Assessing The Short-Term Outlook For The Precious Metals And The Miners

Precious metals expert Michael Ballanger assesses the gold-silver ratio and its ramifications for the market.

Gold-Silver Ratio Chart

I want to go on the record and state categorically that, in my opinion, technical analysis is of limited value when trying to predict the short-term movements of precious metals. However, there are millions of traders and investors out there who believe that it does work despite interventions, manipulations, and the ability of the bullion banks to fabricate a surrogate for actual physical gold by way of paper futures. In light of that, the short-term technical set-ups for gold and silver and the miners are all different in that after Friday's month-end bombardment, which originated in the London options market, that formidable uptrend line that began in December 2015 has finally been vanquished. The ramifications could be nasty next week because for the second year in a row, the seasonally strong month of September failed to shine (at least for gold). The big question is now whether or not we get a follow-through to the 200-dma at $1,252 before resuming the uptrend or will that large Commercial short position serve as a demand catalyst and limit any meaningful downside? Continue reading "Assessing The Short-Term Outlook For The Precious Metals And The Miners"

Precious Metals Sector Downside Target on Friday's Market Rout

Technical analyst Clive Maund assesses the precious metals landscape after Friday's broad market selloff, and offers strategies for precious metals investors.

After what happened on Friday, many Precious Metals sector investors are naturally concerned about the effect of further heavy losses in the broad market on the sector. Let's now review Friday's action, starting with the broad market itself, before moving on to consider the likely impact on the PM sector.

After almost two months of quietly drifting sideways, the ground opened up beneath the broad market on Friday, as we can see on the 6-month chart for the SP 500 index below. It gapped down at the open and plunged by 2.45%, heading ever lower as the day unfolded, there was not even the customary bounce in the last hour of trading. Continue reading "Precious Metals Sector Downside Target on Friday's Market Rout"

A Zombie Financial System, Black Swans and A Gold Share Correction

Bob Moriarty of 321Gold says that since the crash of 2008, the financial system has become a zombie, and he urges investors to pay attention to when they take some money off the table.

Black Swans

The world's financial system died in mid-September of 2008. Since then it has become something out of Night of the Living Dead, in other words, a zombie. Central banks around the world came up with an interesting new concept that you could somehow borrow and spend your way to prosperity. Great concept but it seems to have failed utterly.

We have a zombie financial system now and the world owes more than at any point in history. Most governments are functionally bankrupt yet they want to borrow and spend more in the hopes that if it didn't work before, maybe it will somehow work if they do more of it. Our grandchildren and their children are going to be paying for this monumental stupidity. Continue reading "A Zombie Financial System, Black Swans and A Gold Share Correction"

Putting Gold Miners Into Proper Perspective

Precious metals expert Michael Ballanger reviews a number of the key elements that have characterized 2016's advance in gold, silver and the associated mining, development and exploration stocks.

GDXJ Chart

With the summer of 2016 passing by at an alarming pace, I think it is important to take a few moments away from the enchanting beauty of Georgian Bay and review a number of the key elements that have characterized 2016's breathtaking advance in gold, silver and the associated mining, development and exploration stocks. While gold bullion is ahead 26.6% year-to-date, the gold mining stocks have demonstrated their incredible contained leverage and why, when the market operates properly, they are vastly more rewarding than the physical metals themselves. However, the 2016 advance has had many analysts questioning the integrity of this latest move as the HUI (NYSE Arca Gold BUGS Index) and the XAU (Philadelphia Gold and Silver Index) have defied gravity, the laws of physics, the Law of Diminishing Returns, and just about every other law that historically pertains to the behavior of stocks. Continue reading "Putting Gold Miners Into Proper Perspective"

Signs Are Silver Bull Market Is Consolidating

Having hit a target, silver has formed what is believed to be an intermediate top over the past five weeks or so, which it should soon start to descend from, says technical analyst Clive Maund.

Silver 8-month chart

On its three-month chart, we can see this presumed topping pattern started with the appearance of a prominent "Gravestone Doji" or "Shooting Star" candlestick early in July, with its negative implications being amplified by its having occurred on very high volume. While moving averages are in bullish alignment, the now yawning gap between the 50-day and 200-day makes a correction likely. After dipping back during August, the price rallied toward the highs early this month, and then failed, dropping hard on Friday, making it very likely that a Double Top is completing. Continue reading "Signs Are Silver Bull Market Is Consolidating"