Saturday, October 31, 2015

Halloween Surprise: How Will The US Banks Plug Their $120B Capital Shortfall? Trick Or Treat?

Published here: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-31/halloween-surprise-how-will-us-banks-plug-their-120b-capital-shortfall-trick-or-trea

scary banker

 

Source: searchglobalnews.wordpress.com

The Federal Reserve had a nasty surprise for the financial markets right before the Halloween weekend (the perfect timing to sweep something under the carpet and hoping the markets will have forgotten about it by Monday). At 8PM on Friday night (again, perfect timing, the Fed made sure all Bloomberg terminals were switched off and the average Wall Street trader was already spending his salary in a fancy Manhattan bar), a statement was issued, confirming the major banks in the USA would need an additional capital injection of $120B to secure the safety of the financial system and to get rid of the capital shortfall.

The governors of the Federal Reserve have confirmed and approved a draft version of the proposal, and it will now be made available for public comments. The remarkable part of the proposal is the fact the council of governors is proposing to fill the gap by raising additional debt, instead of issuing new shares to increase the equity level on the banks’ balance sheets.

Banks capital shortfall 1

Source: opengov.com

The six major banks will be hit by this new proposal, and it’s widely expected JP Morgan and Citigroup will have the hardest task to comply with the Fed’s requirements. So okay, if the $120B could be covered by new (probably subordinated) debt issues, the damage could be limited to the banks just paying a few billions in interest expenses per year. Nothing to lose your sleep over.

However, what’s really disturbing here is that these same banks, 6 years after the global financial crisis, are still facing shortcomings on the balance sheet front. Despite the government and the Federal Reserve claiming that the ‘crisis is over’ and the American economy is ‘healthy again’, apparently the banks would still have difficulties to deal with any decent-sized economic crisis.

Banks Capital Shortfall 3

But wait, that’s not all. On Friday, the European Central Bank also announced the results of a review of the situation of the Greek banks in the Euro-system. Apparently, there still is a huge hole in the Greek financial sector (surprise, surprise), and the Greek banks would need an additional capital injection of in excess of $15B , just to survive any adverse economic scenario in the country.

Banks Capital Shortfall 2

Source: politico.com

And this will very likely prove to be a much tougher challenge for these banks as the combined market capitalization of the four largest banks in Greece is less than $5B. Oops. Do you see the problem here?

It will be close to impossible to inject another $15B in those 4 Greek banks without a complete nationalization or at least absorption by a larger entity. And okay, yes, approximately $25B of Greece’s next rescue package is earmarked to be used to support the banks, but that’s only kicking the can further down the road.

Let it be clear. We are NOT out of the danger zone yet, and with a shortfall of $120B at the six largest banks in the USA and a $15B shortfall in Greece (roughly 3 times the market capitalization of the four largest Greek banks COMBINED), the situation actually looks pretty bad. There’s no way the Federal Reserve could maintain its position that ‘everything is going great in the USA’.

>>> Read our Latest Gold Report!

Secular Investor offers a fresh look at investing. We analyze long lasting cycles, coupled with a collection of strategic investments and concrete tips for different types of assets. The methods and strategies are transformed into the Gold & Silver Report and the Commodity Report.

Follow us on Facebook @SecularInvestor [NEW] and Twitter @SecularInvest

COT Data For Gold At Topworthy Level

Published here: http://goldsilverworlds.com/trading/cot-data-for-gold-at-topworthy-level/

There has been a rapid movement over the past few weeks by commercial traders of gold futures to increase their net short position as a group.  That is a development which has importance for the future of gold prices.

The data for this week’s chart come from the weekly Commitment of Traders (COT) Report, published each week by the CFTC.  Within that report, the CFTC breaks down futures traders into 3 groups.  That agency provides a full page of wonky definitions of each category, but here are my abbreviated versions

Commercial Traders.  The big money, and thus presumably the smart money.  Think Goldman Sachs for stock index futures, or Archer Daniels Midland for wheat futures.

Non-Commercial Traders.  The big speculators, AKA hedge funds.  They usually have the opposite position from the commercials, with the exact difference between them consisting of the positions held by…

Non-Reportable Traders.  The small money, and nearly always the dumb money.  They are called non-reportable because the size of positions they hold is so small that the CFTC deems them not to merit reporting individually.

I report on the relevant developments in the COT Report data in every Friday’s Daily Edition.  Not every week has meaningful insights for every one of the futures contracts that I follow.  Generally speaking, these data are most valuable when they show an extreme reading, because extremes suggest that a move in the other direction is likely.  But figuring out what an extreme reading consists of can be a bit of a trick.

For gold, a big part of that trick is knowing that the commercial traders have been continuously net short since late 2001, and so the game consists of evaluating their current position relative to the range of recent values.  Part of the reason for that bias by the gold commercials to the short side is that a lot of the commercial traders are actually gold mining companies who use the futures markets to sell their future production at a price known when they enter the contract.  Since they are always producing, and since financing is sometimes tied to a requirement to fix the sales price, we get a seemingly bearish bias in the data.

Gold prices bottomed at the end of July 2015, when the commercial traders were at their smallest net short position in years.  As gold prices rebounded, the commercials gradually started upping their short positions.  That movement toward a larger net short position just recently gained a lot of urgency, as if they knew that a top was coming very soon and they needed to get positioned for it.  This is something we commented on in our Daily Edition as it was happening, and last week we noted that the level was high enough to get ready for a trend change.  That’s a cue to be extra attentive to indications of trend change, and we outlined such criteria for our Daily Edition readers.

That trend change was brought about by the FOMC’s Oct. 28 announcement, which hinted at a probable rate hike in December 2015.  How did the commercials know that was the way that the ball was going to bounce?  They do seem to have that talent a lot of the time, which I suppose is how they got to be the big money.

This chart is only current through last week’s COT Report data, because this coming Friday’s report is not out yet.  The reports are released each Friday at 3:30 Eastern time, and they reflect traders’ positions held as of the preceding Tuesday.  So even when we get the COT Report for this week, we will only know how the commercial traders were positioned before the FOMC meeting, and not how they may have responded to the news.  That we can update after getting next Friday’s COT Report.

cot_gold_30_oct_2015

If you are interested in following the insights I find in the COT data on gold, bonds, and occasionally copper, crude oil, gasoline, coal, silver, and currencies, you might be interested in our Daily Edition.

Tom McClellan | The McClellan Market Report | www.mcoscillator.com

Month-End Technical Review For Gold And Silver

Published here: http://goldsilverworlds.com/price/month-end-technical-review-for-gold-and-silver/

A proverbial picture [chart], being worth 1,000 words, we will let the charts speak for themselves, with observations/comments attached to each one.

From our perspective, the charts are saying, irrespective of what anyone is reading or following regarding gold and silver, there appears to be no change in trend for the near term.  The state of China’s economy; possible confrontation between China and the US now sending ships to irritate/challenge China’s control over it part of the ocean where she is building new bases; flagging response to the Fed’s ongoing failure of injecting more and more fiat in an already over bloated fiat economy, in fact, world-wide; Russia’s ongoing embarrassment of Washington with Russia’s pinpoint air force accuracy bombing ISIS terrorists, and commensurate challenge of taking control of the Mid East from the flailing Sunni Arab coalition, Western political disarray, etc, etc, etc.

Then there is the never-ending slew of new directly related information as to facts and fundamentals about gold and silver and the ever-missing market interpretations arising from all available information.

As we always maintain, charts are the cumulative distillation of all news and also the input from all buyers and sellers that can impact the market that would otherwise be impossible to assemble and then assimilate in order to make sense of it all.  The charts’ developing market activity accomplishes that.  It then becomes a function of how well the charts can be understood in the message[s] being conveyed for all to see.

The most obvious competition for Precious Metals [PMs], is fiat currency, and no country has been more manipulative in internationally suppressing the price of gold than the US Federal Reserve, aided and abetted by the corporate federal government.  It is a perfect cover for the international elite bankers/globalists pulling the strings behind government, while at the same time, having the masses believe it is the government actually in control.

It is impossible to keep issuing endless amounts of fiat without eventually destroying the economy, and this has been on an international scale via the IMF, BIS, and central banks. It is a testament to the insidious strength of the globalists to subvert and distort the world economy and still maintain control over those being ruled.

The US-issued fiat Federal Reserve Notes, widely accepted as “dollars,” has maintained its
relative strength, as noted by what appears to be a weak reaction, [see chart],given the degree of the rally from the 80 area.  What we know about weak reactions [pullbacks in a rally], is that they almost always lead to higher prices.

The premise behind that observation is simple.  If sellers have spent as much effort as they can to get price lower, and all they can accomplish is a mild correction, it is an indication that the market is in stronger hands preventing price from going lower.  Once the sellers have expended themselves, new buyers, recognizing that price has held well, will rush in and add to the demand to push price higher.

The sideways TR since the March ’15 high has the earmarks of a weak reaction, holding the 93 area on each attempt to breach that level and take price lower.  The failed August probe lower has held twice in retest attempts, the latest 3 weeks ago.  Some might interpret last week’s failed retest of 98 and lower close as negative.  While the range is smaller, indicating a lack of buyer ability to maintain the rally, but equally compelling is the fact that the sell off did not make much progress moving price lower.  TRs [Trading Ranges], can be difficult to trade because price if failing to go to newer highs or newer lows.  Best to let the TR play itself out and “go with” the confirmed directional breakout.

dollar_30Oct15

Twelve times a year, we get to present the monthly charts in order to keep a higher time frame perspective.  Higher time frames are much harder to turn and change trend, so it pays to always be aware of what a monthly chart is indicating.   A fact that all can agree on is that price is at recent lows when compared to the 2011 highs.  That indicates the trend is down.  It would be impossible to argue otherwise, whether one is an experienced chart reader or has no experience.

The comments on the chart further amplify the logic of understanding what the message of this particular chart is conveying.  There is no identifiable piece of evidence that indicates any sign for change, and no change can occur before one sees such sign[s].  That may sound simplistic, but it is also true.

gold_30Oct15

Before we see a possible change on the monthly chart, a change on the next lower time frame weekly chart will show up first.  What we like to see in reading charts is a form of synergy where the respective lower time frames are in sync.  We see that on the weekly: the trend is down.  A similar channel shows a downward direction, and even within the channel, as is noted, price labors on rallies and has greater EDM [Ease of Downward Movement], indicating sellers are still in overall control.  From 1,200, it took price 5 weeks to reach the last swing low.  Since, the current reaction rally is in its 14th week and has yet to fully retrace to 1,200.

The current rally not only has failed to retrace all the loss from 1,200, over the last 14 weeks, the rally also failed to get much past a halfway retracement within the channel. Buyers need to demonstrate an ability to effect change, and any change on the weekly will first show up on the next lower time frame, the daily chart.  You may be able to sense how the charts “talk” to anyone wanting to observe their message.

Charts are organically evolving in the sense that they reflect the efforts of living buyers and sellers, and computerized input still results from live direction in their origin.  Charts change constantly, especially on the lower time frames.  Being able to “read” the developing “story” is the best edge one can have.

While still nearer the lows, we can see the potential for change developing on a small-scale, since the July swing low.  There is a small high followed by a higher low, and then another higher high, last week.  If the next reaction lower holds above the last swing low, forming another higher low, the short-term trend will change to at least sideways.

The next question is, does the daily confirm the weekly, which we noted already confirms he monthly, thus adding to the synergy of time frames?  When charts are complimentary over time frames, it makes taking positions within the obvious momentum potentially more profitable.

gold_weekly_30Oct15

It is easier to see the high in August followed by a higher low and then the higher October swing high, which is now being corrected.  To the extent one can say gold has been trying to change trend to go higher, the angle of the rally is somewhat lax, bars are overlapping, gains harder to sustain themselves, yet price is marginally working higher.

All we can do is watch the character of this current reaction already underway and watch how much lower it goes, noting the size of the bar ranges and accompanying volume.  For now, there is little to be excited about in terms of a change in trend for gold, even silver.

gold_daily_30Oct15

The set up for silver is slightly different from gold.  The further price declines, the less is the net downward progress, but price is still going lower, so do not try to anticipate a change where none has yet occurred.  The inability of price to rally up and away from the support area remains problematic.

What can be said about monthly silver is that price, for October, has a higher high, higher low, and higher close.  That observation follows three months of a clustering of closes.  This could be subtle sigh of possible change, but it would still need to be confirmed by stronger overall performance to the upside.

silver_monthly_30Oct15

What has to be respected the most in reading the weekly chart is the fact that the current rally from the August swing low has not been able to rally above and hold, a halfway retracement in the current TR.

NMW  [Needs More Work]

silver_weekly_30Oct15

We saw the developing “story” in silver as being more positive in some time, up until last Wednesday’s failed breakout rally.  Like the fiat “dollar,” discussed in the first chart, the rally from the early October low was holding its gains from the past few weeks.  The reaction was weak, and weak reactions lead to higher prices, which is how we were viewing developing activity in silver.

The breakout rally on Wednesday did not hold.  It was not confirmed, a term we often employ in judging market activity.  It made sense to buy the breakout, which occurred on
strong volume, but nothing is guaranteed, and a small loss resulted, the cost of doing business.

So far, the correction has not extended lower when sellers had every opportunity to press the trapped new buyers but failed to do so.  Now, we simply have to watch how the market activity unfolds next week, for how it unfolds will be the message from the market as to what to expect moving forward.

If it is not clear, then there is nothing to do.  Go with the flow.

silver_daily_30Oct15

Silver Prices to Resume Bullish Trend

Published here: http://www.profitconfidential.com/silver/silver-prices-to-resume-bullish-trend/

Silver Remains Bullish
Silver is in the midst of a mini-Renaissance. After trending downward since the middle of May, the silver price rebounded in early October, and is up 9.3% since the beginning of the month, near $15.85. Unlike previous increases which were very short lived (January, March, and May 2015), silver prices have held steady over the last few weeks.

This has resulted in more than a few analysts calling for silver prices to trade sideways. Keep in mind, at the beginning of the year, analysts had been calling for silver prices to average just $13.00 per ounce.

The post Silver Prices to Resume Bullish Trend appeared first on Profit Confidential.

Friday, October 30, 2015

Silver’s Bearish Signal

Published here: http://goldsilverworlds.com/price/silvers-bearish-signal/

By Short Side Of Long:

Several days ago, we published a post titled “Why Are Precious Metals Declining?” and stated that precious metals sector has just gone through “a rather sharp reversal in sentiment [which] usually tends to signal a correction during uptrends or a potential for another leg down during downtrends. This is unless of course, assets like Silver can continue a sustained rally with a break above the 200 day MA. We continue to track the overall sector very closely…”

silver_bearish_oct2015

We have been monitoring the price action with a magnifying glass. Interestingly, Silver did not manage to follow through. The metal posted a false break out above the 200 day moving average during the FOMC meeting, which was followed by a extremely sharp reversal at this important pivot level. To us, this signals an extremely bearish setup and therefore we have taken appropriate action over the last 24 hours.

silver_cot_oct2015

While the next Commitment of Traders positioning report will be released tomorrow, the current data we have available shows that hedge funds and other speculators are extremely optimistic on precious metals, and in particular Silver (NYSE: SLV). We are at record high managed money net longs (hedge funds), which must be very surprising to gold bugs. The fact that the price has not made a higher high nor cleared the 200 day moving average – and yet every Tom, Dick and Henry piled into this trade – tells us there is still room further downside.

Obviously we are wrong with a tight stop above the 200 day moving average, however looking at the dumb money positioning and various bloggers opinions, we believe there is a lot of potential disappointment coming.

hedge_funds_Oct2015

Gold Up 3% In October and Enters “Seasonal Sweet Spot”

Published here: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-30/gold-3-october-and-enters-%E2%80%9Cseasonal-sweet-spot%E2%80%9D

Gold Up 3% In October and Enters “Seasonal Sweet Spot”

- Gold down 1.3% this week on Fed “noise”

- Gold up 3% in October on robust demand

- Stronger gains in euros, Swiss francs, Japanese yen

- October poor month for gold seasonally

- November, December, January and February the “seasonal sweet spot”

- Confirmation of surging demand for bullion in Germany, India and China in Q3

Gold is headed for a 1.3% fall this week after the Fed’s latest suggestion that they may increase interest rates in December or in the New Year. However, for the month of October gold is 3.1% higher from $1,115/oz to $1,150/oz and has seen even larger gains in other currencies.

Gold’s Seasonal Performance – U.S. Global Investors (1969-2010)

 

This strong performance in October comes despite October being traditionally a weak month for gold. This bodes well as we enter the “seasonal sweet spot” for gold.

Seasonally, while October is a weak month for gold, the months of November, December, January and February are positive months for gold. October often sees declines in the gold price followed by strong gains in November, December, January and February (see table above and chart below).

Today sees the end of October trading.  November is, after September, one of the strongest months to own gold.

This is seen in various data showing gold’s monthly performance over long time frames – 1975 to 2015 and indeed more recent time frames – 2000 to 2015.

Autumn and winter is the seasonally strong period for the precious metals.

This is believed to be due to robust physical demand internationally and especially in India for weddings and festivals. More recently, the emergence of China as the largest gold buyer in the world and their massive gold buying into year end as jewellers and bullion dealers stock up for Chinese New Year has reinforced and exacerbated this long seen trend.

It may also be related to traders being aware of the seasonals and therefore leading to self fulfilling price gains or price falls in certain months.

The fundamentals including the current macroeconomic, systemic, geopolitical and monetary conditions are positive for gold. These fundamentals in conjunction with the strong seasonals suggest higher gold prices are likely in the coming months.

Given the bullish fundamentals and the fact that gold already looks oversold with very poor sentiment today, any further weakness is likely to be short term.

Bullion buyers expect higher prices due to a combination of geopolitical, macroeconomic and monetary risk.

Geopolitical risk remains high given increasing chaos in much of the Middle East and rising tensions between NATO and Russia. The Middle East is increasingly volatile and we appear to on the brink of a war in the region. This comes at a time of deep tensions with an increasingly assertive Russia.

Given the confluence of still elevated geopolitical, systemic and monetary risks,  we are bullish as we enter the seasonal ‘sweet spot’ for gold in the November, December, January and February time frame prior to Indian festivals and Chinese New Year demand.


Gold looks quite strong and appears to have bottomed during the summer – this is especially the case in euros, pounds and even more so in currencies such as the New Zealand dollar and the Australian dollar. 

The technicals have improved too and these allied with the strong fundamentals – of an uncertain global economy, volatile and vulnerable stock markets and robust global demand for gold, particularly from China, India and Germany – are positive.

This week came confirmation that contrary to the widely held belief that gold demand is subdued it is actually very robust and indeed surging in key markets. Surging demand for coins and bars and a rise in buying by central banks pushed physical gold demand up 7% in the third quarter.

Demand for gold coins and bars jumped by 26% year-on-year in the last quarter, GFMS analysts at Thomson Reuters reported in the Q3 update of their Gold Survey 2015. Retail investment surged in top consumers India, China and Germany, with buying rising 30 percent, 26 percent and 19 percent respectively. Those three markets alone accounted for an additional 26 tonnes of bullion buying.

Despite the ongoing Federal Reserve “noise” to the contrary, ultra loose monetary policies are set to continue for the foreseeable future which is highly supportive of gold and will lead to continued demand for bullion internationally. 

We continue to believe our long held view that these conditions will lead to new real, inflation adjusted record highs for gold over $2,400/oz in the coming years.


DAILY PRICES
Today’s Gold Prices: USD 1147.75, EUR 1042.70 and GBP 748.04 per ounce.
Yesterday’s Gold Prices: USD 1159.00, EUR 1057.38 and GBP 759.28 per ounce.
(LBMA AM)

Gold was down again yesterday, losing $11.00 during the day to close at $1145.80. Silver was down $0.39 yesterday closing at $15.60.  Platinum lost $10 to $988.  Gold is 1.3% higher for the week but 3% higher for the month (see chart above).

 

IMPORTANT NEWS
Asia Gold-Buying picks up in small volumes as prices dip to 3-week low – Reuters
Gold ends at 3-week low as bets for December rate hike grow – MarketWatch
Gold falls to three-week low on rate hike talk – Reuters
Venezuela cenbank gold holdings drop 19% between January and May – Reuters
White House hopeful Cruz bashes Fed, endorses gold standard – Reuters
Rally in U.S. Stocks Stalls Amid Earnings, Odds for Higher Rates – Bloomberg

 

IMPORTANT ANALYSIS
 
Gold – “Still a Safe Haven” – Butler on Sky News (Audio: 12m 51s)
Time to prepare for another round of European QE – MoneyWeek
The Cosmic Origin Story Of Gold – Forbes
This index signaled the 2000 and 2007 crashes—and it’s falling again – CNBC
Another recession is coming – the only question is how bad – Telegraph

Read more News & Commentary on GoldCore.com


Download Essential Guide To Storing Gold Offshore

Download 7 Key Storage Must Haves

Breaking News and Research Here

Follow GoldCore on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn

Thursday, October 29, 2015

The Discipline of Silver

Published here: http://goldsilverworlds.com/money-currency/the-discipline-of-silver/

Consider these round number costs in digital (dishonest) dollars:

di

Silver – The real physical metal, not the paper stuff traded on the COMEX:

  1. Requires massive effort and discipline to mine and refine.
  2. Silver has been a store of value for over 3,000 years.
  3. Would you prefer 30 pieces of silver or 30 pieces of colored paper?

Debt based paper and digital fiat currency:

  1. Can be borrowed or printed into existence with minimal effort.
  2. Has been deteriorating in value since it was introduced.
  3. In 1913 a “dollar” purchased about two ounces of silver. A paper “dollar” today purchases about 0.05 ounces of silver.
  4. In ten years a “dollar” probably will purchase less than 0.005 ounces of silver.
  5. The value of paper and digital dollars, euros, yen, and pounds is dependent upon the honesty, integrity, and discipline of governments and central bankers. Be prepared!

The discipline of silver is real, like the metal. It has value now and will have value regardless of what Presidents or Fed Chairpersons promise regarding such nonsense as:

“Quantitative Easing”

“Balancing the budget”

“Hope and Change”

“No foreign wars”

“Price stability”

“Strong dollar policy”

“Kinder and gentler government”

“Prosperity for all”

“A fair tax structure”

“Trickle down economics”

“Abenomics”

There is discipline in silver metal but very little in fiat paper currencies. The price of silver will rise as currencies devalue because silver is real, necessary for 1000’s of industrial uses, and because an increasing number of investors understand that silver is underpriced and retains value. Read Steve St. Angelo.

Further, our debt based monetary system requires ever increasing debt, inflation, and expansion. Think about the implications of $400,000 helmets and $85 Billion per month in QE. The continued devaluation of all fiat currencies is a given, based on debt, government spending and central bank policies. Hence silver and gold prices will rise substantially in upcoming years, partially because people want and need it, and mostly because fiat paper currencies are devaluing every day.

Not convinced? Ask yourself which has more lasting value:

  • A Hillary Clinton speech or 20,000 ounces of silver?
  • An F-35 helmet or 25,000 ounces of silver?

The answers will not be the same for everyone but the questions are worth contemplation.

We at Deviant Investor believe that: Paper dies, silver thrives!

 

Gary Christenson | The Deviant Investor

Claudio Grass: Why This Monetary System Will Collapse

Published here: http://goldsilverworlds.com/investing/claudio-grass-why-this-monetary-system-will-collapse/

This article is based on an interview with Claudio Grass, Managing Director at Global Gold Switzerland, conducted by Daniel from Future Money Trends.

In the big picture, the $18 trillion total debt (which is only the official debt, as unfunded liabilities are $220 trillion) is by far the reason why the economy and markets are facing a huge risk. When the gold window closed in August of 1971 (by President Nixon), the debt has gone exponential. That is why this system will not survive, it has to collapse, either through a deflationary collapse or a hyperinflationary bust (in which case paper money is going to zero, its intrinsic value). Central banks do not have the situation under control. It is for instance absolutely insane that investors have to pay for Treasuries, both in Switzerland and in the U.S.

Moving into physical gold requires the correct mindset, and the appropriate big picture vision. Investors and individuals should hold physical metals in a safe haven place like Switzerland for the right reasons, not as a trade for instance. And the safe haven appeal of Switzerland is still very much intact. For instance, the U.S. government or IRA cannot approach Global Gold directly. Only in case of a serious case, they can submit the suspicious activity to the Swiss government system, which then will assess whether it is an issue according to Swiss law, and only then can question the gold sitting in a private vault.

Switzerland is recognized as providing a safe storage of assets, and having a safe haven currency. While that is correct, according to Claudio Grass, it is only so when it comes to matters outside the banking system. After 2008, a lot of high net worth investors have come to Switzerland to store their assets.

In this interview, Claudio Grass goes into detail about the specifics of Switzerland, its system, and benefits to individuals and investors.

Banks have damaged Switzerland’s name. As an example, UBS when had liquidity problems, politicians sold the rescue of UBS by saying that Switzerland would go under in case UBS would not make it. Moreover, UBS started to promote tax evasion in the U.S.

But, outside the banking system, politicans have no power to move into any form of confiscation, for instance, which is a result of the way the country is organized.

The way Switzerland is a federalistic country. It has 26 ‘states’ (cantons), which are responsible for taxation, health care, etc. There has never been a centralized government. The power of politicians is limited because of the Swiss structure.

On the other hand, Switzerland is under pressure after the financial crisis. Given that the country is still a democracy in the mid of a growing number of totalitarian regions, it got the perception that money from all sorts of origins (also from irregular sources) is flowing into the country.

A good example is the ongoing referendum against ‘government propaganda’. The Swiss government is running a national TV and radio station, which costs $1.3B and is collected through taxation. The Swiss people can now vote to abolish that (cost).

Listen to the interview

London Property Bubble Set To Burst - UBS and Deutsche Warn

Published here: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-29/london-property-bubble-set-burst-ubs-and-deutsche-warn

London Property Bubble Set To Burst - UBS and Deutsche Warn

The London property market is being increasingly recognised as a bubble and now even leading international banks are warning that the bubble may be set to burst.

Today, UBS has warned that London's property market is “frothing” and last week Deutsche Bank were the property party pooper "calling time” on the London property “party."

According to a new UBS report, England’s capital is home to the most significantly overvalued housing market of any major city in the world, - and that means there's a risk the bubble is close to bursting.

"When inexpensive financing is combined with bullish expectations, real estate prices eventually uncouple from the real economy," said UBS head of global real estate Claudio Saputelli.


"We have seen this in the current cycle, particularly in the world’s leading financial centers, where housing prices are now, in many cases, fundamentally unjustified. The risk of a real estate bubble in these cities has risen sharply. While it is not always possible to prove conclusively the existence of a bubble, it remains essential to identify the signs of one early on."

Deutsche bank's research as seen in the latest edition of its Konzept magazine last week warned that:

"The dinner-party perception that prices for prime London property have always gone up is potentially a reason to worry. That everyone strongly believes they will continue to go up further is a cause for anxiety. Still, timing any turn is hard and it has long been a losing battle to call an end to the froth in this market. But perhaps we are close to the turning point."

Deutsche describes previous examples of house-price slumps, notably in Hong Kong and Japan:

There are multiple catalysts to suggest that 2015 is the turning point [for London]. The most significant are: impending higher interest rates, tighter macroprudential policies and a deepening politicisation of the housing issue. Again, all that needs to happen is for investors to think price outcomes are asymmetric, with low upside and large downside.

There is growing political risk embedded in prime London housing. It is not that prices cannot rise further. It is that the more they rise the greater the chance of a political backlash against further gains.

What's more...

Valuations are high relative to history, falling interest rates cannot provide further support, and given current affordability home ownership cannot rise materially. London's property is unlikely to enjoy the next 30 years as it did the last.

We clearly warned in December 2014, that the London property bubble looks set to burst. According to a host of different measures it appears overvalued and indeed severely overvalued.

Indeed, we were one of the few brokerages and advisers to warn regarding the global property bubble prior to the global financial crisis. Our analysis of property markets led to growing concerns in 2004 and 2005 about the very high levels of mortgage and total debt being seen in the UK, U.S. and internationally. 

Our research clearly warned regarding property bubbles in the UK, Ireland and the U.S. and we warned readers and especially clients about the risks this would pose to the global financial system and economy and the risks of a global financial crisis.

Now is a good time to reduce allocations to overvalued property markets in many leading international cities such as New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, London and elsewhere and to diversify into physical gold.

A bursting of property bubbles in London and New York would be expected to have an impact on national economies and indeed on national property markets. Sentiment would be badly impacted.

Caution should be the order of the day. 

Read more on the GoldCore.com blog

 

Download Essential Guide To Storing Gold Offshore

 

DAILY PRICES
Today’s Gold Prices: USD 1159.00, EUR 1057.38 and GBP 759.28 per ounce. 
Yesterday’s Gold Prices: USD 1171.50, EUR 1058.98 and GBP 765.94 per ounce.
(LBMA AM)

Gold in USD – 1 Month

Gold lost $9.60 yesterday, closing at $1156.80.  Silver closed at $15.99, a gain of $0.11.  Platinum gained $14 to $998.

Gold has recovered some lost ground this morning, climbing 0.2% after they slid from two-week highs yesterday following a Fed statement that put a potential December rate hike back on the table … once again.

Interestingly silver, platinum and palladium held up very well yesterday and avoided the losses seen in gold, but are down slightly today.


IMPORTANT NEWS
Kazakhstan, Russia Expand Bullion Holdings as Mexico Cuts Back – Bloomberg
Gold near 2-week low as Fed puts December rate hike in play – Reuters
Gold Declines as Fed Sees `Moderate’ Pace of Growth – Bloomberg
Gold Companies Must Embrace Technology to Survive, Holland Says – Bloomberg
Deutsche Bank to cut workforce by 15,000 – Reuters

IMPORTANT ANALYSIS

Silver bullion coins are scarce, but prices don’t show it – MarketWatch
Is London’s Housing Bubble About to Burst? – Bloomberg TV
Faber’s Epic China Bubble Amid Industry Slump Shows Up in Charts – Bloomberg TV
Italian two-year yields go negative – Money Week
US Money Bubble Only Ends In One Way, A Horrific Collapse: John Rubino [Video]

Read more News & Commentary on GoldCore.com

 


Download 7 Key Storage Must Haves

Breaking News and Research Here

Follow GoldCore on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn

$50 Silver? Here’s Why Silver Prices Could Be Set to Soar

Published here: http://www.profitconfidential.com/silver/50-silver-heres-why-silver-prices-could-be-set-to-soar/

Physical Shortages Could Send Silver Prices Soaring, Says Analyst
Silver prices may be down now, but think long-term. There are a few factors I am closely watching that suggest silver is going to surprise investors in a big way.

This may be bold, but I am not ruling out a silver price of $50.00 an ounce in the next few years. Yes, that’s more than a 200% increase in silver prices.
Industrial Growth to Boost Silver Prices?
You see, oftentimes it is forgotten that silver isn’t just used for investments and making jewelry.

The grey metal has a massive industrial.

The post $50 Silver? Here’s Why Silver Prices Could Be Set to Soar appeared first on Profit Confidential.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Claudio Grass: Why This Monetary System Will Collapse

Published here: http://goldsilverworlds.com/investing/claudio-grass-why-this-monetary-system-will-collapse/

This is an interview with Claudio Grass from Global Gold Switzerland, conducted by Daniel from Future Money Trends.

In the big picture, the $18 trillion total debt (which is only the official debt, as unfunded liabilities are $220 trillion) is by far the reason why the economy and markets are facing a huge risk. When the gold window closed in August of 1971 (by President Nixon), the debt has gone exponential. That is why this system will not survive, it has to collapse, either through a deflationary collapse or a hyperinflationary bust (in which case paper money is going to zero, its intrinsic value). Central banks do not have the situation under control. It is for instance absolutely insane that investors have to pay for Treasuries, both in Switzerland and in the U.S.

Moving into physical gold requires the correct mindset, and the appropriate big picture vision. Investors and individuals should hold physical metals in a safe haven place like Switzerland for the right reasons, not as a trade for instance. And the safe haven appeal of Switzerland is still very much intact. For instance, the U.S. government or IRA cannot approach Global Gold directly. Only in case of a serious case, they can submit the suspicious activity to the Swiss government system, which then will assess whether it is an issue according to Swiss law, and only then can question the gold sitting in a private vault.

Switzerland is recognized as providing a safe storage of assets, and having a safe haven currency. While that is correct, according to Claudio Grass, it is only so when it comes to matters outside the banking system. After 2008, a lot of high net worth investors have come to Switzerland to store their assets.

In this interview, Claudio Grass goes into detail about the specifics of Switzerland, its system, and benefits to individuals and investors.

Banks have damaged Switzerland’s name. As an example, UBS when had liquidity problems, politicians sold the rescue of UBS by saying that Switzerland would go under in case UBS would not make it. Moreover, UBS started to promote tax evasion in the U.S.

But, outside the banking system, politicans have no power to move into any form of confiscation, for instance, which is a result of the way the country is organized.

The way Switzerland is a federalistic country. It has 26 ‘states’ (cantons), which are responsible for taxation, health care, etc. There has never been a centralized government. The power of politicians is limited because of the Swiss structure.

On the other hand, Switzerland is under pressure after the financial crisis. Given that the country is still a democracy in the mid of a growing number of totalitarian regions, it got the perception that money from all sorts of origins (also from irregular sources) is flowing into the country.

A good example is the ongoing referendum against ‘government propaganda’. The Swiss government is running a national TV and radio station, which costs $1.3B and is collected through taxation. The Swiss people can now vote to abolish that (cost).

Listen to the interview

Silver Hedgers Hold Largest Short Positions Since 2010

Published here: http://goldsilverworlds.com/trading/silver-hedgers-hold-largest-short-positions-since-2010/

The latest Commitments of Traders report showed an eagerness to sell the metals, in particular gold and silver. Both are at levels that coincided with peaks in the metals over the past three years. In silver, hedges now have their largest short position since 2010. As noted last week, this is a huge test for metals and silver in particular. If it can continue to rally in the face of heavy pressure from hedgers, it will be an excellent sign that the bear market is likely over.

silver_hedgers_23Oct2015

Courtesy: Sentimentrader.com

“Ignore The Noise” & Focus On The Fact That Central Banks “Remain Extremely Accommodative”

Published here: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-28/%E2%80%9Cignore-noise%E2%80%9D-focus-fact-central-banks-%E2%80%9Cremain-extremely-accommodative%E2%80%9D

“Ignore The Noise” & Focus On The Fact That Central Banks “Remain Extremely Accommodative”

The primary focus this week is again on the “all powerful” Fed. If the Fed leans toward a rate hike in December, gold could come under pressure again in the short term. However, if it leans toward raising rates next year, then gold would be expected to eke out further gains.

Bank of England - Interest Rates - 1694 to Today

Most physical buyers will ignore the noise and focus on the fact that the Fed's monetary policies, along with the Bank of England, the ECB and most central banks in the world, remains extremely accommodative.

The perception and narrative is that a rise in rates, even by a very marginal 25 basis points will be negative for gold. This may be true in the short term as perception, even misguided perception, can drive markets in the short term. 

However, rising interest rates per se are not negative for gold. What is negative is positive real interest rates and yields above the rate of inflation. This is unlikely to be seen any time soon.

Gold will also be vulnerable towards the end of an interest rate tightening cycle as was the case in January 1980. Today, central banks including the Fed  are having difficulty raising interest rates in even a small nominal way.

BIS via Business Insider

Given the massive global debt bubble of today, it will likely be impossible for central banks to increase interest rates in any meaningful way. We are not going to see an interest rate tightening cycle akin to that which snuffed out gold’s bull market in the 1970s.

Unless, central banks lose control of the bond markets and a new breed of bond market vigilante enforces monetary discipline and pushes bond yields higher in the coming years.  

Gold should be supported by data which suggests that economic growth braked sharply in the third quarter in the U.S. and that global demand for physical bullion remains very robust - particularly in India, China and Germany.

A gauge of U.S. business investment plans fell for a second straight month in September. Core capital goods orders fell 0.3 percent in September, August core capital goods were revised sharply down and durable goods orders dropped 1.2 percent.

 

DAILY PRICES

Today’s Gold Prices: USD 1171.50, EUR 1058.98 and GBP 765.94 per ounce.
Yesterday’s Gold Prices: USD 1165.74, EUR 1054.55 and GBP 759.52 per ounce.
(LBMA AM)

Gold in GBP - 1 Month

Gold closed at $1166.40 yesterday, a gain of $2.70 for the day. Silver was also up slightly yesterday, by $0.02 closing at $15.88. Platinum lost $9 to $984.


Gold has retained small overnight gains today ahead of a Federal Reserve policy statement later in the session as investors wait for more clues on the timing of a potential U.S. rate hike.


Download Essential Guide To Storing Gold In Singapore

Breaking News and Research Here

Follow GoldCore on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn


Gold Price Forecast: Fed Interest Rate Hike Could Be the Catalyst to Make Gold Soar

Published here: http://www.profitconfidential.com/gold/fed-interest-rate-hike-could-be-the-catalyst-to-make-gold-soar/

Gold $3,600? Here’s Why Gold Prices Could Skyrocket
Gold prices have experienced a solid rebound last month, largely on the back of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to not hike interest rates.

Gold prices have certainly taken a pounding in this year’s market trading, as predictions for a Fed interest rate hike grew ever-louder. Now, a higher interest rate generally means that income-generating assets such as bonds and dividend-paying equities are a better choice for investors than appreciative assets like precious metals. These include silver and gold, which.

The post Gold Price Forecast: Fed Interest Rate Hike Could Be the Catalyst to Make Gold Soar appeared first on Profit Confidential.

Deflation on the Horizon

Published here: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-27/deflation-horizon

 

 

Hold your real assets outside of the system in a private, non-government controlled, international facility   -->  http://www.321gold.com/info/053015_sprott.html

 

 

Deflation on the Horizon

Written by Jeff Thomas (CLICK FOR ORIGINAL)

 

For years, a rather pointless argument has been ongoing amongst economists - that of inflation vs. deflation.

The principle countries of the world have amassed a greater level of debt than the world has ever seen and, of course this can only end badly. But will it end in inflation or deflation? To me, this discussion is akin to arguing whether the sun will rise in the morning or set in the evening.

Those who predicted inflation and those who predicted deflation will both get to be right. This will be an “equal-opportunity disaster.”

 


Certainly, whenever there’s an increase in the currency in circulation, there will be inflation. Yet we don’t seem to be witnessing significant inflation. But, then, the massive quantitative easing that’s occurred hasn’t been widely circulated. It has, instead, been pumped into the banks, where most of it has stayed. Also, there has been inflation in the world in general, but less so in the US, as the US dollar is rising against most currencies. As a result of these factors, the traditional inflation before a crash has been limited.

The next major event in the row of dominoes is likely to be a crash in markets. Whilst it’s obvious to anyone who studies economics that the bond and stock markets are in a bubble of historical proportions, the majority of people (those who rely upon the media for their financial guidance) are vainly hoping that political leaders will come up with an economic aspirin of some sort that will make the debt problem go away, eliminating the possibility of market crashes.

But, now, we’re beginning to close in on the first crash. It’s within view and is finally giving pause even to the many who had maintained that it would somehow not come to pass. It’s beginning to look more real to the average person.

The bellwether has been a significant drop in the stock market. This drop does not constitute a crash, butnor is it an anomaly. It’s merely the first downward leg in the overall decline. There will be a correction to the upside, then another downward lurch, and so on. Decades from now, economics students will look back on The Greater Depression and their education will include a graph that begins in late 2015 – a jagged downward line than finally bottoms at or below 50% of the present level.


Plan on deflation following the crash.

Deflation always follows a crash. The dollar won’t go down right away. That will happen in the inflationperiod. (More about that later.)

Investors tend to muse that, if a market begins to decline, they will view the situation carefully and decide whether to sell some stocks and which ones to sell. Unfortunately, in a crash it’s very unlikely to turn out that way. In a crash, the price is heading south rapidly and there’s little time to ponder the situation. The investor is likely to find that his broker has made the decision for him.

When the equity in a brokerage account falls below the maintenance margin, the brokerage issues a margin call that forces the investor to either pony up more cash, or have his portfolio sold off to make up the loss. This may come as an unwelcome and badly-timed shock, but there’s worse to come. The greater downside is that the broker is not obliged to contact the investor prior to the sell-off. The broker may choose to sell any of the stocks he chooses in order to save himself, so, not surprisingly, he may well choose to sell those stocks that are not headed south, as it will be easier to find buyers.


Plan on a drop in the Gold Price

Many investors maintain in their portfolio a percentage of precious metals stocks “just in case.” This, they consider to be a diversification; an insurance policy. If the stock market heads south in a significant way, there’s every likelihood that this will drive up the price of precious metals. But, of course, in a crash, even a moderate one, this position will be the easiest one for the broker to sell. The investor may discover that, overnight, both his more conventional stocks and his insurance policy have diminished or disappeared.

In addition to the above, those who hold physical gold as an insurance policy against stocks may find that, if they depend upon the stocks for income, they cannot afford to pay their bills if stock earnings suddenly disappear. Something will have to go. Maybe it will be the family boat, or that beloved Harley in the garage. Maybe it will be the precious metals.

For these reasons, even the most adamant of goldbugs should be prepared for a downward spike in precious metals following a significant crash. And, if the overall crash is a series of downward thrusts, interspersed with smaller upward corrections, it shouldn’t be surprising if the gold price follows a similar path.

So, does that mean that gold and silver are not a safe haven against stormy economic periods? Not at all. It merely means that, in addition to the major clean-out of the gamblers and traders from the gold market from 2011 to 2015, there will be a final (and possibly very sudden) cleanout after a fall in the market. In my estimation, it will reflect the crash – the more severe the crash, the greater the downward spike in metals. However, the reverse will be true, in terms of its duration. The deeper the crash, the quicker those investors who still have cash will jump onto the gold truck. Therefore, the spike could be very brief and pronounced.

For those who have been prudent enough to exit the market prior to the crash and still be holding money in their hands, this would be an excellent time to buy gold. In fact, it may be the very best opportunity, because, at that point, it’s likely that gold will have reached its bottom and will be poised for an historic rise.


Plan on Inflation, in Addition to Deflation

At this time, or relatively soon thereafter, the central banks can be expected to fulfil their oft-repeated promise that they will fight deflation with money printing. In all likelihood, we will see quantitative easing like never before. The banks will print as much as they feel is necessary to counteract deflation. However, this will have a more dramatic effect on increasing the cost of commodities than to relieve the fear of purchasing assets. (The average person will readily buy food and fuel, but will not buy the boat or Harley that’s for sale in the driveway down the block.)

The increase in the cost of commodities will exacerbate the situation and the banks will respond by doing the only thing they know how to do – keep printing. Historically, when this happens, wages never keep pace with the rising prices of commodities, so the situation will worsen – deflation in asset prices with inflation in commodities.

Again, historically, this is a recipe for dramatic inflation that becomes hyperinflation. To my mind, this is the only uncertainty. Whilst the other dominoes described above are almost certain to fall, each in their turn, hyperinflation is the wild card. Hyperinflation occurs when the people of a country lose faith in the political/economic governance of the system. If it occurs, no government has ever succeeded in reversing it. It plays out until full economic collapse occurs.

If and when this happens, precious metals will most certainly retain their lustre and may provide a soft landing for those who have held their metals position during the doubtful times.

One caution: Since most of the traders and gamblers are already out of the gold market and most gold is now held by those who are long, the window of opportunity will be brief if a spike does occur. Whatever precious metals are on offer will be gobbled up quickly.

 

Please email with any questions about this article or precious metals HERE

 

 

Jeff is British and resides in the Caribbean. The son of an economist and historian, he learned early to be distrustful of governments as a general principle. Although he spent his career creating and developing businesses, for eight years, he penned a weekly newspaper column on the theme of limiting government.

He began his study of economics around 1990, learning initially from Sir John Templeton, then Harry Schulz and Doug Casey and later others of an Austrian persuasion. He is now a regular feature writer for Casey Research’s International Man.

 

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

The Circle of Gold

Published here: http://goldsilverworlds.com/money-currency/the-circle-of-gold/

A – 1913: Gold was money in the United States. Double eagles ($20.00), Eagles ($10.00), and Half-Eagles ($5.00) circulated freely. Silver dollars and smaller coins were common and used for commerce. And then the bankers created “The Federal Reserve.”

gold_coin

B – 1933: President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102 and forbid US citizens from owning gold. They received paper money in exchange. One $20.00 Double Eagle (0.9675 ounces gold) was exchanged for a $20.00 paper certificate. Gold was therefore valued at $20.67 per ounce. Soon thereafter President Roosevelt devalued the dollar so that gold was valued at $35.00 per ounce. And gold was illegal for US citizens to own.

us_dollar_gold_certificate

C – 1971: President Nixon was faced with a tidal wave of dollars returning from the rest of the world (excessive spending and debt) that the US was obligated to exchange for gold. Official US gold reserves had already been reduced from over 20,000 tons to about 8,000 tons. President Nixon thereafter refused to honor the Bretton Wood Agreement and allowed the dollar to sink in value compared to gold. He blamed speculators instead of Government deficit spending and Federal Reserve policies and assured everyone it was only “temporary.” And then came massive consumer price inflation, devalued dollars, and uncontrolled debt increases.

us_dollar_paper

D – 2013: Chairman Bernanke testified before congress and stated that gold “is an unusual asset,” and that “No one really understands gold prices.And the devaluation of the dollar continued with QE, ZIRP and other fiat currency creations.

E – 20??: (Speculation!) Following a devastating deflation and hyperinflation caused by global central bankers “printing” currencies in ever more insane quantities, the global economic system crashed, confidence in fiat paper and digital currencies reached new lows, and the central bankers heard the cry of the people, “Do something to fix our money!” After numerous failures they finally did the “right thing” and pegged dollars, euros, yen, SDR, Yuan, and Rubles against gold. By that time gold had largely disappeared from official western vaults and was by 20?? almost entirely held in Asia and by large corporations, global banks, and immensely wealthy individuals. Dollars and Yuan were again backed by gold and gold certificates circulated freely. The wealth transfer had been completed.

From Jim Sinclair:

QE to Infinity, followed by Gold balancing the balance sheets of the sovereign balance sheet disasters. Just as there is no tool other than QE to feign financial solvency, there is no tool to balance the balance sheet of the offending entities other than Gold. It is just that simple.” 

For Comparison:

A – 1913:

Price of gold was $20.67 per ounce.
US National Debt was about $2.9 Billion

B – 1933:

Price of gold was $35.00 per ounce.
US National Debt was about $22.5 Billion

C – 1971:

Price of gold was $42.00 per ounce.
US National Debt was about $398 Billion

D – 2013:

Price of gold was about $1,300 per ounce.
US National Debt was about $16,738 Billion or $16.7 Trillion

E – 20??: (This is speculation!)

Price of gold is perhaps $10,000 per ounce, depending on “money printing,” hyperinflation, and monetary insanity.

US National Debt is $40,000 to $100,000 Billion or $40 to 100 Trillion or more.

circle_of_gold

COMMENTS

  • What goes around, comes around.
  • Gold has been money and a store of value for at least 3,000 years. That status SHOULD return after the “paper” era has collapsed.
  • Unbacked paper money, according to history, always collapses due to excessive printing by central bankers and politicians. Imagine that!
  • Global debt is over $200 Trillion and rapidly climbing. Governments must borrow more currency into existence to pay off maturing debt, but total debt inevitably increases. Charles Ponzi used a similar scheme for his wealth transfer process.
  • When most of the gold has disappeared from central bank and government vaults in the US, the UK, and Europe and has moved to Asia, private vaults, and the Too-Big-To-Fail banks, then paper currencies can be stripped of remaining value, gold will be revalued much higher, and the wealth transfer will have been completed.
  • As this is written, gold is priced at about $1,167 per ounce and the above scenario for the year 20?? is speculation. But we know that gold is leaving the western world and moving to Asia. We know that global debt is huge and effectively impossible to repay. And we know that Ponzi schemes eventually fail.

But if you find the above disconcerting, read the following for reassurance that our current paper scheme will not drive gold prices to new highs. It is also possible that friendly aliens might land in the White House rose garden and Mr. Dent and Lerner could be right…….

  • Harry Dent: He expects gold to drop under $400 in spite of massive debt and “money printing.”
  • Anthony Lerner: He expects gold to drop to perhaps $250 based on Fed policy.

However, at Deviant Investor, we believe that:

Paper dies, gold thrives.

 

Gary Christenson | The Deviant Investor

Russia and China Increase Gold Holdings As Central Banks Continue Loose Monetary Policies

Published here: http://goldsilverworlds.com/investing/russia-and-china-increase-gold-holdings-as-central-banks-continue-loose-monetary-policies/

Even though the price of gold failed to make a decisive break above the 200 day Moving average, the price looks set to continue its upward trajectory. However, one can expect some resistance close to the 200 day MA at around the $1185 an ounce level.

After briefly breaching $1190 an ounce level, gold prices came under some renewed selling pressure as the U.S dollar gained against it major peers especially the euro.

The rally in the greenback was sparked when European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi announced that the central bank would not cut rates, but at the same time, he strongly hinted that they would act later this year. The ECB left the main refinancing rate unchanged at 0.05%. The marginal lending rate also stayed unchanged at 0.3% and the deposit rate at -0.2%.

At the press conference, President Mario Draghi acknowledged that the QE program has been “proceeding smoothly” but also suggested that the ECB is concerned about the slowdown in emerging markets and as such the central bank would re-examine its bond buying program in December.
According to Draghi the ECB could extend its current programme of Euro-QE beyond its current expiration date of September 2016 or even cut interest rates deeper into negative territory. The bank’s deposit rate is currently minus-0.2%.

That caused the euro to plunge by two full cents against the U.S. dollar. But, the US dollar was also boosted by the dovish actions from the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) and the Bank of Canada.

Last Friday, the Chinese central bank cut interest rates for the sixth time in less than a year, and it again lowered the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves in a bid to jump start growth in its stuttering economy. Specifically, the PBOC cut its one-year lending and one-year deposit rates by 25 basis points. It also cut the bank reserve requirement ratio by 50 basis points, theoretically freeing up banks to do more lending.

Monetary policy easing in the world’s second-largest economy is at its most aggressive since the 2008/09 financial crisis, as growth looks set to slip to a 25-year-low this year of under 7%.

The announcement by the PBoC sent stock markets worldwide soaring on Friday. Shares across Asia, Europe and the Americas climbed, having already been boosted by Thursday’s message from ECB chief Mario Draghi that the central bank was ready to adjust “the size, composition and duration” of its quantitative easing program.

The BOC meeting turned out to be more dovish than expected. While leaving the overnight rate at 0.5%, the central bank trimmed its growth forecast for 2016 and 2017, and pushed backward the timing of the economy’s expected return to full capacity to mid-2017.

While global stock markets have rebounded, I do not think that real economic growth in the US is anywhere near what is claimed by the popular financial news media. And, as far as I am concerned the expansionary policy of the ECB is an abject failure! It didn’t boost European growth, nor did it boost European inflation, with prices falling 0.1% in September.

Meanwhile in the physical gold market, withdrawals from the Shanghai Gold Exchange following the Golden Week holiday still remain strong. An impressive 53.4 tons was withdrawn in the week ending October 16th – week 40 – the first full week after the holiday.  The year to date figure is a fraction short of 2,062 tons.

Looking at past years, demand does tend to fall off by a little at this time, but then picks up again as the year-end nears as stocks increase ahead of the Chinese New Year buying spree.  Next year which will be the year of the Monkey under the Chinese zodiac – falls on Monday February 8th, suggesting strong gold demand in December and January.

In Chinese astrology, the Monkey is a symbol of health and wealth and those born under the influence of this sign are said to be intelligent, quick-witted and adventurous.

On the figures to date, it looks as if the total of withdrawals from the Shanghai Gold exchange for the full 2015 year will likely reach 2,600 tons or more – a huge new record, probably over 400 tons more than that of the previous record year of 2012 when 2,181 tons were withdrawn from the Exchange.

Gold consumption in mainland China may match or exceed the record in 2013 after financial-market turmoil and the yuan’s devaluation boosted the metal’s appeal, according to Haywood Cheung, chairman of the Chinese Gold & Silver Exchange Society, which also saw higher sales at jewellers in Hong Kong.

According to Cheung, demand in Hong Kong may expand 25% this half after a lack-luster first six months, he said in an interview. The decline in 2013, when bullion sank 28 percent, spurred increased buying across Asia, and 2015 is shaping up well and may surpass that year’s total, according to Cheung.

When you consider gold withdrawals from the SGE as well as the flows from China, one thing is certain and that is the demand for gold by China remains enormous.

Yet, despite the massive demand for physical gold from China, and as gold flows from West to East, the futures market of Comex is still largely responsible for setting the gold price.  But, the more the Chinese become involved in the global gold price mechanism the more their influence will rise in determining the actual price given these massive gold flows.  This of course will lead to a more credible reflection of prices as they will be determined according to the correct fundamentals and not simply by a few bullion banks that simply create price distortions.

But, it is not only the Chinese that have been adding physical gold to their reserves. Russia has been consistently increasing its holdings of the precious metal.

Russia added another 34.2 tons of the precious metal in September. This follows on the heels of a 1 million ounce increase in Russian gold reserves in August.

Since the global financial crisis, Russia has increased its gold reserves at an average pace of about 300,000 ounces per month. And, other countries formerly part of the Soviet Union have also increased their holdings of gold.

According to Bloomberg, Kazakhstan increased its gold reserves for the 35th straight month in August. The country purchased about 2.1 tons to bring its stash to roughly 210.2 tons. Belarus also expanded its reserves to 47.1 tons that same month.

And despite being broke, the National Bank of Ukraine added 30,000 ounces of gold to its reserves in September, bringing its total stash to about 27 tons. The value of the country’s gold holdings grew by $41.96 million, to $989.78 million.

As Russia is a gold producer, a way to build international reserves is via buying domestically mined gold. This way this gold will not enter the international market. In a way it reduces its dependency on the US dollar for international reserve building.”

Gold offers that same traditional hedge to individual investors as well as central banks. Today’s financial system where unelected central banking elite conjures trillions of dollars and euros out of thin air cannot continue forever. It has an expiration date. And, gold with its millennia-long history is making a comeback.

gold_price_27oct2015

Gold prices have hit some resistance at around $1180/oz. but the price continues with an upward bias.

For more information go to: www.lakeshoretrading.co.za

EU Takes Countries To Court Over 'Bail-In' Laws

Published here: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-27/eu-takes-countries-court-over-bail-laws

EU Takes Countries To Court Over 'Bail-In' Laws

The European Commission is taking legal action against six European countries, including the Netherlands and Luxembourg, after they failed to implement rules that would allow for depositors to have their cash confiscated.

Six countries will be referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for their continued failure to transpose the EU's "bail-in" laws into national legislation, the European Commission said last Thursday, according to The Telegraph.

27-10-15_1

Taxpayers bailed out banks in the first global financial crisis. Depositors will be in the firing line the next time. Photo: AFP

Most EU countries, UK, the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand all have plans for bail-ins in the event of banks and other large financial institutions getting into difficulty. It is now the case that in the event of bank failure, personal and corporate deposits could be confiscated.

The referral comes after the EU issued a warning against Poland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, Romania and the Czech Republic for their non-compliance earlier this year.

The rules - known as the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD) - are designed to stop governments from having to foot the bill for saving banks from going bust by instead forcing savers and deposit holders to foot the bill in an attempt to further protect banks from insolvency.

Brussels will refer six countries to the European Court of Justice over their failure to apply the new, very radical “bail-in” rules. Deposits of less than €100,000 should be protected under the new regime but in reality these limits are arbitrary and would likely be reduced to lower levels in the event of banks being insolvent again in another European and global financial crisis.

In the event of a systemic European banking crisis, however, laws could be changed at the stroke of a pen and “bail-in” mechanisms could become fully operational. Also, the comforting guarantee of €100,000 ($100,000 or £80,000) would likely be reduced in such a crisis.

The era of depositor bail-ins is coming and preparations are in place by the international monetary and financial authorities for bank bail ins. Financial interests of banks are once again being placed over those of small and medium businesses and taxpayers in general. The majority of the public is unaware of these developments, the risks and ramifications, and how they can protect their money.

goldcore_bail_ins_guide

Download Guide - Protecting Your Savings In The Coming Bail-In Era (11 pages)

Download Guide - From Bail-Outs to Bail-Ins: Risks and Ramifications(51 pages)

 

DAILY PRICES

Today’s Gold Prices: USD 1165.74, EUR 1054.55 and GBP 759.52 per ounce. 
Yesterday’s Gold Prices: USD 1168.50, EUR 1058.86 and GBP 761.96 per ounce.      
(LBMA AM)

Gold closed at $1,163.70/oz yesterday, having lost a small 0.08% or $0.90. Silver was unchanged for the day, remaining at $15.86/oz.

27-10-15_2

Gold in EUR - 1 Year

Gold is 0.3% higher in euros, pounds and dollars this morning, snapping four straight days of losses that have pulled prices further from this month's near four-month high. This morning's trading range has been narrow, with less than $5/oz between its lows and highs of the day so far.

Silver's also 0.4% higher, but platinum and palladium are both down by more than 0.5%.  For the month of October, silver and platinum have outperformed, up 9.4% and 9.5% respectively. If it holds its ground until the end of the month, platinum will post its biggest monthly gain since January 2012.

GoldCore: Storing Gold in Singapore

Download Essential Guide To Storing Gold In Singapore

Breaking News and Research Here

Follow GoldCore on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn

Monday, October 26, 2015

SmartKnowledgeU: What is the Fair Value of Gold? Ounces Over Dollars

Published here: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-27/smartknowledgeu-what-fair-value-gold-ounces-over-dollars-0

As I write this article, at about 11:30AM NY time, on 27 October 2015, the probability of another banker raid in the paper gold and silver derivatives markets increases and remains elevated. Yet, every time bankers raid paper prices, if indeed this happens again sometime over the next few trading days, their raids on the fiat currency prices of gold and silver always trigger a lot of frustration on behalf of physical gold and physical silver owners due to an improper equating of fiat currency price with real value and improper equating of “perceived” value with “real” value. To debunk these widely held inaccurate beliefs, how can one truly accept a valuation of sound money (physical gold and physical silver) in an unsound, counterfeit fiat currency? In fact, it astounds me when I witness intelligent people repeatedly make the mistake of pricing a sound money in terms of unsound money and then equating this fake price to physical gold's (or silver's) value.

 

A huge reason we all tend to make these types of sophomoric mistakes is due to the fact that the bankers erased all real knowledge about sound money from textbooks and the collective conscience of society long before any of us living on this planet today had even been born. Therefore, we were raised to believe that valuing gold and silver in terms of fake fiat currencies is acceptable, whereas if you transported a 5-year old child that lived during a period of a real gold standard persisted to the present day, that child would laugh at our foolishness regarding the manner in which we value physical gold and silver. During periods of true gold standards (and not anti-gold standards like the Bretton Woods system, that was still truly a US dollar standard), the only accepted way of valuing gold and silver was by its weight, in grams or in troy ounces. The reasons why the Bretton Woods system was much more of an anti-gold standard as opposed to a true gold standard is beyond the scope of this article, but something we explain in fully and in great detail in our upcoming SmartWealth Academy. Any paper note that simultaneously circulated with gold and silver coins during true gold and silver standards only represented that standard monetary unit of gold and silver weight. And when governments and bankers reneged on their promise to redeem these paper notes into a pre-specified precious metal monetary weight, the paper notes depreciated against the precious metal.

 

 

Today, bankers have brainwashed us all to believe that the precious metal, when it is falling in fiat currency prices, is dropping in value (our “perceived” value), when in reality, the value of the precious metal always remains constant because its “real” value can only be measured by its weight. In fact, when bankers raid paper gold and silver futures markets and artificially drop its associated gold and silver price, if we were able to distinguish the differences between “perceived” value and “real” value, and the difference between price versus value, we would all be ecstatic instead of depressed. Why? Because we would understand that in manufacturing such events, bankers have increased the value of our paper notes in terms of real gold and real silver. Remember, I just told you that historically, under periods of real silver standards, when the bankers committed fraud, the paper notes depreciated greatly, up to as much as 40%, in terms of the real silver it could then buy (I explain this historical event in much more detail in my vlog below). Today, banker fraud causes our paper notes to appreciate, not depreciate, in terms of the value of gold and value of silver they can buy.

 

 

This reversal of fortune, from the same committed bank fraud, should blow your mind. To understand these concepts further, please watch our two part series, SmartKnowledgeU_Vlog_002: What is the Fair Value of Gold? Ounces Over Dollars, below. If you watch the two-part series below, then when bankers soon likely raid gold and silver futures markets and force the fiat currency prices down, you will remain much more calm as you realize this has no affect whatsoever on the real value of physical gold and physical silver.

 

 

SKU_Vlog_002: What is the Fair Value of Gold? Ounces Over Dollars, P1

SKU_Vlog_002: What is the Fair Value of Gold? Ounces Over Dollars, P2

To watch the above vlogs, please click on the photos and then click the text

"Watch this video on YouTube."



 About the Author: JS Kim is the Managing Director of SmartKnowledgeU, a fiercely independent consulting, research, and education firm that focuses on providing wealth preservation strategies to clients in 30+ different countries around the world. Stay tuned for othe release of our upcoming SmartWealth Academy, an online education academy designed to provide an alternative to business school at a fraction of the price of top business programs, yet with the provision of knowledge completely lacking from MBA and business school programs necessary to survive our ongoing currency wars.

Countdown To The Debt Ceiling Deadline

Published here: http://goldsilverworlds.com/economy/countdown-to-the-debt-ceiling-deadline/

Gold and silver spot prices lost ground to a strengthening U.S. dollar last week. The dollar enjoyed its best week in 5 months, as other major world currencies weakened. European central bankers are once again hinting at more stimulus, and the Chinese government cut interest rates for the 6th time in the past year.

Federal Reserve officials meet on Wednesday, and almost no one expects them to change interest rates. Because of the overwhelming build-up of government and private debt, the economy appears totally unable to withstand higher interest rates.

But expect the usual parsing of officials’ every utterance for clues. It’s already been over nine years since the Fed has raised rates even a quarter point, so don’t hold your breath.

Meanwhile, the Treasury Department declared a debt ceiling deadline of November 3rd. Outgoing House Speaker John Boehner will try to push through a debt increase before his scheduled departure on Friday (when he’ll likely hand over the gavel to Paul Ryan). If Congress can’t come to an agreement this week, markets could get rattled on the looming possibility of a U.S. default.

It’s a remote possibility, though. Insiders say the Treasury and Federal Reserve could take additional emergency actions to pay the government’s bills well past the Obama administration’s arbitrary cut-off date.

As former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said :

“The United States can pay any debt it has because we can always print money to do that. So there is zero probability of default. We can guarantee cash benefits as far out and whatever size you like but we cannot guarantee their purchasing power.”

In other words, the real threat to investors is investors, not default.

Meanwhile, stock investors must think better looking economic data is coming, as they have been buying. We’ll see if the latest data matches expectations.

Silver Premiums Have Fallen, but the Short-Term Outlook Is Uncertain

With silver prices rising almost 10%, retail buying of physical silver has lessened over the past three weeks – down from the frenetic pace over the past 4 months. That’s allowed premiums on many products to fall toward normal levels. Production backlogs and delivery delays have also been dissipating.

Ask premiums for the Maple Leaf, American Eagle, and Pre-1965 90% silver U.S. coins – the products that saw the sharpest hikes through the summer – are now leading the way down. The respite will help mints and refiners catch up. Dealers are taking the opportunity to replenish inventories.

One fly in the ointment is the upcoming annual halt in deliveries of silver American Eagles. The U.S. Mint is expected to stop production of 2015 dated coins sometime between early and mid-December and change out the dies for the 2016 date. (While private mints only require a few hours to make a switch, the U.S. government requires a few weeks.) So the market can expect a month of no deliveries until a resumption in mid January.

If dealers cannot build adequate inventory to supply the market during the Mint’s hiatus, we will see upward pressure on premiums once again. January demand for the new year’s coin is also traditionally among the strongest months of the year. That may also push premiums higher.

This adds up to an uncertain outlook for premiums in the short term. Much will depend on what happens to retail demand in the coming months. The extraordinary demand from June through September was based largely on safe-haven buying.

The crisis in Greece has shuffled out of the headlines. Meanwhile, the combination of additional stimulus and the threat of draconian punishment for anyone selling Chinese stocks seems to have stayed the collapse of share prices there.

U.S. stock markets are also recovering from their late September lows. These signals indicate that complacency and the narrative of economic recovery is creeping back into markets. There is no one better at pushing a narrative than officials in Washington, unless it is Wall Street. Their problem, as always, is supporting it with actual facts.

Spot prices will also be a significant factor in bullion demand, of course. Prices have risen well above the recent lows, tempering some interest among bargain hunters. The markets also have some convincing to do before investors trust that the recent recovery actually represents a reversal and the start of a new uptrend.