Caution: Goldman Says Short Gold
While major U.S. equity indexes continue to push into uncharted territory, commodities have taken a backseat so far this year. As investors keep pouring into stocks and increasing their overall risk appetites, safe-haven assets like gold have faltered. Year-to-date gold has dipped just over 7%, while the S&P 500 has jumped over 11% during the same time period [for more gold news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Bernanke Announces Return To Gold Standard
For years, investors and analysts have heavily criticized the actions of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Bernanke has earned himself a slew of nicknames for his money printing, with the most popular being “Helicopter Ben.” After studying the Great Depression for many years, Bernanke felt that the reason the U.S. slipped into such a rough patch was because of the lack of money supply in the economy. This is one of the main reasons that he has maintained his quantitative easing programs that have involved exorbitant money printing.
A Brief 2000-Year History Of Copper Prices
We have previously talked about the historical use and value of gold and silver, and now we turn to copper. Right off the bat, copper is a very different metal. Like gold, it’s easy to work with for relatively simple tools and technologies, but unlike gold, copper was (and is) quite common and easy to find. Copper has been mined and used for at least 10,000 years and likely vied with meteoric iron as the metal most used in tools [for more copper news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Gold Gears Up For A Rebound
It was Warren Buffett that urged investors to be greedy when others are fearful, and fearful when others are greedy. At a time when it seems like equities are unstoppable, investors have been pouring into stocks and increasing their overall risk appetite. As a result, safe-haven assets like gold have taken a big hit, as there is less perceived risk in the economy than in the recent past. But what goes up must come down, and savvy investors have an opportunity to turn a profit based on current trends [for more gold news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
15 Commodity-Friendly Professors
When it comes to commodities, most investors turn to the likes of Jim Rogers and George Soros, legendary gurus that have long held the spotlight in this asset class. And while their contributions to the commodities world have certainly helped shape the market we know today, there is one group of individuals that is often overlooked, though they have continually played a major role in the natural resources market: professors [sign up for our free commodity newsletter here].
Bottom Fishing In Goldcorp Inc. (GG)
The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit all-time highs last week, spawning a wave of euphoric headlines across the financial media. What’s truly impressive is that buyers continue to step in at virtually every pullback, which is quite the risky maneuver when you consider the stellar run-up seen on Wall Street since the November 16 lows last year [for more market news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Contango Report: Commodities Facing Uphill Curves
Contango is a natural phenomenon in the world of commodity futures. Some view it as an evil that plagues the space, but in reality it is just another pattern that traders can profit from. Contango, simply put, is the process by which futures contracts get more expensive as the maturity dates get further out from spot. While this can hurt a long-term position, savvy traders can use this uphill curve to their advantage. Below, we outline several commodities exhibiting contango to help you make the best trading decisions for your portfolio [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
3 Ways To Bet Against Gold
Gold prices have been struggling over the past coupe of months as equities have picked up steam and set their sights on historic highs. As such, many investors have moved out of gold and into equities, looking to cash in on the currently bull market. This trend can be easily demonstrated by the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), which holds physical gold bullion. The fund has lost more than $4.7 billion in assets in 2013, though it still remains the second largest ETF in the world [for more gold news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Commodity Alert: Obama And Bernanke Sing The Budget Blues
In Ben Bernanke’s testimony on the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report before the Senate Banking Committee this week, the Fed Chairman signaled that the central bank would continue its stimulus policies, citing that the economic landscape still possesses several red flags. And while this may have quelled fears that the Fed would wind down or scale back its massive bond-buying program earlier-than-expected, investors still remain on edge [For more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Exploring More Gold/Silver Manipulation Theories
Gold and silver have always been subject to claims that major institutions have been manipulating prices. In some cases, such price manipulation has even been proven, opening the door for further suspicion from investors around the world. It seems that as the years go on, more and more investors hop on board with these theories, with Eric Sprott, CEO of Sprott Asset Management, being one of the latest heavy-hitters to weigh in [for more precious metals news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
