Gold, Silver & Other Commodities

If central banks are preparing for a major change in the value of the dollar, shouldn’t we? The US dollar cannot and will not survive the ongoing abuse heaped upon it by government planners and federal officials. That not only means the gold price will rise, but that many, if not most currencies, will lose a significant amount of purchasing power. This has direct implications for all of us.

I have no problem with corrections in general, as they are a healthy part of any bull market and provide a platform from the which the next upleg can spring but something is not quite right about the recent price action in precious metals as the markets have become increasingly divorced from reality over the past few months. Let’s look at some of the glaring contradictions and then discuss the implications.

David Mcalvany (www.mcalvany.com) covers the reasons behind the major pullback in metals on April 12, and where they may go from here, in this most enlightening and re-assuring 8:14 minute video.

We have been following analyst predictions for gold & silver mining stocks and precious metals streaming companies on Yahoo.com for some time now. In this article we document their current consensus price targets and take note of recent target changes where applicable.

While for the time being gold has bounced off long-term support, the XAU has signalled that there are still lower prices ahead for gold mining stocks.

Gold miners have been an embarrassment. A dollar put in gold five years ago would be worth about a $1.70 today; that same dollar in Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) would be worth only $0.80. What explains this sorry performance?

Measuring market data using fiat currencies can be misleading. Even though an asset may rise in dollars, it may be because of declining currency value rather than true economic process. With central banks devaluing currency at record rates, gold’s steady purchasing power makes it an ideal alternative pricing mechanism.

Changes in economic indicators, copper and other commodity prices and stock market trends are covered in this month's market intelligence infographic.

To believe that governments...[won't confiscate your] gold to help support their national finances... would be naïve, especially in light of past and recent events. That's why it is now incumbent on all investors to look at the meaning of ownership in investing and investors' vulnerability to government confiscation as well as vulnerability to exchange and capital controls. We do this below.

It is possible that Bitcoins are starting to steal some of gold's historic role as a safe haven asset, and if that comes to pass it will be a headwind for the metal and the miners of it going forward....