Gold, Silver & Other Commodities

Over the past few years, pretty much every investor has become familiar with gold. The shiny precious metal has surged in price and has managed to hold strong while broad indexes have slipped, highlighting its appeal as a diversification agent and safe haven investment. This has prompted many investors to ramp up their allocations to the space in order to take advantage of these favorable trends and lead their portfolios to broad gains...[but] there are a number of other issues that investors need to be aware of when considering allocating capital to the space, as there are several reasons to avoid the precious metal from an investment perspective. Below, we highlight seven reasons for why investors may want to temper their expectations for the metal and consider a more diversified approach that doesn’t include such a large allocation to the ‘barbaric relic’. Words: 2030

Have you been wondering how commodities will fare in November? [Below is a chart of] how select commodities performed in the past 25 Novembers (since 1986). Words: 489

34% of Americans say gold is the best long-term investment, but how many of that 34% actually own it in the form of coins and bullion? No one has that figure, but my guess would be less than 1% of the total population, and when global investment demand doubles or triples (or more) from current levels -- a distinct possibility -- and you paint a whole new picture for gold. You begin to understand why gold is not in a bubble at all but, in fact, is in a long-term secular bull market that is still amassing considerable potential energy. Words: 1092

Will our National Debt be trillions higher than today in a few years? If you think the answer is yes, than buying physical gold today is a good idea. It’s that simple. Just look at the chart. Words: 140

For the past decade gold has been "catching up" to the amount of money (M2 and M3) in the system to make up for understatement of the gold price due to U.S. price fixing on its way to an inflation-adjusted value of approx. $2,300 - and that is just the beginning. If, and when, we see a release into the market of the trillions of U.S. dollars being stored on balance sheets of banks, companies, and other countries around the world then the price of gold should explode upward. Let me explain why that would be the case. Words: 850

By almost any measure, gold stocks are undervalued but should we load up? Gold mining companies are earning record margins. Stock prices, however, have not responded in similar fashion but when the broader investing community begins to take notice, investors will snap up these highly profitable stocks and push prices higher. The “catch up” in gold stocks could be tremendous but the question, of course, is timing. We don’t know when gold stocks will begin to catch up and the data don’t suggest they must rise right now or that they’ve hit bottom so should we load up just now? Words: 590

We are at an important crossroads in this commodities bull market,,,[where] even the most fearless bulls are tempted to give up - to sell out of their positions and consider themselves lucky that they were able to be along for the ride and to escape with any profits at all - but I have posted a chart below to help remind you of the real danger in "getting out" now. Words: 350

The behavior of the stocks of the various gold miners in recent times warrants special attention. Let's take a look at the GDX:GLD ratio, the Gold Miners Bullish Index and the volatility of the currencies and stock market indices of the emerging markets where most of these mines are located and determine what they suggest as to what we could well expect in the performance of such stocks in the months ahead. Words: 585

According to Barclays Capital, gold, silver, platinum and palladium, as well as other commodities, generally stand a better chance of handling a global economic downturn than other types of investments [because] commodities "are on a very different footing" from two years ago [which they explain in detail below.] Words: 350

[A]s we’ve consistently seen, when financial conditions get particularly rough, gold and silver lose their safe-haven appeal [but their]...prices may have already struck bottom and, [al]though we don’t expect them to run away to the upside, now may be the time for long-term investors to accumulate positions. That said, what should an investor buy: gold or silver? That is always an interesting question, but especially so during periods of rapid price movements such as now. [Below I analyze the gold/silver ratio and come up with the answer.] Words: 760