Precious metals rallied this week following a weaker US dollar that was pushed lower by a series of economic reports, including the Labor Department’s higher than expected unemployment figures of 10.2 percent — a more than 26-year high. Gold reached an all-time high and silver soared. Crude oil tumbled on Friday by nearly 3 percent but still managed to post a small weekly gain. In stocks for the week, European indexes were higher and the three major US indexes advanced more than 3 percent.

In London bullion weekly figures, gold jumped 5.5 percent, silver surged 5.8 percent and platinum rose 2.0 percent. Friday precious metals prices follow:

London silver closed to $17.53 an ounce, rising 95 cents from last Friday’s close. New York December silver futures ended at $17.375 for a weekly increase of $1.12.

London gold was fixed at $1,096.75 an ounce and rose $56.75 this week. New York gold for December delivery finished at $1,095.70 for a weekly advance of $55.30.

London platinum ended at $1,347.00 an ounce, climbing $27.00 since last Friday’s close. New York platinum for January delivery ended at $1,348.20, gaining $21.90 on the week. Read the rest of this entry »

Class Is Now In Session

Good Day,

Speculation early this morning was that U.S. employers likely have cut only 150,000 jobs in the month of October, a figure which would be the lowest in more than a year. The worst labor-market slump since the 1930s is now seen as possibly bottoming out, and the possibility of future consumer spending is now seen as adding to US and global economic growth.

The actual numbers, however showed a bit of a different reality, as the U.S. economy shed 190,000 jobs last month, lifting the unemployment rate above the 10% mark (to 10.2%) for the first time in 26 years, the Labor Department said. Economists were looking for the unemployment rate to rise to 9.9%

Following yesterday’s brief pause and minuscule retracement, gold prices remained within striking distance of the $1100 level early this morning, as speculative interest was banking on Friday’s US jobs report to yield further fuel for what has now become a routine spec fund-driven play. That is, when/if economic news is good, the dollar sinks and risk appetite reignites on the perception that such good news will drive the Fed to keep handing out essentially free money with which to go out and buy… stuff. Read the rest of this entry »

New York gold futures rose $2 on Thursday to mark a fourth day of gains. The US dollar failed to make serious inroads against other currencies following the Fed’s decision yesterday to keep interest rates unchanged. Silver gained a sliver. Platinum fell. In other markets, crude oil retreated for the first time in four days while US stocks rallied with the Dow moving back above 10,000.

New York precious metal figures follow:

• Silver for December delivery gained a half penny to $17.410 an ounce. It ranged from $17.220 to $17.530.

• Gold for December delivery advanced 0.2 percent to $1,089.30 an ounce. It ranged from $1,084.30 to $1,095.20.

• January platinum fell $6.40, or 0.5 percent, to $1,362.90 an ounce.

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The latest batch of US Mint sales figures are out and jumping to the forefront are gold coins — both bullion and collector. The bullion Silver Eagles are moving along as well. The US Mint Set and Proof Set continue with strength, with the former smashing through the 500,000 barrier. These and other highlights follow:

• The US Mint news of the week circled around the inaugural Buffalo Gold Proof sales. 19,468 were sold in four days. That was 123 shy of the 2008 Buffalo Proofs. The 2009 bullion versions are on fire as well. They were released on Oct. 15 and are now at 121,000 — 51,000 short from matching the 2008s.

• American Silver Eagle bullion coins officially recorded their best October ever, reaching 2,939,000 in the month. The US Mint has yet to report any November numbers, but the final two months of a year are generally very strong for eagles. American Eagle Gold coins finished last month with sales of 115,500, making October the 5th best ever for the series.

• UHR $20 Double Eagles recovered from the dip that took weekly sales to their second lowest level ever. 1,045 more were scooped up by collectors, bringing the new total to 102,311.

• Three of four Braille Silver Dollar products performed better than the last round. The Braille Education Set, which went on sale Oct. 15, declined slightly with 793 versus the prior 1,004. In related news, the US Mint announced this week that it would stop selling Braille dollars after 5:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 11. For the record, a total of 202,655 of the authorized 400,000 silver dollars have been sold.

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New York gold futures reached a fresh all-time high on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates and its monetary policy unchanged, which helped push the US dollar lower and made the yellow metal more attractive. Silver and platinum followed along, as did crude oil. For a second straight day, US stocks closed mixed.

New York precious metal figures follow:

• Silver for December delivery rose 22.5 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $17.405 an ounce. It ranged from $17.105 to $17.635.

• Gold for December delivery advanced $2.40, or 0.2 percent, to $1,087.30 an ounce. It ranged from $1,080.50 to $1,098.50.

• January platinum climbed $13.10, or 1.0 percent, to $1,369.30 an ounce.

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New York gold futures surged to a new all-time high Tuesday as news hit the streets that the IMF sold 200 metric tons of gold to the Reserve Bank of India. Platinum rose as well, while silver soared to reach back above $17 an ounce. In other markets, crude oil ended higher and US stocks closed mixed.

New York precious metal figures follow:

• Silver for December delivery surged 74 cents, or 4.5 percent, to $17.180 an ounce. It ranged from $16.245 to $17.35.

• Gold for December delivery jumped $30.90, or 2.9 percent, to $1,084.90 an ounce. The yellow metal ranged from $1,055.50 to $1,088.50.

• January platinum rose $18.10, or 1.4 percent, to $1,356.20 an ounce.

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Will Work For Less

Good Day,

Gold prices pushed higher overnight, breaking above the $1050 mark and touching a high near $1058 per ounce. The metal recovered from Friday’s indecisiveness and actually showed a bit of a de-couple from the dollar - while still rising in tandem with oil prices - and a return to contrary behavior against stocks as the Nikkei average slumped by 231 points during the nighttime hours. Today’s action - indeed, the rest of the week’s- will be punctuated by a plethora of US economic statistics and by the FOMC meeting’s results (even if only verbal ones).

A verbal nod - of sorts- was given to gold by an ECB official today, at the LBMA conference in Edinburgh, Scotland. While clearly dismissing the wishful thinking that gold will once again become the peg to which fiat currencies are to be anchored, the speaker highlighted that which we have said for years: that gold as a diversifier of risk, and as the insurance policy in the basement, has a role, and will continue to have a role. Just not the role that is being envisioned by the TEOTWAWKI crowd. NASDAQ reports that: Read the rest of this entry »

Precious metals retreated on the week as prices fell following a stronger US dollar. New York crude oil dropped the most in a month on Friday, yet still managed an October rise of 9 percent. US stocks also declined sharply Friday to mark their worst one-day slide since April. The Dow, S&P and Nasdaq registered respective weekly losses of 2.6 percent, 4.0 percent, and 5.1 percent. European stocks declined as well.

In London bullion weekly figures, gold fell 2.0 percent, silver shot down 6.1 percent and platinum retreated 3.8 percent. Friday precious metals prices follow:

London silver closed to $16.57 an ounce, plummeting $1.08 from last Friday’s close. New York December silver futures ended at $16.255 for a $1.47 weekly plunge.

London gold was fixed at $1,040.00 an ounce for a $21.75 loss on the week. New York gold for December delivery finished at $1,040.40 for a weekly decline of $16.00.

London platinum ended at $1,320.00 an ounce, falling $52.00 since last Friday’s close. New York platinum for January delivery ended at $1,326.30 for a $43.20 weekly retreat. Read the rest of this entry »

GDP: Great Day to Play

Good Day,

Friday’s market sessions in precious metals started off on a tamer note, following the best gains in gold in three weeks. Explanations follow. The recapture of the $1045 area is noteworthy, although analysts we polled during the wee hours overseas are trying to define the move as everything from a ‘one-hit wonder’ to the ‘re-ignition of what we saw during most of October.’

The Bloomberg weekly survey foresees weaker gold prices come next week - not by a large margin (57% bearish)- but still focusing on a potential comeback by the US currency, the early signs of which became visible this past Monday. Demand for the yellow metal once again slipped away in India, following signs of life during the earlier part of the week when values came close to $1025 per ounce. The country recorded its sixth straight month of declining gold imports, despite a decent gain during September - in anticipation of festival-related sales.

New York spot dealings opened with a $2.60 loss in gold bullion, which was quoted at $1043.20 bid, as against a euro-dollar seen at $1.4798 and the USD index steady-to-higher, at 76.05, with little in the way of fresh news thus far this morning. Oil prices gave back about 50 cents of their whopper-sized Thursday gains, slipping to $79.32 per barrel. Risk traders took a latte break this morning, and this gave the dollar a moment to try to re-group. Read the rest of this entry »

Gold and other precious metals spiked Thursday, as did crude oil and US stocks following a report by the Commerce Department saying the economy expanded at a 3.5 percent annualized pace in the third quarter. Gold’s rise broke a losing streak that had extended to five days. The Dow and S&P enjoyed their best one-day jumps in three months.

New York bullion figures follow:

• Silver for December delivery jumped 41.5 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $16.655 an ounce. It ranged from $16.12 to $16.71.

• Gold for December delivery advanced $16.60, or 1.6 percent, to $1,047.10 an ounce. The yellow metal ranged from $1,048.40 to $1,026.90.

• January platinum surged $31.30, or 2.4 percent, to $1,338.20 an ounce.

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