December 08, 2014 - 13:44:43 PST

Japan' s Debt Hits 245% Of GDP ... Why We&rsquo re Headed There Too

And there isn' t any light at the end of the tunnel for the country. Economic conditions are worsening to the point that ... Read More

 

12/8/2014 11:11:20 AM By: Paul Stevens

 

METALS GAINING AS STOCKS PULL BACK

Precious Metal prices are on the rise during morning trading, regaining some of the losses suffered after the release of the U.S. non-farm payrolls report. Gold lost 1.1 percent Friday, but the  yellow metal is gaining as a European equities fall provided support.  Although the market has recently experienced much volatility, some analysts believe investors are already considering an interest rate increase by the Federal Reserve in 2015. INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir said, " We suspect that Gold will likely be at its most vulnerable over next three to six months, which is when we see the highest likelihood of a rate hike that should sweep the dollar higher."

U.S. stocks pulled back Monday  on data showing slower than expected Chinese imports, while Japan' s economy shrank in the third quarter more than expected. This coupled with oil prices dropping to the lowest point in five years has investors concerned about global growth. Rockwell Global Capital Chief Market Economist Peter Cardillo said, " While the weakness in the global economy is quite noticeable, in general what we are seeing here is a slower pace of increments as we close out the year."

At 12:09 p.m. (ET), the APMEX Precious Metals spot prices were:

• Gold, $1,196.20 Up $2.80
• Silver, $16.31 Up $0.01

12/5/2014 10:00:12 AM By: Paul Stevens

 

U.S. PAYROLL DATA SUPRISES AS METALS RETREAT

Precious Metal prices are on the move and experiencing a pullback during morning trading.  The much anticipated release of the U.S. payroll report has provided pressure to metals as the report showed an increase in jobs by 321,000 in November, which was well beyond the expectation of 235,000 jobs being added.  However, with the  physical market having very high demand, some analyst are looking to the Federal Reserve&rsquo s policy meeting in December for further direction.  ABN Amro analyst Georgette Boele said, " It will be interesting to see how (gold) develops as we move towards the FOMC meeting on Dec 17."

A day after U.S. stocks fell from record highs, they are starting to fluctuate.  Yesterday&rsquo s announcement by the ECB that it will wait until 2015 to reconsider additional easing has disappointed some investors, however, today&rsquo s U.S. payroll data spurred demand as investors consider higher interest rates on the horizon.  During a phone interview, Bill Schultz, who oversees $1.2 billion as chief investment officer at McQueen, Ball & Associates said, " Is the Fed now more likely to raise rates sooner than later? That&rsquo s probably muting what would&rsquo ve been a much stronger reaction in the equity market to pretty good numbers."

At 10:58 a.m. (ET), the APMEX Precious Metals spot prices were:

 

• Gold, $1,198.50 Down $12.20
  
  Silver, $16.38 Down $0.24
•  

 

December 05, 2014 - 06:44:37 PST

Full-Time Jobs Down 150K, Participation Rate Remains At 35 Year Lows, " No Job Market For Young Men"

furthermore, the breakdown was skewed fully in favor of Part-Time jobs, which rose by 7

 

December 04, 2014 - 04:34:16 PST

Gold Market Update - Clive Maund

This points to a probable strong advance dead ahead, so today' s reaction should be used to clear out any short positions... Read More

 

December 04, 2014 - 04:41:29 PST

Silver Market Update - Clive Maund

Silver' s latest COT looks quite strongly bullish, more so than gold' s.... once the price does break above it should adva... Read More

 

12/4/2014 2:15:42 PM By: Brandi Brundidge

 

GOLD MOVES AHEAD OF ECB MEETING U.S. UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS FALL

Gold slightly moved back during early morning trading ahead of the European Central Bank (ECB) meeting due to an expected announcement for further fiscal policy as the euro has been performing poorly compared to the U.S. dollar.  The U.S. dollar has soared to a two-year high, while the euro dropped to less than $1.23 for the first time in over two years today.  " Generally European easing has played out on gold via a stronger dollar (and) weaker gold prices," Citi analyst David Wilson said. " (Though)  it seems to me that there is a decent physical floor which is going to prevent gold from dipping too low."   The ECB decision to push further monetary policy and Friday&rsquo s U.S. payroll figures will provide investors a better perspective on the U.S. economy&rsquo s growth.  " We expect gold to be supported should the U.S. payroll number disappoint and weaken if it exceeds expectations," HSBC said in a note.

According to the Labor Department, for the week ending November 29, state unemployment benefits claims dropped by 17,000 to a seasonally adjusted 297,000.  Currently, the unemployment rate is following the trends predicted by analysts reaching a six-year low of 5.8 percent.  Tomorrow&rsquo s report for November&rsquo s U.S. payroll number will provide accurate figures on how the job market is actually performing.

At 3:15 p.m. (ET), the APMEX Precious Metals spot prices were:

• Gold, $1,211.00 Down $0.70
• Silver, $16.58 Up $0.13

December 03, 2014 - 03:15:32 PST

Why Gold Made A Bullish Reversal After Swiss Voted No On Gold Referendum

It&rsquo s not just me that sees the value in Gold, but entire nations. The Swiss voters decided not to back the Franc with a ... read more

12/3/2014 11:26:44 AM By: Paul Stevens

 

METALS RANGEBOUND AS INVESTORS AWAIT KEY DATA

Precious Metal prices are trading relatively flat through morning trading after seeing volatility command the market the two prior sessions.  As investors prepare for the release of key economic data on U.S. markets and an announcement by European Central Bank head, Mario Draghi, firmer oil prices are helping provide a boost to the metals.  Speaking of the recent movement in metals,  Julius Baer analyst Carsten Menke said, " The key drivers in the medium to longer term are the recovering U.S. economy and expected rate hikes next year, which should dent investor demand for gold."

U.S. stocks have seen little movement Wednesday as investors continue to gauge the market.  Although many are awaiting for labor and other reports for direction,  some strategist believe tomorrow' s ECB policy meeting could provide the influence some investors are needing.  Jim Paulsen, investment strategist at Wells Capital Management, said &ldquo We' re going to have another 200,000-plus payroll number if ADP is any indication, and unit labor costs should stay low. Put those two together and you have real growth without inflation. That' s a recipe for a melt-up in the stock market.&rdquo

At 12:25 p.m. (ET), the APMEX Precious Metals spot prices were:

• Gold, $1,211.30 Up $8.80
• Silver, $16.43 Down $0.07