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In an interview on July 8th in King World News I noted how gold that day had slipped into backwardation. Since then I have read a lot of commentary on various websites about backwardation, which made clear to me that this term and, more importantly, the implications to the gold price when backwardation appears areRead more

An article in The Wall Street Journal a few days ago caught my attention. It reported: “Gold prices dropped on signs that demand for the precious metal is sagging.
Global gold demand fell 11% during the third quarter compared with a year ago.

The Grexit, or Greece’s exit from the euro, is becoming more likely, judging by how frequently it is mentioned these days. Unfortunately, preparing for it may be more difficult than many believe. Before addressing that point, I would like to first illustrate the extent of the problem.

Six months ago I wrote that the gold mining stocks were on the runway and ready for take-off. I expected the gold mining stocks from that point to start outperforming gold bullion itself. Since then, however, little has happened.

November 23, 2011 – There are a number of common misconceptions about the gold confiscation foisted on the American people by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. Most of these have been offered as justification for FDR’s nefarious deed, and over time have endured to become urban legends. For example, perhaps the biggest and most enduringRead more

It has been said that book reviews are supposed to include something critical. Nevertheless, I have nothing negative to say about “Currency Wars”. It is a great book, and you will not be disappointed with it. But I do have one important thought to keep in mind as you read it.

In the twelve months ending August 31st, gold has risen 46.5%, but the XAU Index of precious metal mining stocks climbed only 17.7%. By itself, that is a good rate of return for mining stocks, but not what one would expect given gold’s appreciation over this period.

May 30, 2011 – Bull markets do not move in a straight line, nor do the price of gold and silver.  Their price advances, and then retreats to ‘correct’ the previous advance. For the past four weeks, gold and silver have been going through one of these periodic price corrections. During these corrections, underlying supportRead more

February 12, 2011 – In precious metal bull markets, silver outperforms.  Its price climbs at a faster rate than gold’s price.  The reverse happens in bear markets.  Silver’s price drops at a faster rate than gold’s price.  The following chart of the gold/silver ratio illustrates this phenomenon. At the peak of the last precious metalRead more

December 4, 2010 – The scramble for physical gold and silver is intensifying.  People increasingly want to own the real thing, and not some paper substitute, all of which come with counterparty risk.  This conclusion is apparent from the following two charts of gold and silver forwards, which are based on data made available byRead more