gold price forecast
-
Gold Price Drop Drives Global Buying Frenzy
The recent gold price drop caused some major losses in the paper gold market, but it's triggered a gold rush for physical buyers.
Ever since the precious metal got clobbered in a two-day period by heavy short selling in the futures market, there has been an unprecedented frenzy around the globe for the actual physical metal, in the form of bullion, jewelry, bars and coins.
In fact, the U.S. Mint announced Tuesday it had suspended sales of its one-tenth ounce American Eagle gold bullion coins for the first time since November 2009, as demand depleted the government's inventory.
The gold bears must be scratching their heads...
-
Why Gold Really Crashed and What You Can Do About It
The news is great at telling us what's happening. But knowing what's happening is a lot different than understanding what happened - and that's what makes the difference between an average investor and truly great investors.
Gold's crash Monday is a perfect example. The media was falling all over itself as one pundit after the other came on TV to talk about how gold was falling and how far off its highs it was. Few tied the devastating slide to real economic events -- let alone made the connection to actual trading.
But that's my bread and butter. Today I'm going to tell you what really happened and why - from a market insider's perspective. Then I'm going to tell you what to expect next and, most importantly, how you can use the situation to your advantage.
There are three fundamental things going on - all of which are at a very high level and all of which are completely transparent to most investors:
-
As Cyprus Struggles, Now Is the Time to Buy Gold
I'll bet a few Cypriot bank account holders are paying much closer attention to gold now.
Since the announcement that Cyprus was looking to confiscate up to 10% of bank deposits, gold has risen by up to $24/ounce on safe haven demand.
After all, gold is real wealth, and it's the only asset that's not simultaneously someone else's liability.
Central bankers, even in the West, know this too. As former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan once said:
"Gold is the canary in the coal mine. It signals problems with respect to currency markets. Central banks should pay attention to it."
I just hope the irony of that message -- and its messenger -- aren't lost on you.
As for Cyprus, this ongoing crisis has it all. Along with gold, there's debt, energy, intrigue and a long storied history...
-
The Ultimate Gift for Your Gold Lover and 5 Other Amazing Consumer Trends
Last weekend marked the official start of the holiday shopping season in the U.S., so for the next month, consumers will be enticed with daily deals on the latest fads, such as one-cup coffee makers, tablets, flat screens and cashmere sweaters.
According to the latest survey from the Consumer Electronic Association, about 60 percent of adults plan to shop in stores or online during the holiday weekend, with the average person indicating they'll fork over $218 for gifts and merchandise from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday.
This is a sharp increase from 2011, where shoppers said they'd spend $159.
For the ultimate gold lover on your shopping list, one amazing purchase you can nab is a Christmas tree complete with Disney characters and gold leaf ribbons made of 88 pounds of pure gold from a jewelry store in Tokyo, according to Reuters.
The ornamental tree will set you back $4.2 million, but there's also a smaller version available for $243,000.
But that's not the only thing that has grabbed my attention this holiday season. Here are 5 other amazing consumer trends that are happening around the world.
To continue reading, please click here... -
Gold Prices Await Big News from Bernanke
Gold prices are desperately waiting for bullish news from the Federal Reserve this week after slipping from last week's gains.
Last week, gold woke up from its sleepy August and increased 3.5%. It saw its greatest one-week jump since January and gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) followed in its footsteps by reaching four-month highs and breaking 200-day moving averages.
These jumps came in response to the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes that suggested the need for more stimulus and some sort of quantitative easing. The report release extended the recent precious metals rally initiated by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, who pledged his commitment to keep the Eurozone in place.
Gold prices on Monday fell from last week's high of $1,674.28 to $1,671.80, and have continued that decline this week. The most actively traded contract for December delivery was down Thursday morning by $1.10, or 0.1%, to $1,661.90 per ounce.
So what happened to dampen last week's enthusiasm for gold?Europe, China Pound Gold Prices
News from abroad knocked down some of the gold price optimism.
Germany's Ifo Institute announced Monday that its business sentiment declined for a fourth consecutive month in August to 102.3; this came in lower than the 102.6 estimates and July's revised 103.2 figure.
To continue reading, please click here...
-
Gold Prices Waiting to Rally on Central Bank Decisions
Last week it was earnings reports taking center stage, this week it's policy statements from the U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank (ECB).
What comes out of the central banks could have a huge impact on the gold market. Gold prices have been on the rise - 2.5% last week - and could keep going depending on what the central banks deliver.
Gold prices on Monday saw their fourth consecutive day of increases. The August contract rose 0.1% to $1.70 with a $1,619.70 settlement price, thanks to market participants buying on optimism from this week's Fed action.
A two-day meeting begins today (Tuesday) for the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). After its conclusion Wednesday, market watchers will be waiting with bated breath on whether a third round of quantitative easing (or QE3 as it is fondly called) will take place.
If that isn't enough, there's Thursday's meeting over in Europe with the ECB. They're also set to make a monetary policy decision.
Let's take a look at these two potential actions that could drive up the price of gold.
To continue reading, please click here... -
Gold Prices: Begging for QE3
The Fed's Operation Twist announcement Wednesday slammed gold prices, and the yellow metal fell 2.5% Thursday.
Gold for August delivery ended last week down 3.8% to about $1,570 an ounce, well below its 2011 high of $1,920.30.
Before the two-day FOMC meeting, gold was up 4% year-to-date. Gold rose at the beginning of the week on hopes that the Fed would announce accommodative moves.
In the last round of easy-money moves back in January, gold rallied as high as 15% as investors flocked to the asset for protection. Since then, gold has dropped numerous times from a lack of additional news of more easing.
Gold was once again disappointed last week when the Fed said it would keep twisting, and the lack of a more aggressive maneuver failed to give a needed gold rally.
"To get gold really moving, you need a definite QE3," Sterling Smith, commodity analyst with Citi Institutional Client Group, told Kitco News. "Operation Twist is not nearly the food for a gold bull that outright QE is."
Gold Prices and Operation Twist
On Wednesday morning, the Fed announced the extension of its long-term government bond holdings by $267 billion to decrease borrowing costs while selling an equal figure of short-term securities to keep its $2.9 trillion balance sheet.
While scheduled to end this month, the Fed extended the Operation Twist program until the end of the year.
Operation Twist is derived from a Federal Reserve program that "twists" the yield curve or sells short-term securities from its holdings and buys longer-term ones in an effort to drive down longer-term yields.
Market watchers had been mixed about this happening.
Barclay's Capital saw Operation Twist as "the most likely outcome," saying it would provide additional time for the Fed to sift through and mull soft data that is "payback" from the additional warm winter hiring or a potentially lengthier prolonged slowdown, reported Kitco.
But since Operation Twist was considered the least the Fed could do, markets had priced it in already.
Jeffrey Wright, managing director and research analyst with Global Hunter Securities, said to Kitco he expected limited gains for gold on the heels of the "Twist," possibly to the $1,650 range, as the market has already been adding in the possibility for Fed action.
To continue reading, please click here...
