Analysis Topic: Commodity Markets - Metals, Softs & Oils
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Saturday, July 03, 2021
Gold in the age of Inflation / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: Michael_J_Kosares
Gold in the age of inflation
The star investment of the fifty-year era and the most reliable store of value
There has been considerable, and some would say tedious, discussion on the subject of inflation over the past several weeks. The Fed wants it. The markets await it. Investors and consumers worry about it. If it does come, the Fed thinks it will be transitory. Others believe it will persist. That said, the current discussion ignores an established historical reality: We already live and have lived with it for a very long time. The Age of Inflation began in August of 1971 when the United States disengaged the dollar from gold and ushered in the fiat money era. Thereafter, the inflationary process has progressively eaten away at our wealth and the purchasing power of our money. Now, some of the best minds in the investment business tell us that it is about to accelerate and that if we ignore it, we do so at our own peril.
To mark the occasion of the fiat money system’s golden anniversary, we offer two instructive charts. One is something of a myth-buster in that gold has decisively outperformed stocks during the fiat money era. Many will be surprised to learn that gold is up 4,500% since 1971, while stocks have played second fiddle at 3,375%. The other reveals at a glance the pernicious, ongoing debasement of the dollar and gold’s role as a hedge against it. The dollar lost 85% of its purchasing power since 1971, while gold, as just mentioned, gained nearly 4500%. If that does not serve as vindication of gold’s portfolio role in the era of fiat money, I don’t know what will. At the same time, consensus has it that cyclically, stocks are closer to a top than a bottom, and gold is closer to a bottom than a top.
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Saturday, July 03, 2021
Gold: Bearish Development Just Around the Corner? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: P_Radomski_CFA
While we might see a small uptick in gold prices soon, it’s not likely to last long. We should be prepared to open our parachutes any time now.
The decline in gold continues, and while we might see a small pop-up higher here, it’s unlikely to last. And why could gold move slightly higher and correct the recent declines?
Thursday, July 01, 2021
Credit Spreads Declined Unprecedentedly. Will Gold Follow? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: Arkadiusz_Sieron
When credit spreads narrow, it’s bad for gold. But this time there is a silver lining we can look for, although it’s quite adverse for the economy.There are several important factors affecting gold prices. Many analysts focus mainly on the US dollar and real interest rates . However, what is sometimes even more important is economic confidence. Of course, the level of economic confidence is partially reflected in the strength of the greenback and the bond yields . However, I would like to focus today on credit spreads , an often overlooked indicator of economic confidence.
Why such a topic? It’s simple, just take a look at the chart below. As you can see, the ICE BofA US High Yield Index Option-Adjusted Spread, which is a proxy for a spread between the yield on below-investment-grade-rated corporate debt and Treasuries of the same duration, has recently declined to a very low level. To be more precise, the analyzed indicator slid from almost 11 in March 2020 to 3.1 at the end of June (the lowest reading since July 2007 , the time just before the Great Recession started).
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Wednesday, June 30, 2021
USDX, Gold: The Hunter and the Prey / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: P_Radomski_CFA
Just before the hunt begins, the hunter needs to be sure its prey feels safe. Will we see a promising short-term rally in gold?
After the USD Index reasserted its dominance once again, its bellowing howl sent shivers down the spine of currency traders. When the U.S. Dollar Index is on the hunt, the precious metals are often its prey. The alpha wolf is poised to lead the pack over the medium term, and the sheep will likely be sent to the slaughter, but the predator needs to gather force first; a peaceful period of prosperity should ensue over the next several days. And this short-term decline could help uplift gold, silver, and mining stocks.
To explain, I warned last week that a short-term decline was likely after the USD Index’s RSI (Relative Strength Index) jumped above 70. And after eliciting some weakness, another pullback to the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level also aligns with the price action that we witnessed in 2016.
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Is There a Next Housing Bubble That Will Make Gold Shine? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: Arkadiusz_Sieron
Home prices are surging, making some investors worry about the housing market. These fears seem to be exaggerated, but bubble-like conditions are widespread.House prices are surging. As the chart below shows, the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index has reached 239 in February 2021, the highest number in history and about 30% higher than during the 2006 peak.
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Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Gold Miners require a unique macro-economic backdrop / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: Gary_Tanashian
When gold stock bulls complain about a “smack down”, a “hit” or a “smash” against the poor gold stock sector what they should be thinking about is what a relatively small market the gold stock universe is compared to the multitude of galaxies populated by cyclical and risk on stocks and commodities and the massive bond market. The gold stock sector’s noise to trading volume ratio must be far and away the biggest bull market on the planet (I know because I am part of it :-)).
And once in a while the sector actually warrants all that noise. Like in 2001 when markets were beginning a bear phase and economies were faltering. Like in Q4, 2008 when gold stocks were crashing to unwind previous inflationary excesses, leading stocks and commodities into a terrible crash and rebounding first. Like in March of 2020 when the miners crashed and ‘V’ bottomed to lead what is to this day an ongoing economic recovery born of the inflation that gold and gold stocks first sniffed out.
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Sunday, June 27, 2021
Powell Didn’t Come to Gold’s Rescue – Now What? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: Arkadiusz_Sieron
Powell’s testimony to Congress failed in generating a rebound in gold prices; thus, the bearish trend could continue.On Tuesday (June 22) the Fed Chair testified before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, U.S. House of Representatives . Before Powell’s appearance in Congress, there were some hopes that he would soften the Fed’s hawkish signals from the previous week. However, these hopes only partially materialized.
This is because Powell’s testimony was basically a confirmation of the last FOMC meeting . In particular, he reiterated the view that higher inflation would be transitory, as “a substantial part or perhaps all of the overshoot in inflation are from categories directly affected by reopening.”
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Friday, June 25, 2021
Fed’s Liquidity Circus and Gold / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: P_Radomski_CFA
Fed pumped so much money into the financial system, that the latter started sending it back. How will this and Fed’s more hawkish tone impact gold?
With Jerome Powell, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve (FED), testifying before Congress on Jun. 22, his prepared remarks signaled that the FED remains on autopilot. Despite saying that “job gains should pick up in coming months as vaccinations rise,” he added that “we at the FED will do everything we can to support the economy for as long as it takes to complete the recovery.”
And while Powell supported our thesis by saying that “labor demand is remarkably strong and over time we will find ourselves with low unemployment and wages going up across the spectrum,” when asked if inflation is transitory, he responded:
“[Perhaps] all of the overshoot in inflation comes from categories such as rising used car and trucks, airplane tickets, hotel prices that have been affected by the reopening of the economy. [And while] these effects have turned out to be larger than we expected , the incoming data are consistent with the view that these factors will wane over time .” For context, of course inflationary pressures will “wane over time.” That’s not up for debate. However, “when” is the key question.
Friday, June 25, 2021
Fed 'Narrative Nonsense' Rattles Precious Metals Investors / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: The_Gold_Report
Sector expert Michael Ballanger explains how recent statements by the Federal Reserve could prove hazardous to one's wealth. In the past week, precious metals investors, speculators and traders have been forced to apply all kinds of salves, balms and ointments to jangled nerves, rattled resolve and battered net worth statements, all directly the result of an unexpected shift in the official narrative on interest rate policy released during Wednesday's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) statement.
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Thursday, June 24, 2021
Central Banks to Keep Buying Gold / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: MoneyMetals
The move away from the Federal Reserve Note as the global reserve currency of choice has continued in recent years, with fresh developments increasing the greenback’s stiff competition.
This has led to massive central bank buying of gold, and that trend appears set to continue in 2021. According to a recent report from the World Gold Council, 21% of global central banks plan to purchase gold this year.
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Will Gold Survive Hawkish Fed? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: Arkadiusz_Sieron
The recent Fed’s hawkish turn is fundamentally negative for gold prices but there is still some hope.The hawkish counter-revolution within the Fed continues. On Friday, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said that the recent FOMC shift towards a faster tightening of monetary policy was a natural response to faster economic growth and higher inflation than anticipated:
We were expecting a good year, a good reopening, but this is a bigger year than we were expecting, more inflation than we were expecting, and I think it's natural that we've tilted a little bit more hawkish here to contain inflationary pressures.
Bullard also noted that “Powell officially opened the taper discussion this week”. Indeed, in my Friday edition of the Fundamental Gold Report , I focused on the changed dot-plot , which suggested that FOMC members were ready to hike interest rates twice in 2023. However, the second major shift in the stance of the US central bank was that the Fed officials started to “talk about talking about” tapering.
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Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Unlocking The Next Stage Of The Hydrogen Boom / Commodities / Energy Resources
By: Submissions
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Sunday, June 20, 2021
Smart Money Accumulating Physical Silver Ahead Of New Basel III Regulations And Price Explosion To $44 / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: Chris_Vermeulen
Recently, Gold and Silver have somewhat stalled after a fairly solid upside price trend in April and May 2021. Looking at the longer-term Weekly Silver chart, we believe Silver is ready to pounce with a big move higher.
The second half of 2021 will welcome BASEL III (likely) and a renewed focus by the US Federal Reserve (and Global Central banks) working to contain inflationary aspects of the recovering global economy while also attempting to support continued growth objectives. I believe precious metals, in particular – Silver, have shown a very unique “Accumulation Phase” over the past 12+ months that may lead to a big upside breakout rally when it breaches the $28.50 level.
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Sunday, June 20, 2021
Rambling Fed Triggers Gold/Silver Correction: Are Investors Being Duped? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: MoneyMetals
Precious metals markets got absolutely slammed on Thursday. The selling rout followed statements put out by the Federal Reserve suggesting that tapering and rate hikes could come sooner than previously expected.The U.S. Dollar Index spiked on the Fed’s latest talking points, prompting short sellers in the commodity futures markets to pounce.
Copper and most other commodities also got hammered this week.
The interest rate markets, meanwhile, exhibited some unusual divergences. The 30-year Treasury yield fell sharply at the same time as shorter-term bond yields and mortgage rates rose. The effect was a dramatic flattening of the yield curve.
Sunday, June 20, 2021
Gold: The Fed Wreaked Havoc on the Precious Metals / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: P_Radomski_CFA
Gold declined yesterday, or I should say, it rushed down at breakneck speed. And while it might have been a surprise for some, it wasn’t for me.
However, we should stay alert to any possible changes, as no market moves in a straight line. Tread carefully.
On a side note, while I didn’t check it myself (well, it’s impossible to read every article out there), based on the correspondence I’m receiving, it appears I’ve been the only one of the more popular authors to be actually bearish on gold before the start of this week. Please keep that in mind, along with me saying that yesterday’s decline is just the beginning, even though a short-term correction might start soon. Having that in mind, let’s discuss what the Fed did (and what it didn’t do) in greater detail.
Friday, June 18, 2021
Gold Prices Investors beat Central Banks and Jewelry, as having the most Impact / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: Richard_Mills
Gold had a remarkable 2020, gaining 22% for the calendar year on a “perfect storm” of factors, namely:
- Torrid safe haven demand driven by fear of the coronavirus and its economic fallout;
- Record-low sovereign bond yields, with many countries’ bonds actually offering negative returns. There is a strong correlation between the gold price and low yields, particularly the benchmark US 10-year Treasury note yield which plummeted at the start of the pandemic and bumped along under 1% for the rest of the year. Since gold does not offer a yield, it draws money from bonds and other income-yielding assets, when interest rates/ bond yields are low;
- And a low US dollar. There is an inverse relationship between the gold price and the dollar. The US Dollar Index (DXY) crashed from 98.36 in March 2020, as investors sought US dollars as a safe haven, to around 90 for the rest of the year, as it became clear to investors that the US economy was in trouble, its government having badly mismanaged the pandemic which led, and still leads, the world in the number of cases and deaths.
However when vaccines were announced near the end of last year and Donald Trump lost the US presidential election to Joe Biden, who promised to take swift action to curb the pandemic, gold starting losing favor.
Attention turned from bad economic news to the impending recovery, with China the poster child, as demand for commodities like copper and iron ore, needed to feed its resurgent manufacturing sector, soared.
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Friday, June 18, 2021
Gold Asks: Will the Economic Boom Continue? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: Arkadiusz_Sieron
The US GDP has already recovered from the pandemic recession. What’s next for the economy and the gold market?Ladies and Gentlemen, the economic crisis has ended. Actually, not only is the recession over but so is the recovery! This is at least what the recent GDP readings are indicating. As the chart below shows, the US nominal GDP has already jumped above the pre-pandemic level . The real GDP, which takes inflation into account, remained in the first quarter of 2021 below the size of the economy seen at the end of 2019, but it will likely surpass this level in the second quarter of the year.
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Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Inflation Soars 5%! Will Gold Skyrocket? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: Arkadiusz_Sieron
With the CPI annual inflation rate spiking 5% in May, gold could have gained a lot in response. However, it rallied only $20. Should we prepare for more?Whoa! Inflation soared 5% in May – quite a lot for a nonexistent (or transitory) phenomenon! But let’s start from the beginning. The CPI rose 0.6% in May, after increasing 0.8% in April. Meanwhile, the core CPI, which excludes food and energy, soared 0.7%, following a 0.9% jump in April. So, given that the pace of the monthly inflation rate decelerated, we shouldn’t worry about inflation, right? Well… we should.
First of all, inflation was higher than expected , as the consensus forecast was a 0.4% increase. Inflation surprised pundits once again, but not me. Last month, I wrote in the Fundamental Gold Report that “Inflation escalated in April. In May, however, inflation could be softer, but it will remain relatively elevated, in my view” – and this is exactly what happened. However, the unexpected rise in inflation is positive news for gold, as such a surprise should decrease the real interest rates .
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Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Four News Events That Could Drive Gold Bullion Demand / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: MoneyMetals
The halfway point of the year is quickly approaching. Dwindling confidence and concern over the direction of the country along with rising inflation expectations continue to drive strong demand for physical gold and silver. That trend appears set to continue through the second half of 2021.
Here are a few big stories with the potential to drive bullion buying in the months ahead.
Monday, June 14, 2021
Gold Time for Consolidation and Lower Volatility / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2021
By: Jordan_Roy_Byrne
Gold endured a 20% correction over eight months. A 15% rebound followed that in two months. It has retraced some, but not a majority of the losses.
This action is all part of the handle of a super bullish cup and handle pattern.
The handle itself is part of a much larger bullish consolidation, but the market is approaching resistance within the handle.
Below we plot GDXJ, GDX, Gold, and Silver.
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