Blog

Swapping Equity for Debt

When I was working out at the gym a few weeks ago, TJ Rodgers was on the Mad Money show on CNBC (I recall this being Friday January 25, but I cannot find video of this show on the Internet). For those who haven’t seen the show, the host, Jim Cramer, affects a loud and […]

What Drives the Price of Gold and Silver?

If there is a credible rumor that the Fed is planning to further extend its “Quantitative Easing”, how would you expect the monetary metals to react? Typically, the gold price would rise and the silver price would rise even more. The question is why. Traders read the headlines and they know how the price “should” […]

The Curious Case of Falling Gold and Silver Prices. Part II

In Part I , we presented the data for gold and silver price, open interest, and basis. They form a curious combination, which we discuss in this Part II. If open interest is rising, then it means one of two things. Contracts are being created by fresh buyers taking the ask, in which case we […]

The Curious Case of Falling Gold and Silver Prices

  A curious thing happened last week. The prices of both monetary metals have been falling for a week and a half through February 15. No, that’s not the curious part. There is no law of nature that says the prices have to go up, but if they go down it must be artificial somehow. […]

Don’t Short the Treasury Bond Just Yet

Keith Weiner discusses why interest rates prior to 1933 was set by the marginal saver and how the saver was removed from this process post 1933.

Gold Leaps Into Backwardation!

Since late January, the February gold contract has been in backwardation.  This means that one could make a profit by simultaneously selling a gold bar and buying a February contract.  One would still have one’s gold plus a little extra.  I coined the term “temporary backwardation” (https://monetary-metals.com/temporary-backwardation-the-path-forward-from-2008-3/), to describe this curious and very recent phenomenon.  […]

Measuring Gold Demand

The World Gold Council asserts that gold demand fell 4% in 2012.  Can you spot the fallacy? See: The Business Insider  

Is this the Beginning of the End?

The rate of interest on the 10-year Treasury has been ticking up. Some prognosticators are calling for rising rates, trouble at the Treasury (when they roll lower-interest bonds at a higher rate), and the Beginning of The End. Here is a graph to put it in perspective.

Blowing Bubbles

Investor attitudes have become quite bullish again. Few want corporations to improve their balance sheets. And near-record numbers of them want corporations to spend money on capital projects. Congratulations Dr. Bernanke. You have reflated the credit bubble. Bets that when it bursts this time, the ensuing crisis will be even worse than the one in […]

Four-Letter “G” Word Discussed on TV

The title of the following video clip is Would Returning to Gold Standard End Currency Wars?  Obviously, countries which use gold as money would have to accept the fact that gold cannot be devalued. This would be a huge improvement over today. Michael Woolfolk from Bank of New York Mellon takes the anti-gold position, and Komal […]