Analysis Topic: Commodity Markets - Metals, Softs & Oils
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.Friday, March 25, 2022
Hot Commodities! Is the 2-year rally nearly Done or Jjust Starting? / Commodities / Commodities Trading
FREE March 28 - April 1.
Hi,
You may already know that the CRB Commodities Index is up 200% since the April 2020 low.
Even if you haven’t been following the broad Index, you've no doubt felt the effects of rising commodity prices in your wallet.
But there is a silver-lining flip side: Over the past 2 years, commodities have also offered massive opportunities. And they're not done.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, March 18, 2022
Crude Oil Prices Keep Falling. Is It Time to Get Long on Black Gold? / Commodities / Crude Oil
Crude oil continues to decline due to lowered demand, and the petrodollar seems threatened, losing interest. What is the best strategy to take now?
Oil prices kept falling this week, driven by potential progress in Ukraine-Russia talks and a potential slowdown in the Giant Panda’s (China) economic growth due to epidemic lockdowns in some regions where a surge of Omicron was observed.
As I mentioned in my previous article, India considers getting Russian crude oil supplies and other commodities at a reduced price by settling transactions through a rupee/rouble payment system. Meanwhile, we keep getting rumors – notably reported by The Wall Street Journal – that Saudi Arabia and China are also currently discussing pricing some Saudi oil exports directly in yuan. The Chinese are actively seeking to dethrone the dollar as the world’s reserve currency, and this latest development suggests that the petrodollar is now under threat.
Monday, March 14, 2022
Silver $100 – Nothing Has Changed / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
In retrospect, nothing much has changed since I published my original article $100 Silver Has Come And Gone in October 2019.
The price is higher than it was at the time the article was written, and that is certainly positive. However, the net change since then does not alter the fundamental arguments stated in the original article. Let’s review the salient points now.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, March 14, 2022
Copper and Nickel Commodity Market Updates / Commodities / Copper
Copper
The global copper supply crisis is getting deeper with each passing day.
Even disregarding the military crisis in Europe and the piling sanctions against Russia that have rocked the commodity markets, copper has always been in a tough spot simply because of its fast-rising demand and the critical role in the modern economy.
More than 20 million tonnes of the metal are being consumed each year across a variety of industries; these include building construction, power generation and transmission, and electronic product manufacturing.
Roskill forecasts total copper consumption will more than double and exceed 43 million tonnes by 2035, driven by population and GDP growth, urbanization and electricity demand.
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Gold’s next bull leg in progress; but a test is due for the metal & miners / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
“2022: The Golden Year” activates…
…as gold and the miners hit our short-term upside targets this week.
In August of 2020 we noted the danger signals for gold based on sentiment excess coming out of the acute pandemic fear phase. We also noted the need for a multi-year bullish Cup to build a proper handle after that excess. A Cup’s handle is actually a downward trending bull flag.
In December of 2021we noted that 2022 would be the “Golden Year”.
And so it is. It took 1.5 years of handle-making (see chart below) and that phase, which cast doubt on the monetary metal among the public and even some of gold’s staunchest supporters, was so healthy that words cannot describe. The angst was fueled by gold’s failure to act as an inflation hedge while cyclical commodities flew during the inflation trades of 2020-2021. And thus, an excellent handle to a bullish Cup is in the books.
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Gold Likes Recessions - Could High Interest Rates Lead to One? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
We live in uncertain times, but one thing is (almost) certain: the Fed’s tightening cycle will be followed by an economic slowdown – if not worse.There are many regularities in nature. After winter comes spring. After night comes day. After the Fed’s tightening cycle comes a recession. This month, the Fed will probably end quantitative easing and lift the federal funds rate. Will it trigger the next economic crisis?
It’s, of course, more nuanced, but the basic mechanism remains quite simple. Cuts in interest rates, maintaining them at very low levels for a prolonged time, and asset purchases – in other words, easy monetary policy and cheap money – lead to excessive risk-taking, investors’ complacency, periods of booms, and price bubbles. On the contrary, interest rate hikes and withdrawal of liquidity from the markets – i.e., tightening of monetary policy – tend to trigger economic busts, bursts of asset bubbles, and recessions. This happens because the amount of risk, debt, and bad investments becomes simply too high.
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Is Investing In Gold A Smart Decision For Retirement? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
Whether or not you are investing in gold for retirement, it is always important to be informed. This article will help you decide if investing in gold is the right decision for your retirement.
When deciding on what to invest in, one of the most popular choices is gold. Gold has been used as a currency and an investment for thousands of years, and it continues to be a popular choice for investors today. Here are some reasons why you might want to consider investing in gold for your retirement.
Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, March 12, 2022
Why Silver Is an "Oak-Solid" Investment / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
Imagine what an oak tree's underground root ball looks like, with supportive tendrils spreading out in all directions, not unlike what the limbs of this magnificent specimen are doing above-ground.
The result is an impregnable presence in all directions of the compass. "Open on strike and at depth" as a mining geologist might say.
Like Mycelium (the vegetative part of a fungus-like bacterial colony consisting of infinitely branching thread-like tendrils that can produce everything from plastics to plant-based meat), silver permeates life across all cultures and climates.
A strong case can be made that a severe and sustained shortage of silver could impede and perhaps even cause an implosion of humankind's technological-quality of life.
Saturday, March 12, 2022
The Ukraine War Is on for Two Weeks. How Does It Affect Gold? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
With each day of the Russian invasion, gold confirms its status as the safe-haven asset. Its long-term outlook has become more bullish than before the war.Two weeks have passed since the Russian attack on Ukraine. Two weeks of the first full-scale war in Europe in the 21th century, something I still can’t believe is happening. Two weeks of completely senseless conflict between close Slavic nations, unleashed without any reasonable justification and only for the sake of Putin’s imperial dreams and his vision of Soviet Reunion. Two weeks of destruction, terror, and death that captured the souls of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of civilians, including dozens of children.
Just yesterday, Russian forces bombed a maternity hospital in southern Ukraine. I used to be a fan of Russian literature and classic music (who doesn’t like Tolstoy or Tchaikovsky?), but the systematic bombing of civilian areas (and the use of thermobaric missiles) makes me doubt whether the Russians really belong to the family of civilized nations.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Gold Tries to Hold Above $2000 - Hard Landing Ahead? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
Gold has hit $2,000 but is still struggling to maintain that historical level. It has already tried 8 times - will the ninth attempt succeed? Many indications make this doubtful.
Gold is attempting to break above the $2,000 milestone, and miners are trying to break above their declining resistance line. Will they manage to do so, and if so, how long will the rally last?
Tuesday, March 08, 2022
Ukraine’s Defense Shines ‒ and So Does Gold / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
Russian forces have made minimal progress against Ukraine in recent days. Unlike the invader, gold rallied very quickly and achieved its long-awaited target - $2000!
Nobody expected the Russian inquisition! Nobody expected such a fierce Ukrainian defense, either. Of course, the situation is still very dramatic. Russian troops continued their offensive and – although the pace slowed down considerably – they managed to make some progress, especially in southern Ukraine, by bolstering air defense and supplies. The invaders are probably preparing for the decisive assault on Kyiv. Where Russian soldiers can’t break the defense, they bomb civilian infrastructure and attack ordinary people, including targeting evacuation corridors, to spread terror. Several Ukrainian cities are besieged and their inhabitants lack basic necessities. The humanitarian crisis intensifies.
Monday, March 07, 2022
Sanctions Threat Already Wipes Out Almost all Russian Oil / Commodities / Crude Oil
Crude Oil Climbs High. Is It Enough to Enjoy a Better View?
The threat of sanctions caused a stir in the markets: WTI spiked above $130 and Brent is nearing the $140 mark. Where is crude oil going next?
A possible Western embargo on Russian oil caused oil prices to soar again on Monday, as stock markets feared persistent inflation and a consequent economic slowdown.
On the US dollar side, the continued rally of the greenback has propelled the dollar index (DXY) towards higher levels, as it is now approaching the three-figure mark ($100), even though it has not had a huge impact on crude oil, other petroleum products, or any other commodities in general. What we rather witness here is the greenback’s safe haven effect attracting investors, much like gold would tend to act in a “store of value” role.
Sunday, March 06, 2022
Fed’s Tightening Cycle: Bullish or Bearish for Gold? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
This month, the Fed is expected to hike interest rates. Contrary to popular belief, the tightening doesn't have to be adverse for gold. What does history show?March 2022 – the Fed is supposed to end its quantitative easing and hike the federal funds rate for the first time during recovery from a pandemic crisis . After the liftoff, the Fed will probably also start reducing the size of its mammoth balance sheet and raise interest rates a few more times. Thus, the tightening of monetary policy is slowly becoming a reality. The golden question is: how will the yellow metal behave under these conditions?
Let’s look into the past. The last tightening cycle of 2015-2019 was rather positive for gold prices. The yellow metal rallied in this period from $1,068 to $1,320 (I refer here to monthly averages), gaining about 24%, as the chart below shows.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, March 04, 2022
Gold Miners – Biggest Losers? That’s What Oil Says / Commodities / Gold and Silver Stocks 2022
After the war-driven gold rally, oil is starting to outperform. History between these two has already shown that someone may suffer. Many suggest: gold miners.
The precious metals corrected some of their gains yesterday, but overall, not much changed in them. However, quite a lot happened in crude oil, and in today’s analysis we’ll focus on what it implies for the precious metals market and, in particular – for mining stocks.
Friday, February 25, 2022
Gold Stocks’ Spring Rally 2022 / Commodities / Gold and Silver Stocks 2022
The gold miners’ stocks have mostly been consolidating sideways over this past half-year. They’ve been held down by periodic bouts of heavy gold-futures dumping on Fed-tightening fears. But as those traders exhaust their selling firepower, gold stocks have formed a strong technical base that is birthing their next major bull-market upleg. And a stiff tailwind is mounting as gold stocks enter their strongest season of the year.
Gold stocks exhibit strong seasonality because their price action mirrors that of their dominant primary driver, gold. Gold’s seasonality generally isn’t driven by supply fluctuations like grown commodities see, as its mined supply remains relatively-steady year-round. Instead gold’s major seasonality is demand-driven, with global investment demand varying considerably depending on the time in the calendar year.
This gold seasonality is fueled by well-known income-cycle and cultural drivers of outsized gold demand from around the world. Like clockwork these power major spring, autumn, and winter seasonal rallies in gold and thus its miners’ stocks. Interestingly market forces behind the former are the least-understood out of all gold’s seasonal surges. Maybe that’s why this imminent spring rally has also proven gold’s weakest.
Yet surprisingly gold stocks still enjoy their best seasonal outperformance relative to their metal during these same coming months! So gold stocks’ spring rally has proven their strongest seasonal one during gold’s modern bull-market years. This contradictory mismatch between gold’s worst seasonal rally and its miners’ best one offers an important clue on the spring rally’s motivating impetus, sentiment is the key.
Traders’ psychology exceedingly influences their capital-allocation decisions. They won’t buy gold or gold stocks or anything unless they are optimistic prices will climb on balance. After dark cold winters in the northern hemisphere where the vast majority of the world’s traders live, spring naturally breeds optimism. Its glorious expanding sunshine and warming temperatures universally buoy the spirits of nearly everyone.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, February 25, 2022
Gold: What Should We Expect Given the Ongoing Ukraine Conflict? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
As history shows, gold and silver rallies based on geopolitical tensions are often short-lived. Yesterday, a hint of a trend reversal appeared.
Don’t stop reading this mining stock analysis until you get to the part about junior mining stocks’ analogy. Something might interest you there.
While the unfortunate conflict confronting Russia and Ukraine has intensified in recent days, gold, silver, and mining stocks have benefited from the crisis. However, since history shows that geopolitical-tension-based rallies often reverse, Feb. 24 was likely a small indication of what should unfold over the next few months.
For example, gold’s sharp rally turned into a sharp intraday reversal on Feb. 24. While the S&P 500, the NASDAQ Composite, the S&P 500, and gold managed to end the session in the green, the GDX ETF declined by 1.93%.
Monday, February 21, 2022
Is It Worth Adding Gold to Your Portfolio in 2022? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
Gold prices declined in 2021 and the prospects for 2022 are not impressive as well. However, the yellow metal’s strategic relevance remains high.Last month, the World Gold Council published two interesting reports about gold. The first one is the latest edition of Gold Demand Trends, which summarizes the entire last year. Gold supply decreased 1%, while gold demand rose 10% in 2021. Despite these trends, the price of gold declined by around 4%, which – for me – undermines the validity of the data presented by the WGC.
I mean here that the relevance of some categories of gold demand (jewelry demand, technological demand, the central bank’s purchases) for the price formation is somewhat limited. The most important driver for gold prices is investment demand. Unsurprisingly, this category plunged 43% in 2021, driven by large ETF outlfows.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, February 18, 2022
2 Ways To Play The Commodity Boom In 2022 / Commodities / Metals & Mining
...
Thursday, February 17, 2022
Gold: Break-Out or Fake-Out? / Commodities / Gold and Silver 2022
Michael Ballanger looks at the recent rise in the gold price in light of what is happening in the broader markets and geopolitical activity.
Before I expand upon the events of the past week that caught my increasingly illusory attention span, I wish to impart upon my readers one of the many chasms that separate the generational narratives these days. When I first entered the Hallowed Halls of Bay Street in 1977, I was trained by men and women that can only be described as “warriors” in the sense that they carried a code of conduct into battle each and every day. Notwithstanding the blue blazers and grey-flannel slacks accompanying the perfunctory buttoned-down dress shirt, there was never a day nor occasion, no matter how casual, that did not demand a jacket and tie.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, February 17, 2022
This Rare Gas Is Now Worth 100X More Than Natural Gas / Commodities / Metals & Mining
...