Precious Metals

Five Ways To Play Gold and Silver: Part I

"Times are tough for miners. Costs are high. Metal prices are low. Share prices and market capitalizations are in the pits, so to speak. Overall, sentiments toward the mining sector are negative. The 'commodity super-cycle is over,' if you believe the headline writers of the Financial Times or The Economist. Still, with a recent upturn in metals prices are there opportunities in this scenario? I believe there are still some bargains out there — and if metals prices inch higher over the coming days and months, a few well run miners should pay off handsomely." Continue reading →

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South African gold miners strike over ‘slave wages in white man’s economy’

"About 80,000 gold miners in South Africa walked out on strike on Tuesday night, raising fears of renewed violence in the crisis-hit industry and underlining the government’s dwindling authority. The dispute over pay comes a year after 46 people died during unrest in the platinum belt and amid signs that the century-old mining industry model is broken. For years South Africa was the world’s top gold producer, accounting for more than two-thirds of output in 1970, but it has slipped to fifth place with just 6% of global production. The NUM is demanding rises of up to 60% after talks broke down." Continue reading →

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Gold Declines Trigger Brief Trading Halt

"Exchange operator CME Group Inc. said it briefly halted gold trading on Thursday morning to prevent excessive price volatility. Stop Logic, a type of circuit breaker that pauses trading for between five and 20 seconds, was triggered in the December-delivery gold futures contract at 2:54 a.m. EDT and lasted for 20 seconds, the spokesman said. A set of automatic sell orders were triggered as futures neared $1,350 an ounce early in European trading hours, said George Gero, a vice president and precious metals strategist with RBC Capital Markets, in a note. The sales sent gold prices as much as $10 an ounce lower in the space of a minute, triggering the trading pause." Continue reading →

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Gypsy Uses Gold for Bail? Judge Says It Seems ‘Fishy’

"There were Liberty gold coins and Krugerrands, and a gold chain so thick that had it been used as a restraining device, it might have done a fair job of keeping Tom Eli behind bars. After centuries of being chased from country to country, the Roma, sometimes called Gypsies, have developed an aversion to traditional institutions, including banks, and have their own internal economy. He said he feared that his client was being treated differently from similarly situated people because of his background. Mr. Kenniff said that many who live in the United States still follow ancient traditions, including passing down gold coins and necklaces as heirlooms, and owning those pieces communally." Continue reading →

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Winklevoss twins: Bitcoins better than gold

"'It's gold 2.0,' he said in a presentation at the Value Investing Conference in New York Tuesday. Tyler and his brother Cameron, who shared the stage, outlined the bull case for bitcoins. They have been investors and are aspiring Bitcoin entrepreneurs. The twins recently filed paperwork with the SEC for a Bitcoin exchanged traded fund. Like gold, the virtual currency retains its value regardless of what central bankers do to the money supply. But unlike gold, bitcoins are easier and cheaper to store. Cameron Winklevoss said that another sovereign debt crisis could be a catalyst for a sharp move higher." Continue reading →

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The “Domestic Terrorist” You Can Call a Hero

"Bernard von NotHaus has been the called the Rosa Parks of the alternative money movement. More than 10 years ago, he had this idea that he would make his own money — not the fake stuff we are used to, but the real stuff made of actual silver. The feds raided him in in 2006. In 2007, the government outright stole 2 tons of coins from him, many of them featuring an image of Ron Paul, plus 500 silver coins and 50 gold coins. They threw him in jail and dragged his name through the mud many times. The government labeled him a 'domestic terrorist.' Yet — and this is what amazed me — he still hasn’t been sentenced. He walks around as free as you or me." Continue reading →

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FDR: Sowing the Seeds of Chaos

"The long-lasting imprint from FDR’s famous 'Hundred Days' did not stem from the bank holiday, national industrial recovery act, the farm adjustment act, the Tennessee Valley Authority, or the public works administration. Instead, it is lodged in the footnotes of standard histories; namely, FDR’s April 1933 order confiscating every ounce of gold held by private citizens and businesses throughout the United States. Shortly thereafter he also embraced the Thomas Amendment, giving him open-ended authority to drastically reduce the gold content of the dollar; that is, to trash the nation’s currency." Continue reading →

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Rebalance To Buffer Crises?

"Sovereigns may save themselves at the expense of citizens. Poland has withdrawn $37 billion in government holdings from national pension funds to pay down sovereign debt. Its markets dropped 4.8% the day the news hit. Given relative GDP size, a similar take here would be north of $1 trillion and laws have been prepared to bail-in major banks. Many cities already are bankrupt and pension funds are at risk as pensioneers and bond holders battle over the remains. Those who buy the official narrative are riding in a ticker-tape parade on which Central Banks are showering confetti. When the dreamers awake, they will be looking at a demonic jack-o-lantern." Continue reading →

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Gold And Silver Safe Haven Status Displayed

"The era of stable bond prices and stable income disappeared six years ago and is unlikely soon to return. Another storm-maker is the debate on the debt-ceiling which like many things is now hidden by the cloud of dust the government has chosen to make over Syria. Only four years ago the Secretary of State dined amicably with the latest 'Hitler,' Bashir Assad and his wife. That datum is pertinent to markets because it indicates the often irrational and shifting agendas of our diplomatic - financial echelons. Recognizing this allows one to adopt a defensive position and select growth areas." Continue reading →

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