If you want a lesson on how to manipulate gold prices, you need only look at what Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) has been doing over the past few months.
Goldman set the table by predicting a turn in gold prices back in December 2012, which no doubt contributed to the precious metal's 5% decline in the first two months of the year.
At the end of February, Goldman issued a research report that said the big Wall Street bank had soured on the yellow metal, and dropped its three-month target for gold prices from $1,825 an ounce to $1,615, its six-month forecast from $1,805 to $1,600, and its one-year outlook from $1,800 to $1,550.
Then, just yesterday (Wednesday), Goldman doubled down on its negative outlook for gold prices.
The bank's new targets for gold prices are $1,530 in three months, $1,490 in six months and $1,390 in one year.
The double whammy - two downgrades in two months - had its intended effect, as gold prices fell 2%, to $1,558.80, after Goldman released its report. It was the biggest single-day percentage drop for gold in nearly six months.
"If you've ever suspected gold prices are being manipulated, you're not alone - and you're right, they are," said Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald.
The proof is right in front of us.
How Goldman Uses its Forecasts to Manipulate Gold Prices
In addition to the lower targets, Goldman's reports spell out why the bank thinks gold prices will decline, which are at least as important in the price manipulation strategy as the targets themselves.
Here's what Goldman said in its February report:
"The decline in prices since last fall and our updated forecast [emphasis ours] suggests that the turn in the gold price cycle is likely already underway. As a result, although our U.S. economic forecasts point to modest near-term upside to gold prices, we believe that a sharp recovery in prices to our previous price forecast is unlikely."
Goldman brazenly cites its own forecast as part of the evidence that the downward move in gold prices is happening. In other words, they're practically bragging about their manipulation of gold prices.
Then Goldman applies a Jedi mind-control technique to remedy the inherent contradiction in its forecasts for the U.S. economy and its targets for gold prices: "These are not the forecasts you are looking for."
Yesterday's report again advised investors to ignore economic realities and trust in Goldman instead.
"Despite resurgence in euro-area risk aversion and disappointing U.S. economic data, gold prices are unchanged over the past month, highlighting how conviction in holding gold is quickly waning," Goldman said in its research note.
Meanwhile, Fitz-Gerald said, the reasons gold is more likely to rise than fall - central bank money printing, central bank gold-buying, slowing production at gold mines, more Euro-zone troubles - haven't changed.
How Goldman's Gold Price Manipulation Works
The purpose behind all this, Fitz-Gerald explained, is to "get the weak money out, so they can accumulate more gold themselves."
In fact, this is a widely used Wall Street strategy that dates back at least to the 1920s.
For that matter, there's plenty of evidence Goldman uses this strategy to manipulate stocks and other commodities all the time.
Here's how it's done.
Often, the big banks are making subtle trades to help push the commodity - be it gold, a stock or anything else in the markets - in the direction they want it to go.
Issuing reports helps the cause by getting the media to transmit and amplify the message manipulators like Goldman are trying to send.
"Bigger firms like JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, PIMCO or any of a dozen other behemoths simply release a "research report' that is interpreted as gospel by the mainstream media and swallowed hook, line and sinker by millions of unsuspecting investors as a reason to buy or sell," Fitz-Gerald said.
For example, the MarketWatch headline on its story about yesterday's Goldman downgrades of gold prices proclaimed, "Another blow to gold - Goldman Sachs slashes 2013, 2014 forecast."
That story noted that Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) also had lowered its forecast for gold prices just the day before.
In short, investors need to pay close attention to what the big banks say about stocks and commodities, because very often they are betting in the opposite direction. If you fall for the misinformation, you'll end up on the wrong side of the trade - losing money while Wall Street operators like Goldman reap the big profits.
How to Deal With the Market Manipulators
Fitz-Gerald advised investors not to get frustrated and angry about Wall Street manipulation of stocks and gold prices, but rather to try to understand what's going on and use it for their own benefit.
"Do what Wall Street does, not what it says," Fitz-Gerald said.
That's not as hard as one might think, he said, noting that retail investors don't have the pressure to move around large amounts of money every day and don't need to worry about major moves that could tip off their strategies to other big competitors.
"You can use tactics the big boys can't," Fitz-Gerald said.
One thing that retail investors can do to avoid becoming a Wall Street patsy, he said, is to dollar-cost average (buy a set dollar amount of an investment at regular intervals) into things like gold and stocks.
"Dollar-cost averaging forces you to buy more when the price is low and less when the price is high," Fitz-Gerald said. "Maybe you can't compete with the big banks, but you can beat them at their own game."
Related Articles and News:
- Money Morning:
Gold Prices Are Being Manipulated and Here's What To Do About It - Money Morning:
This Gold Prices Chart Points to a 24% Jump - MarketWatch:
Another blow to gold - Goldman Sachs slashes 2013, 2014 forecast - Reuters:
Goldman Sachs cuts 2013, 2014 gold price forecasts
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It would be very enlightening (and perhaps finally call some attention to the reality of and reason for the manipulation) to find out EXACTLY how much gold Goldman has purchased on its own behalf while sending out its message to the general public that gold is simply a bubble that has now burst.
I subscribe to money morning and do my own research on any investing we are planning to do. I don't trust newspaper articles nor many of the "experts."
Find forums were "regular" people, who can only make small investments, watch the trends, reseaech them and make your decisions. We buy small amounts of copper, silver and gold, along with other tactile items and keep them in a wall safe, as we don't trust a bank having our future should they close their doors for any reason.
I probably could have said this by saying trust yourself, avoid political motivated investments,and research, research, research!
If Gold prices are being manipulated by Goldman Sachs…
so is the President's Popularity index and at the same time
his mistakes are minimized by ignoring bad news about his
policies.. It is as if the political News machine is part of the White House
propaganda office.
"Animal Farm" comes to mind.
Appreciate Silver and Gold news / updated / outlook etc
The real question is what short positions these market manipulators have in place when they issue their bearish "investment reports" , and which benefit them as soon as the man in the street bails out and the price collapses. These short positions increase in value, and with the use of options on top of shorts, the profits can be enormous.
The way I see it Keith is, because of your own investment strategy, you fell into the trap of weak money by selling Newmont Mining. If Goldman is pushing down the price so they can buy it cheaper, then they must feel it is going a lot higher in the future so why sell, if what you say is true.
Allen
There is no getting around the fact that extremely blatant manipulation of ALL precious metals prices is occurring. As usual the greedy billionaires are screwing everyone else. From 2-24-2017 to 3-14-2017 we saw ALL precious metals, not just gold take a big nosedive in unison in very nearly equal proportions.
On 3-15-2017 we witnessed for several hours extremely bizarre precious metals price charts which showed gold, silver, platinum, and palladium literally going straight up on the graph as though God had committed a supernatural act to suddenly reverse the nosedive in prices. All 4 metals skyrocketed in unison.
No doubt manipulative transactions are being made by the big banks and greedy billionaires to cause these erratic gyrations. These greedy billionaires are using other weapons as well. The internet is getting flooded with warnings of a severe crash in gold prices by the end of 2017. So who is is responsible for putting out these scary warnings? The big banks and greedy billionaires who stand to benefit financially from such a crash! It's the old story about the self-fulfilling prophecy. If most people think a big-time price cash is coming they will help cause the crash by selling off their precious metals!
These greedy bastards have yet another weapon in their toolbox! If worse comes to worse and precious metals prices just keep going up they can arrange to have the U.S. government confiscate people's gold and silver! A few large financial contributions to the president and prominent congressmen and senators will do the trick!