Analysis Topic: Commodity Markets - Metals, Softs & Oils
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.Saturday, December 15, 2007
Coal and Commodities Bull Markets for Several More Years / Commodities / Resources Investing
Why coal (and other commodities) should be in your stocking this year ...and the next year ... and the year after that!
For several years now, commodities have garnered attention because of their prolific appreciation. The price of oil has climbed by over $80/barrel during this first stage of this bull market, gold prices have more than tripled in price, and soybeans, corn, wheat and coal have suddenly become part of the investor's vocabulary. At the same time, however, it seems that while investors are now more familiar with commodities (in the general sense), they are still apprehensive about finally taking the steps to add commodities to their investment portfolios.
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Friday, December 14, 2007
Euro Gold Breakout Above Resistance Analysis / Commodities / Gold & Silver
Despite Washington and the Fed working fast and furiously to destroy international confidence in the US dollar, it still remains the currency of choice for pricing many international markets. Among these is gold. Regardless of where this metal is mined, it is almost always priced and sold in US dollars.
If you are an American investor, this is great. We have always thought of gold as denominated in dollars and it is hard to imagine any other way of thinking about it. But if you live outside the States, the gold price is a lot more relevant as quoted in your own local currency. Your mind is wired to think in local-currency terms and various investment options are only comparable within this life-long mental framework.
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Friday, December 14, 2007
Gold Sell off Due to Dollar Strength on the Encouraging Retail Sales Data / Commodities / Gold & Silver
Gold was down $14.60 to $798.60 per ounce in New York yesterday and silver was down 55 cents to $14.09 per ounce. Subsequently gold rallied back up to $803 in Asian trading but it has since given up those gains and has gradually traded down in European markets and the London AM Fix was at $796.25. At the London AM Fix gold was trading at £392.18 GBP (down from yesterday's London AM Fix at £396.18) and €547.18 EUR (down from yesterday's London AM Fix at €550.60).Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, December 14, 2007
US Dollar Rallies and Gold Fall Ahead of US Inflation Data / Commodities / Gold & Silver
THE SPOT GOLD MARKET slipped back early Friday from a 1% bounce overnight, dropping to a new six-session low beneath $792 per ounce as the US Dollar rallied towards the Wall Street open.
Asian stock markets ended the week lower, dropping more than 3% from last Friday in Tokyo . Europe 's major bourses reversed early gains to trade flat by lunchtime in London , while US crude oil ticked higher to $92.34 per barrel.
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Crude Oil Price Manipulated In advance of Sampling Date for Producer Price Index? / Commodities / Crude Oil
Today I telephoned the good folks at the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, D.C. I phoned to find out a little bit more about how one of the key inputs – CRUDE OIL - in PPI [Producer Price Index] is determined each and every month.
Here's the nuts of what I was told: “Crude oil price data inputs for the PPI are measured from sources of the subject month on the Tuesday of the week that contains the 13 th day.”
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Gold Prices Plunging Despite Soaring Inflation (PPI) / Commodities / Gold & Silver
How ironic that on a day that exposed outsized inflation data (PPI), gold prices are plunging...and so are the precious metal mining stocks. To put it simply and concisely, the three-month pattern carved out by the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (AMEX: GDX) has taken the form of a large top. The Fan Lines (light green on the chart) represent prior support lines that have been violated, after which the price structure rallies to test their extension prior to turning lower again.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Invest in the Agricultural Commodites Boom as Food Inflation Soars / Commodities / Agricultural Commodities
If the Fed were smart, it would have slashed interest rates to the bone this week, instead of dilly-dallying around. That way, everyone would know exactly where the economy stands (on the edge of a cliff) and what the Fed was doing about it.
But that's not how things work. Instead, the high priests of finance like to "tinker" with the economy, and in my opinion, they do a lousy job of it. In the end, the Fed almost always ends up making matters worse.
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Central Banks Money Markets $110 Billion Injection Greeted with Skepticism / Commodities / Gold & Silver
GoldGold was up $1.60 to $813.20 per ounce in New York yesterday and silver was down 3 cents to $14.64 per ounce. Gold rallied sharply on the news <1400 GMT> of the latest injection of $110 billion into the global money markets and rallied from $809 to $817 within an hour. Subsequently gold has gradually traded down in Asian and European markets and the London AM Fix was at $809. Gold has traded up in pounds sterling and euros and at the London AM Fix gold was trading at £396.18 GBP (up from yesterday's London AM Fix at £394.77) and €550.60 EUR (up from yesterday's London AM Fix at €549.21).
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Stock Markets Slide Despite Central Banks $110 billion Action - Gold Safehaven / Commodities / Gold & Silver
SPOT GOLD PRICES drifted lower from yesterday's two-week highs early Thursday, recording an AM Fix in London of $809 per ounce as global stock markets fell hard despite Wednesday's attempt by five of the world's biggest central banks to ease pressure in world money markets. London's FTSE100 index lost 1.3% at the opening while US government bonds reversed Wednesday's three-year record sell off, pushing the yield on two-year Treasuries 3 pips lower to 3.10%. Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Subprime Mortgage Bailout Plan's Silver Lining / Commodities / Gold & Silver
Sean Brodrick writes:Last week, President Bush and Treasury Secretary Paulson rolled out their mortgage bailout plan. And most investors have heard enough to know they don't like it.
Just three of the reasons why ...
#1. Moral hazard is gone. This plan rewards speculation of the worst kind. Investors and homeowners alike have learned that the government will provide golden parachutes if they take the most reckless, irresponsible course imaginable.
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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Gold Gains as World Stock Market Falls Following Fed Rate Cut / Commodities / Gold & Silver
Gold Gains 1.7% from Post-Fed Slump as Oil, Base Metals & Grains Slip; "Double Whammy" Due in 2008 as World Stock Markets Fall
SPOT GOLD PRICES added to their post-Fed recovery early Wednesday, trading more than 1.7% above the overnight low – and well above Tuesday's start – at $810 per ounce as the US open drew near.
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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
AGRI-FOOD THOUGHTS - US Agricultural Exports Surging As World Demand Grows / Commodities / Agricultural Commodities
Want your wealth to grow? Then, own something that grows. U.S. exports of agricultural products this year to September were almost $62 billion. That represents a 22% increase over same period in 2006, and more than the entire year of 2004. How many industries are experiencing that type of growth? International agricultural trade for U.S., exports plus imports, was almost $115 billion, a 16% increase over 2006.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Crude Oil Back to Fundementals as Pentagon Vetoes US Strike against Iran / Commodities / Crude Oil
Nearly two years ago, on January 10th, 2006, Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad raised the stakes in a battle of wits between Tehran and the Bush administration, ordering the removal of UN seals on centrifuges to enrich uranium, a process which can make atomic reactor fuel or weapons-grade material. “We are not going to yield to pressure to abandon our rights, and we have the necessary tools to protect ourselves,” Ahmadinejad told the Qatari foreign minister.Ahmadinejad's daring move quickly set off a “war of words” with US President George Bush and vice-president Dick Cheney, which in turn, built-up an Iranian “war premium” of roughly $12 per barrel into the price of crude oil. On January 19, 2006, Cheney warned, “Whether or not there would be a spike in the price of oil, if in fact there is some kind of a crisis with Iran is entirely possible. But I think the consequences of that would be less significant than the consequences of having Mahmoud Ahmadinejad armed with nuclear weapons,” Cheney told CNBC.
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Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Astonishing Rise in Crude Oil Price Volatility / Commodities / Crude Oil
Are you old enough to remember the good old days when gasoline was less than a buck a gallon? Consider the following.
Crude Oil 1994-95
This is a daily chart of the oil market for the 1994-95 trading period. Each vertical line represents one full day of trading. You're looking at approximately one full year of oil price trading. The chart appears to illustrate a volatile market with big ups and downs throughout this period, right? However, it all depends on how the chart is scaled.
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Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Gold Safehaven as China Investors Go on Buying Spree / Commodities / Gold & Silver
GoldGold was up $13.20 to $807.60 per ounce in New York yesterday and silver was up 30 cents to $14.64 per ounce. Gold has traded sideways in Asian and early European trading and is trading at $807.50/808.00 per ounce at 1200 GMT. Gold has increased slightly in pounds sterling and euros and at the London AM Fix gold was trading at £393.79 GBP (up from £392 at 1200 GMT yesterday ) and €549.15 EUR (up from €545 at 1200 GMT yesterday). < http://www.lbma.org.uk/statisti cs_current.htm Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Gold Falls AHead of US Fed Interest Rate Cut / Commodities / Gold & Silver
SPOT GOLD PRICES slipped back from an overnight high of $810.50 in early London trade, recording an AM Fix of $806.75 per ounce and then dropping to $804.50 as the US open approached.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, December 10, 2007
Gold to Take Cue From US Fed Interest Rate Decision / Commodities / Gold & Silver
GoldGold was down $6.90 to $794.40 per ounce in New York on Friday and silver was down 10 cents to $14.34 per ounce. Gold has rallied in Asian and early European trading and is trading at $801.50/802.00 per ounce at 1200 GMT. Gold has traded sideways in pounds sterling and euro to £392 GBP (down from £394 at 1200 GMT Friday) and €545 EUR (down from €547 at 1200 GMT Friday).
Last week gold was up 1.5% and silver was up 2.6%.
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Monday, December 10, 2007
Gold Rises 0.7% Early Monday as Oil Slips & Banking Stocks Rally Despite UBS Profit Warning / Commodities / Gold & Silver
Fed Set to Cut US Interest Rates Even as Global Inflation Surges - GOLD PRICES rose throughout the Asian session on Monday, starting the week in London just above $800 per ounce – a gain of 0.7% from Friday's US close – for physical metal delivered immediately.
Crude oil prices slipped 0.8%, meantime, while the US Dollar hit a four-week high vs. the Japanese Yen.
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Sunday, December 09, 2007
Gold and Silver Gearing Up for a Big Move / Commodities / Gold & Silver
Something tells me there is a big surprise ahead. How big, which way and when, well that's what makes life interesting.
GOLD : LONG TERM - The long term usually changes very slowly so there is no use posting a long term chart each week. From the long term stand point nothing has changed from last week, or the week before. To summarize, the long term P&F chart is still bullish. Gold price is still well above its positive sloping moving average line. The long term momentum indicator is also still in its positive zone but giving us some warnings of the under performance of the strength in recent price action. All in all, the long term is still rated as BULLISH .
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Sunday, December 09, 2007
Gold and Silver Analysis - Consolidation in Gold and Silver / Commodities / Gold & Silver
“This update has been writing for weeks that it would be relative weakness in Europe that would cause exchange rates to tip in the other direction. With the Fed closer to the end of its accommodations than the stubborn hold outs in London and at the ECB, holders of those currencies have wisely begun to suspect the ride up, for now at least, is ending. In all likelihood, the Fed will probably look to keep the cut light and favor further open market activities including a possible change in the discount rate while Treasury and other government entities come to the aid of the ailing housing market that's the real source of the problem. In the meantime, it's possible gold and silver will continue to face headwinds and lose their panic premium as investors put money back to work in financials and other stocks.” ~ Precious Points: Fairweather Friends, November 25, 2007Read full article... Read full article...