Tag Archives: science

End of Week Report: Gold Fails to Break $1,800 an ounce

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TAKING GOLD PROFITS:
Gold’s failure to break $1,800 an ounce this week, along with positive U.S. economic data, had many investors looking to cash out gains. This week’s retail sales data shows Americans bought more of everything in September and could indicate greater than expected growth in the third quarter. “The University of Michigan data on Friday, retail sales today — it all adds up to suggest that the U.S. economy is starting to step in line, and the downward revisions we saw in the past half of the year may be coming to an end,” Danske Bank analyst Christin Tuxen said. This week also saw positive news out of China indicating reduced inflation and growing exports.  As the United States election draws near, the economy is by far the number one topic of debate. This week’s reports from the Federal Reserve shone a positive light on the U.S. economy, as industrial production rose in September. Reports have shown that consumer spending and the housing markets have also improved. “The economy is regaining momentum it appeared to have lost in the spring,” said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh.
 
EUROPEAN SUMMIT MOVES THE MARKET:
Gold is set to end the week down as the euro softened in anticipation of the EU summit’s closing in Brussels. Plans for immediate assistance to the profoundly struggling nations of Greece and Spain went largely unmentioned as the falling euro dragged Gold down with it. Though the metal has descended sharply from recent highs near $1,800, many analysts are still bullish on Gold for the long-term. “There is a clear lack of momentum in the Gold price at the moment,” BNP Paribas analyst Anne-Laure Tremblay said. “The recent correction from $1,800 to $1,735, and possibly a bit lower, is likely to be a temporary pause in a wider upward trend.” French President Francois Hollande believes the eurozone is “on track” to fixing the problems in the region, but he’s not fooling anyone. A statement from the summit claimed that banking supervision was coming, but as Alex White of JPMorgan said, “The statement repeated the passage from the June summit word for word – indicating how little progress has been made. While France and the periphery continue to see banking sector support coming early next year, the German vision still looks like it is based around a timeframe from 2015 and beyond.” If this is true, it could be more than two years before the eurozone is on track again.
 
AFRICAN MINING SUSPENDED:
Africa’s leading Gold mining operation has been suspended as a reported 19,500 of the 26,700 workers have gone on strike. “The current impasse is extremely unfortunate, not only for the industry and its employees, but also for future growth and development in South Africa, given the critical role that Gold mining plays in our country’s economic development,” Elize Strydom, the mines chamber’s senior executive for employer relations, said in an emailed statement. South Africa was the fifth-largest Gold producing country in 2010.

Pre-Order America The Beautiful Silver Coin Hawai’i National Park

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Brand New and Available for Pre-Order 2012 5 oz Silver Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park 14th in the “America the Beautiful” Series!

2012 5oz Silver ATB Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park,Hawaii (9-21)Already a major tourist attraction by the 1840s, Hawai’i Volcanoes became a national park on August 1, 1916. The park was created to preserve the natural setting of the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes. Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, helping to make the park one of the most popular visitor attractions in Hawaii.

The park’s 500 plus square miles features a range of climates from rain forests to barren deserts, plus some of the rarest and most exotic flora and fauna on the planet. The new 2012 5 oz Silver Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park coin joins the other 13 national parks in the America the Beautiful Series and features:

  • Exquisite detail:The region’s first Western visitors called the erupting volcano “a spectacle,” “sublime” and even “appalling.” This large, 3″ diameter coin brings that awe inspiring grandeur to life in more detail than is possible on smaller coins.
  • 5 oz of .999 fine Silver:The U.S. government guarantees the weight and purity of this coin which comes in a very popular, easy to store and sell size.
  • Brilliant Uncirculated condition: This coin comes to you protected by a plastic capsule. Multiples of 10 come in mint issued tubes, ensuring that you receive them in excellent condition.

 

 

Gold retains investor confidence

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The markets for Gold and other commodities are going strong thanks to more economic issues in the United States and Europe. While the price of Gold has been steady, the stock market has been anything but. Menachem Brenner, a finance professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, said, “People have lost confidence in nearly every other instrument, so they invest in Gold. Over the past 10 years, commodities have become a new asset class if you want to diversify beyond stocks. More institutional investors are coming in. This will be going on for years to come.”

Germany is going to be a major factor in the way Europe handles the financial crisis it faces. How the Germans factor into the equation will be a hot topic at the European Union summit on Thursday. The focus will be on which nations will lead the recovery efforts. However German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the focus needs to be more long term. “I say quite openly, when I think of the summit on Thursday, I’m concerned that once again the discussion will be far too much about all kinds of ideas for joint liability and far too little about improved oversight and structural measures.”

In the United States, the November elections are on the minds of Americans. The question may not be who will be elected, but what he will do once elected. In a recent poll, the answer to who will do the best job with the economy was “none of the above.” An Associated Press poll conducted from June 14 to 18 shows the majority of those asked said the winner will have “just some impact” to “no impact” on the economy. Not even one-third of the American voters polled said they think the economy will get better in the next year.

At 1 p.m. (EDT), the APMEX Precious Metals spot prices were:

  • Gold, $1,585.30, Up $17.90.
  • Silver, $27.58, Up $0.81.
  • Platinum, $1,441.20, Up $8.00.
  • Palladium, $607.50, Down $0.70.

What will be Gold’s Next Move? Potential QE3 Announcement Wednesday

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Precious metals prices have remained stable throughout the day following this morning’s trends with little movement. Federal Chairman Ben Bernanke will hold a press conference Wednesday and it is expected that additional easing measures will be announced. Anne-Laure Tremblay from BNP Paribas wrote in a note to clients, “Probable actions include interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank and the People’s Bank of China [and] further quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve,” she said, adding that such action would likely support gold buying. “Quantitative easing, or an expansion of a central bank’s balance sheet, is more favorable for gold prices…[as it] tends to have a strong negative impact on the U.S. dollar and is also more likely to raise inflationary expectations.”

As the Federal Reserve continues its two-day policy meeting tomorrow with a hopeful resolution to stimulate America’s economy analyst Dick Bove is patiently waiting, but not quietly. Bove considered what a third round of quantitative easing would actually do for the financial system he said, “It seems clear that the United States economy’s growth is slowing and that the global economy is facing major challenges. This suggests a need for some action by the Federal Reserve and other central banks,” Bove said in a note to clients. “It also appears to be just as evident that lowering interest rates to zero and printing more money are not effective options.”

At 5:01 p.m. (EDT), the APMEX Precious Metals spot prices were:

  • Gold, $1,619.50, Down $8.00.
  • Silver, $28.47, Down $0.30.
  • Platinum, $1,481.50, Down $4.60.
  • Palladium, $630.40, Down $3.80.