$100 Silver Has Come And Gone

$100 SILVER…

In January 1980, the price of silver peaked at just under $50.00 per ounce. From its low in October 1971 at $1.27, silver had risen thirty-nine fold in little more than eight years.

There was talk about higher silver prices, as much as $100.00 per ounce and more. Yet, only a few months later, silver was down to $10.00 per ounce. That amounted to a decline of nearly eighty percent from its peak.

Silver bulls were not deterred, however. They continued to stress the “fundamentals” which would lead to higher silver prices, but their dreams turned into nightmares. The price of silver continued to fall.

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Silver Is Cheap – And Getting Cheaper

Silver is definitely cheap. By almost any standard of measurement, the price of silver is cheap. It is cheap relative to gold, it is cheap compared to its recent peak in 2011, and it is cheap historically. For some, that apparently means that silver is a bargain, too. I’m not so sure.

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Investors Act Like Spoiled Children

When a small child wants some candy or a treat, they usually ask for it. When they don’t get it, they might throw a temper tantrum. They might also throw a tantrum when they want more: more candy, more dessert, etc. 

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What If Gold Is Not In A New Bull Market?

What if it’s not a new bull market for gold? What if gold prices are going lower – not higher?

Think it can’t happen? Think again.

In December 1987, gold prices stood at just over $500.00 per ounce. They had been on a tear for the previous three years after hitting a post-peak low of just under $300.00 per ounce in February 1985.

The increase in gold’s price of $200.00 per ounce may not sound like much, but it represents a sixty-seven percent increase over that three year period. Coming on the heels of a similar percentage decline after reaching an all-time high of $850.00 per ounce in January 1980, it was a welcome salve for those who had been wounded so severely.

Proclamations of a new bull market were abundant.  Expectations for exceeding the old highs had some investors fantasizing rabidly. They were rudely disappointed.

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Prospecting For Silver During Recessions

PROSPECTING FOR SILVER

I am continually amazed at how every turn in the numbers and the economy seems to present new information that is bullish for gold and silver. The train of logic becomes downright laughable at times.

Other than entertaining in a perverse sort of way, the various proclamations and conclusions end up sooner or later in confliction with each other.

One of the more glaring examples involves buying gold and silver because of the possibility of a recession. Why?

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Price Of Gold Is A Reflection of US Dollar; Not US Dollar Index

Several articles by others recently have pointed out the apparent inconsistency of the US dollar’s action relative to the price of gold. For example, over the past year the US dollar Index has continued to strengthen, while gold has also risen in price.

That would seem to indicate that the US dollar’s value is not a primary factor in determining the price of gold. As we have said, though, the US dollar Index is not the same thing as the US dollar. The two are not interchangeable.

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US Government Is Beholden To The Fed; And Vice-Versa

US GOVERNMENT IS BEHOLDEN TO THE FED

We hear quite a bit today about the issue of Federal Reserve independence. The crux of the argument usually centers  on monetary policy executed by the Fed versus opinions of politicians and others who want and expect something different, which they believe will provide more favorable results.

President Trump has been ardently vocal in demanding that the Fed be more aggressive in cutting interest rates.  He also wants, and is encouraging, action that would result in a weaker US dollar. He believes that it would be good for American businesses. His reasoning is that a weaker US dollar would make American-made goods more competitive.

Whether or not the President is correct doesn’t matter for purposes of this article. What is important is that there is a wide difference of opinion between the Federal Reserve and its current policies (re: Jerome Powell) as compared to the wishes of the United States government (re: President Trump).

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For Gold, The Fed’s Decision Didn’t Matter

THE FED’S DECISION

Pretty much everyone got it wrong.  Yes, they got the rate cut they were expecting; but as far as the price of gold is concerned, the Fed’s decision didn’t matter. The reason for this is that the focus on the Fed’s decision was misplaced.

It was a case of simple logic. But the logic was based on a faulty premise and led to unrealistic expectations.

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Gold’s Breakout And The US Dollar

GOLD’S BREAKOUT

If you are bullish on gold prices right now, you are running with the crowd. That is perfectly fine, unless the crowd is running in the wrong direction. Or, maybe the race hasn’t started yet.

With all of the talk about fundamentals for gold, it would be nice if someone could set their emotions aside and look at some facts that might bring some clarity to the subject.

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Has Gold Broken Out Or Not? Technicals And Fundamentals

HAS GOLD BROKEN OUT?

A casual glance at the latest short term chart for GLD would tend to support the notion that, yes, gold has decidedly broken out of its trading range and is headed higher.

Below is a two-year chart of GLD (bigcharts.marketwatch.com) with the latest activity (June 21, 2019) updates…

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