge reports, “After the G-20 ended in a wave of global disappointment, leading to the biggest Yuan devaluation in 8 weeks, and sending Chinese stocks into a tailspin on concerns the PBOC has forsaken its stock market as well as speculation the housing bubble is now sucking up excess liquidity which in turn pushed global market deep in the red to start the week, it was the PBOC's turn to scramble in a panicked reaction to sliding risk exactly one month after Japan unveiled its own desperation NIRP, and as reported before unexpectedly cut its Reserve Requirement Ratio by 0.5% to 17.0%, the first such cut in 2016 and the 5th since the start of 2015.”

Monday, February 29, 2016

Irish Bonds Fall as Election Creates Political and Economic Uncertainty / Interest-Rates / International Bond Market

By: GoldCore

Irish bonds fell today and the yield on ten-year Irish bonds rose to 0.908 pc, up from 0.891 pc in early trading this morning after a divisive general election and inconclusive result threw Irish politics into disarray and created considerable political and economic uncertainty.

Monday, February 29, 2016

First They Came For The iPhones... / Politics / Social Issues

By: Dr_Ron_Paul

The FBI tells us that its demand for a back door into the iPhone is all about fighting terrorism, and that it is essential to break in just this one time to find out more about the San Bernardino attack last December. But the truth is they had long sought a way to break Apple's iPhone encryption and, like 9/11 and the PATRTIOT Act, a mass murder provided just the pretext needed. After all, they say, if we are going to be protected from terrorism we have to give up a little of our privacy and liberty. Never mind that government spying on us has not prevented one terrorist attack.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Average Credit Card Interest Rates Hit All-time High / Personal_Finance / Credit Cards & Scoring

By: MoneyFacts

The credit card market continues to be inundated with introductory interest-free deals, but behind the scenes the latest research from Moneyfacts.co.uk can reveal that the average purchase rate on all credit cards has hit an all-time high of 21.6% APR*.

Cardholders with a high interest credit card may not be fully aware of how much they pay over the long term or how much they could save by switching to a better deal. For instance, sticking with a high interest card could mean that it will take almost four years to clear a debt of as little as £1,000.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Tory Elite Risk British Civil War By Stating Intentions to IGNORE BrExit LEAVE EU Referendum Result / ElectionOracle / EU_Referendum

By: Nadeem_Walayat

A string of senior tories have been making insidious statements declaring that a vote by the British people to LEAVE in the forthcoming EU Referendum does not necessarily mean that the Tory elite would take Britain out of the EU, instead statements have been made that it would be just used as a bargaining chip in future negotiations ahead of a SECOND referendum, and what if Britain votes to LEAVE again, will there be a third, fourth, fifth until the Tory elite get the result they want?

Monday, February 29, 2016

Another Pull Back in the Stock Market Due? / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2016

By: Brad_Gudgeon

Last week, I was doing what most traders were doing, being swayed by the momentum indicators.  Last time we saw the momentum indicators where they are now we pulled back a little and then continued on up.  That was early October 2015. The problem is, the current e-wave formation has an irregular bottom that formed after the February 8 low and that was on February 11, which suggests a move below the last low of SPX 1810 and soon.  And here we have the astros confirming along with the very short term momentum indicators agreeing.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Silver Price Breaks Lower - Gold and PM Stocks Set to Plunge... / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2016

By: Clive_Maund

In the latest Gold and Silver Market updates, posted last weekend, the view was expressed that an intermediate top was forming gold and silver, not a bull Flag as some were suggesting, and the latest COT data not only confirms this view, but suggests that a severe drop is imminent, and it already started in silver on Friday. Fortunately we exited most of our long positions in the sector, many at a handsome profit, over the past 2 weeks, having spotted the danger.

The latest 1-year chart for gold is - or should be - alarming for those still long the sector. It shows gold churning having hit a target after a parabolic slingshot move that resulted in it becoming heavily overbought. Now it is vulnerable to a reaction which the latest COTs suggest will be heavy. Breakdown from the parabola will likely lead to a dramatic plunge.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Is the Stocks Bear Rally Ending At A 50% Retracement? / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2016

By: Andre_Gratian

Current Position of the Market

SPX: Long-term trend - Severe correction underway.

SPX: Intermediate trend - Next down-phase close at hand.

Analysis of the short-term trend is done on a daily basis with the help of hourly charts. It is an important adjunct to the analysis of daily and weekly charts which discuss longer market trends.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

“Somebody” Stepped In to Prop Up Stocks Friday / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2016

By: Graham_Summers

At this point the manipulations are getting ridiculous.

“Someone” decided to step in a prop up stocks yesterday. How do we know it was a market prop and not real investors?

There were several “tells.”

Sunday, February 28, 2016

The Fed is Working to Implement NIRP / Interest-Rates / NIRP

By: Graham_Summers

The Fed Vice-Chair has begun laying the groundwork for NIRP.

The US Federal Reserve is obsessed with market reactions to its policies. Because of this, anytime the Fed plans to announce a major change in policy, it preps the markets via numerous leaks and hints… oftentimes for months in advance.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Israel’s War on Palestine Ignored with World Focus on Syria / Politics / Palestine

By: Stephen_Lendman

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Gold Price Generates Long-term Buy Signal / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2016

By: Gary_Savage

Gold has just generated a long term buy signal. This is exact;y what should happen if the 8 year cycle low is complete. I've been saying the 8 year cycle low has to occur along with a yearly cycle low, and we got a yearly cycle low in December.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Regime Change in Turkey? More Likely Than You Think / Politics / Turkey

By: Mike_Whitney

On Friday, the United States rejected a draft resolution by Russia that was intended to prevent a Turkish invasion of Syria. Moscow had called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to address its growing concern that Turkey is planning to send thousands of ground troops and armored vehicles it has massed on its southern border, into Syria to protect Turkish-backed militants and to block the Kurdish militia, the YPG, from establishing a contiguous state in northern Syria. Moscow’s one-page resolution was a thoroughly-straightforward document aimed at preventing a massive escalation in a conflict that has already claimed the lives of 250, 000 and left the country in ruins.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Stocks Bear Market Uptrend Nearing its Peak / Stock-Markets / Stocks Bear Market

By: Tony_Caldaro

The market started the week at SPX 1918. After a gap up opening on Monday the market rallied to SPX 1947. After that it pulled back, aided by two gap down openings, to SPX 1891 by Wednesday. Then helped by two gap up openings the market rallied to SPX 1963 by Friday, and ended the week at 1948. For the week the SPX/DOW gained 1.55%, the NDX/NAZ gained 1.80%, and the DJ World index gained 0.90%. Economic reports for the week were neutral. On the uptick: Q4 GDP, durable goods, the FHFA, personal income/spending, the PCE, and existing home sales. On the downtick: Case-Shiller, consumer confidence/sentiment, new home sales, the WLEI, GDPn, plus weekly jobless claims increased. Next week’s reports are highlighted by the FED’s Beige book, the ISM’s and monthly Payrolls. Best to your week!

Sunday, February 28, 2016

US Dollar Rebound Increases Near-Term Gold and Stocks Risk / Commodities / Gold and Silver Stocks 2016

By: Jordan_Roy_Byrne

Last week we noted that the odds favored more upside in precious metals before a larger correction would begin. While that view remains on track, we want to note the renewed strength in the US Dollar which could provide immediate resistance to higher levels in Gold and gold stocks.

The chart below plots the weekly candles for the US$ index and the net speculative position in the US$ index. The US$ index closed back above its 200-day moving average (97) and remains well above its 400-day (or 80-week moving average).

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Gold And Silver – February Heralding End Of Down Trend? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2016

By: Michael_Noonan

Applying market logic:

We often state that the market is replete with logic, even for those who do not know how or do not like to look at charts to explain the markets. Charts that explain developing market activity have been superior to all fundamental analysis over the last several years. For us, that statement would include for as long as charts have been maintained, starting with Japan’s rice market, a few hundred years ago.

Most market participants have some [unrequited] need to have fundamentals be the driving force behind their market comprehension. [See the stock market top from 2008 and the ongoing follow-up by fundamentalists who were unable to comprehend how their world of value investing had just been turned upside down. As an aside, charts were flashing a major sell signal after the top but well before the collapse]. We digress…not really. The point is valid.