Watching The Flows
So here we are. It's September 10 and things sure don't look any better than they did at the end of May. For that matter, things don't look much better than they did at the end of December, either. What's left? Is there any remaining hope for a rally into year end? Can the metals at least eek out a positive return for 2014?
As you know, I've been out the past two days. It was great to look away for a while but, unfortunately, I made the mistake of not completely looking away. What did I see whenever I checked? Just more of the same. With the overnight selloff back on 9/1, The Cartel Monkeys managed to break the 200-day moving average in gold and all we've seen since is Spec selling of longs and adding of shorts. Of course, The Cartel Banks have been using all of this Spec selling to cover their own naked shorts. As you know, that's by design. The Banks now thoroughly dominate these paper markets and it appears that they will continue to do so for at least the foreseeable future.
Think back to how this has all played out in 2014. Twice, Spec interest has flown into the long side of gold (and silver) and twice The Cartel Banks have acted dramatically to first cap price and then smash it back down.
First, after beginning the year at $1200, gold rallied smartly through January and February. It finally broke through and above it's primary long-term trendline on March 14 when it closed at $1382. It opened higher still on Sunday the 16th and traded as high as $1392 before the Cartel offensive began. Price was routed over the next two weeks as it fell by over $110. The Spec shorting/selling and Cartel covering/buying then continued all the way to a bottom in late may at $1240.
Then, price reversed with another rally through the primary trendline, all the way to a high of $1345 on July 10 and July 11. Another Cartel offensive was then put into effect, just as in March. Price broke on Monday, July 14 and the Spec shorting/selling combined with Cartel covering/buying has trimmed price nearly $100 since.
Allow me lay the relative position changes for you so that you can see it in action...
12/31/13
Spec Long 137,182 Commercial Long 182,101
Spec Short 104,959 Commercial Short 215,122
NET 32,223 NET 33,021
3/18/14
Spec Long 183,324 Commercial Long 164,293
Spec Short 46,510 Commercial Short 310,227
NET 136,814 NET 145,934
6/3/14
Spec Long 157,322 Commercial Long 159,545
Spec Short 98,181 Commercial Short 222,989
NET 59,151 NET 63,444
7/8/14
Spec Long 203,464 Commercial Long 135,998
Spec Short 53,443 Commercial Short 302,201
NET 150,021 NET 166,003
9/2/14
Spec Long 172,522 Commercial Long 134,701
Spec Short 75,643 Commercial Short 238,408
NET 96,879 NET 103,707
Obviously, it doesn't take a degree in economics or mathematics to see what is going on here. As I've discussed ad nauseam, the global price of gold is "set" by a small group of about 60 "Large Spec" (hedge fund) traders on one side and 6-8 "Commercial" (Bullion Bank) traders on the other.
- Price rallies as funds flow to the long side. The Specs buy and buy while The Cartel caps and caps by liquidating longs and adding fresh paper shorts.
- Eventually, the Cartel capping exhausts the buying momentum and stalls the rally. Once The Cartel gives things a downward shove, the funds begin to sell and sell while The Cartel buys and covers the very same naked shorts they had just recently added.
- In each case, the rallies were forcibly turned once the naked gross short position of The Banks exceeded 300,000 contracts.
And look at the effort put forth by The Banks to contain these two rallies:
- Over a period of 10 weeks to begin the year, The Cartel was able to limit the rally to only 15% by supplying the "market" with 95,000 brand new naked short contracts. That's 9.5MM ounces of make-believe paper gold or about 295 metric tonnes!
- Over a period of just 5 weeks in June and July, The Cartel was able to limit the rally to only 7% by supplying the "market" with 79,000 brand new naked short contracts. That's 7.9MM ounces of make-believe paper gold or about 246 metric tonnes!
Finally, note that the bottom and turn in early June "coincided" with a Cartel naked short position falling back to 222,989 or almost exactly the level of naked shorts seen at the bottom of 12/31/13. What was The Cartel naked short position as of last Tuesday, 9/2? Look back up at the data above and you'll see that it was 238,408.
So, can we assume that all we need for another bottom and turn is an additional 20,000 or so of short covering by The Banks? Maybe...and we have to be awfully close. Since the last CoT survey, total open interest in gold has risen by over 12,000 contracts while price has fallen by $11. Without question, this rising OI/falling price signals fresh Large Spec momo shorting and, into this shorting, The Banks are continuing to buy and cover. The latest CoT survey was taken yesterday and the results will be released as usual on Friday. Will The Cartel gross, naked short position be back down to near 220,000? Almost certainly.
"So, what's the point of all this, Turd??" Since we've been using bullets this entire post, we might as well close with some more...
- It's obvious that The Banks are desperate to contain price in 2014. Otherwise, why would they issue nearly 100,000 contracts of naked shorts in two such relatively short periods of time?
- I'll tell you why...Because if they hadn't, the rallies would have extend far beyond $1392 in March and $1345 in July.
- And if those rallies had instead reached $1500 or $1600, the virtuous cycle of TA would have invited in even more Spec buying and driven price even higher. Analysts and the media would have been forced to admit that the "bear market in metals" was over and that simply DOES NOT fit the narrative that The Fed and the other central banks want to push.
Finally, none of this is intended as sour grapes or excuse-making. Obviously if anyone knows and appreciates the extent to which The Banks control the metals, it's me. However, as we began 2014, I expected the metals to resume their bull markets and tack on fresh gains of around 25%. Though there's still over 100 days left in the year, my goals are looking increasingly unlikely and, absent some fresh catalyst to drive fund flows back into the long side of gold (and silver), it looks like I'm going to fall short.
With such staunch and desperate capping likely to impede the next rally too, what we really need is a huge jump in Comex open interest. Back in 2010, total OI was regularly 600,000+ contracts. Total OI has spent the majority of 2014 under 400,000 contracts, even reaching a multi-year low of 360,000 contracts on a couple of occasions. It seems that only by painting The Banks into a sustained retreat by driving open interest back to 500,000+ can we get price to rally toward $1500 and beyond. This will be a key metric in the weeks and months ahead. What would drive open interest higher? That's hard to predict. Far easier to predict is that the paper markets for gold (and silver) are likely to stay rangebound between $1200 and $1320 until it does.
I'll have more later today with a full podcast. We'll go over these numbers again just so that I can be confident that everyone understands the point I'm trying to make. Until then, hang in there and keep the faith. Remain patient and diligent. Recognize the "the metals markets" are farce/joke/sham that are not even remotely indicative of the true supply/demand picture for actual, physical metal and please continue to prepare accordingly.
TF
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67 Comments
first?
....for sure by chance..but hey, luck must be on my side today! Go silver
And always remember, you gotta get down to get up...words to live by...aaand just in case you missed this...pass it on, cmon...thx GL
How much is the FED involved
Since we know now that the FED and other central banks are trading futures - does anyone have any clue as to how those transactions are reported? Does anyone think they would permit their activity to be reported?
How do we know that the FED isn't backstopping the banks and allowing them to offload their shorts to the FED? Is their any transparency anywhere that shows what the Treasury's invlovement is? The FED's involvement? Other CBs?
And here's the link for tomorrow's A2A
I'm bringing back Denver Dave. With everything going on, I thought that the timing couldn't be better.
Register to listen/interact here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3436467878574196482
Same start time as usual, Noon EDT.
Nope. None.
And then call Ron Paul and ask him how easy it is to get The Fed to crack open their books. Not gonna happen...
Bizarre.
Thanks Turd.
"Recognize the "the metals markets" are farce/joke/sham ... " True that!
It is very demotivating - but - personally, I moved past that a long while ago. I really don't care much what the fiat price for an ounce is.
What truly frustrates and maddens me is the absolute immorality of it all. Up is down and everything is disconnected from what true value is and what honest properly functioning markets should be. It's immoral as far as I'm concerned - the regulators look away (or are on the take), the banks make more fiat through their crooked actions and the "average Joe" won't even consider bullion because he associates it's value with the fiat number generated out of the crooked Comex.
We live in bizarre times.
Very sad. It will end. But, it won't end well.
I think I figured out how to make PMs go up.
If I sell my stack I am certain gold and silver will immediately move up. Sorry guys, ain't gonna happen.
09/11
Could this over week long crushing of the metals simply be a
prelude to some really, really bad news tomorrow?
There has to be some limit on price manipulation..I'm confused
I'm trying to understand the thesis here. If large banks can sell huge quantities of paper gold that doesn't exist, then they can drive the price down to any arbitrary value. Even to some value disconnected from reality. I understand that price manipulation can affect technical analysis of charts and the psychological sentiment. However, the law of supply and demand still exists. Physical demand still must play some role in setting prices. Right? If the price of gold were driven down to $100, everyone would start buying coins and bars hand over fist. In addition, miners would stop selling because no one can produce an ounce of gold for $100. Prices would have to rise. There must be SOME connection between price and physical demand.
In other words, driving price down will at some point result in the opposite of the intended effect. It should at some point stimulate buying instead of frightening people to sell.
Exactly
Which is why price failed to fall below $1180 twice last year and why silver continues to find support near $19.
Palladium
I printed this chart earlier today. It's clear that the action yesterday smashed the 7-month trendline as everyone is now convinced that Ukraine is "fixed". The plan was/is to discuss this in today's podcast, too.
Relax Turd
"Though there's still over 100 days left in the year, my goals are looking increasingly unlikely and, absent some fresh catalyst to drive fund flows back into the long side of gold (and silver), it looks like I'm going to fall short."
According to our good friend Harvey Organ (12 hrs ago) you don't have to worry as Silver will be at $200 by the end of the year and gold will be at $10000 so relax my friend and enjoy life, as for me I'll just Keep Stacking.
While we wait .......
I would like to remind you, that your best protection against infectious disease, is to wash your hands. Contact your local Public Health Department for more details.
What to make of 10-yr yield over 2.50
Is there an upside target beyond which would take it back to 3%? Btw - looks like $1240 equates to 217 on the HUI. Gon go long there looking for a bounce, with a stop in place.
"The Great Gatsby" - how this book relates to us today.
( Bear with me on this subject please. )
***
Toward the end of the book there is a scene where the father goes back east to claim the body of his son, the murdered bootlegger Jay Gatsby. He reads Gatsby's notebook written as a young man. It earnestly states the young Gatsby's goals; self improvement, discipline, saving a potion of his income.
So he starts out earnest and hard working, but is corrupted (although to him it looks like he's getting closer to his goal)
The reason the book is a tragedy is this: Gatsby lost all the best parts of himself as a young man.
That, for me at 55 was my takeaway and I reread the book every 10 years.
Gatsby's chain of drugstores served as a front for 'medical whisky'. The fortunes made during that era were quick and spectacular.
(And BTW, much in gold coin, which was not 'turned in' but shipped up to deep storage in Canada, we're told...but I digress)
https://www.google.com/search?q=1920%27s+medical+whisky&client=firefox-a&hs=5rR&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=tnsQVN6aCMjPggT7hYDoDw&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=939&bih=542&dpr=1.09
The reason this is one of the great classics ever written is that Gatsby's journey is our own. Listen, it's very tough on an emotional level to accept that the 'fix is in' and that hard work is for 'loosers'. I do not accept this. For men this hits hard because we are taught 'who we are is what we do or accomplish' in life.
This weeks smash down is a example.
We live in a time that asks us to ignore corruption daily. Is that not true? This is the demand upon us if we want to lead a stress free 'normal' life. Accept the matrix or suffer.
Not just PM markets. We are being asked in the US today to accept rampant corruption from stern to bow. I am not a moral crusader, nor do hold myself as a judge of any man, but we are loosing the best of who we are.
The bottom line is that internal pain we feel is the result of this conflict between what we know is right and what we are being forced to accept as the 'new normal'.
I offer no answer friends, only my personal awareness, that I'm sharing with you now.
Silver Scam
Many people knew Benie Madoff was running a Ponzi scam, enabled by our friendly banker. It had to become public knowledge to finally end.
The Comex, CME, CFTC, and others are currently running a silver scam. The CME proudly announced they are aware of what's going on and have facilitated it.
The public seems unaware of what's going on. You would think they would wake up sometime.
When that time comes and they start fighting the industrial users for a scarce supply, goodbye silver scam.
bim jeam
Indeed. That's what I've been thinking too.
Bizzaro's world
In the Bizarro world of "Htrae" ("Earth" spelled backwards), society is ruled by the Bizarro Code which states "Us do opposite of all Earthly things! Us hate beauty! Us love ugliness! Is big crime to make anything perfect on Bizarro World!" In one episode, for example, a salesman is doing a brisk trade selling Bizarro bonds: "Guaranteed to lose money for you".
Our world will transition back from Bizzaro's world view, not because we want it, but because the natural laws will over-whelm the printing presses.
1. Gold and Silver's value is NOT measured in a fiat USD that has no backing, but in ounces.
2. Ongoing sale promotions help us to increase the height of our stacks.
3. Losing some fiat monopoly money while trading, hurts and perhaps, hurts a lot. But in the grand scheme, this is loose change when stacks rule!
4. Painted charts are meant to lure in and scalp the momos and algos. Let's get out of the way.
5. Relish these remaining days, and create happy memories with family. Our heightened awareness allows us to truly appreciate these moments, unlike those who party without knowing the clock and tide is about to turn.
6. Hold steadfast. Those that do not learn from centuries of history are doomed to be on the wrong side.
7. Keep our eyes on the good that we are positioned to do and enable, when our time comes, as it surely will.
Silver up 7 % since 05/30 when denominated in euro
Interestingly seen from an European standpoint silvers price performance does not look totally dull. At least it seem for now to function as some kind wealth protection.
Goin' Down Down Down
I'm sick and tired of you setting me up
Setting me up just to knock-a knock-a knock-a me down
Down, down, down
Harvey Organ
I just watched the interview with his bold predictions. He reminds us that China will start a physical gold exchange on the 22nd of this month and will also run out of physical silver in approximately 6 weeks. He predicts overnight gains that seem unbelievable at this stage - but who knows, maybe he's right!? The timetable would dovetail with the likely timetable for a major escalation in war - so although I remain hugely skeptical I have to admit his predictions resonate with me.
Oil and Palladium
Turd,
It may be that the price of Palladium is being hammered down to reduce Russia's earnings on sales. Similar to oil's action lately. With Russia being the #1 producer, why not. If straight up sanctions aren't having the intended consequences (and plenty of unintended), kick them in the balls....left being the oil price and right being the palladium price.
lp
The Fed and its proxy agents aka Banks will always be present in
PM markets to delay the inevitable rise. You are correct Turd in that additional capital inflows are necessary to provide "resistance" against the Cartel, and break UP and OUT of this current 3+ year correction.
I can see a couple of scenarios in which OI returns, but it won't be bcos investors want back in to the Comex:
1) Stock market slides into a bear market
2) An Lehman-like event, or, black swans, returns Gold to safe haven status for mainstream institutional funds, and diverts stock market funds into commodities
3) Fed counters ECB with a considerably bigger QE in 2015, causing USD and bonds to fall off the cliff
I cant recall anything like this before...
I truly feel like im in the twilight zone. Even more so than before... Theres no reality left.
I'll take your punches and keep stacking
Easy to feel like a punch drunk fighter here. Saw another blurb on German Repatriation from Koos supposedly the fight is still being waged wonder when we will see some real Phys move! Hope the Swiss vote for repatrioting their gold too. I still see those both as positive catalysts.
https://www.bullionstar.com/article/german%20gold%20repatriation%20accelerating
In retrospect seems like the strength of the dollar has been maybe a bit under estimated in its effects on demand of PM's. While its transparent to us in lower PM prices the ROW has not seen the price drop we have so my guess this is another advantage the Cartel is using to hammer prices. Meanwhile the Chinese demand and Russian demand continues to increase inspite of the usual dirty tricks to hamstring Russian demand but driving down oil and prices and the value of the ruble. How much longer can we underestimate the efforts of the dirty bag o tricks boys......being so filled with hate for them is not healthy for me so need to find an outlet....until then MAY THEY ROT IN HELL! meanwhile I'm still stacking.
landplanner
I agree with your thoughts on suppression of oil and palladium. Just as gold, in the form of Canada's gold reserves, was dumped into the market by Mulroney (the toady of Reagan), to reduce USSR's gold revenues. Russia still produces gold, and (I think) still exports some.
Maybe Ukraine CB will be buying waaaaaay out of the money oil calls now, to finance their future gas purchases, when the leash is released on the oil price. Assuming, of course that NATO and Russia don't nuke Ukraine to cinders first.
Question
Did NetDania change the way they report trading volumes? The last few weeks have just been huge compared to previous. Or is this the new normal? Just can't believe that OI hasn't exploded if true. Seem to recall about when margin requirements were lowered.
BTW, I wouldn't piss on a banker if they were on fire. I may try to beat the fire out with a bag of junk though.
H8
What can I say
Everything is backward white is black. Up is down. Ect ect ect.
The comments about the Twilight Zone had me go look this up
It's the song by Golden Earring, not the TV show.
Best Regards,
Thorus
Harvey Organ on Greg Hunter - payday for stackers by Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aZwSiHBxm0c
I think Russia will in
I think Russia will in general relax turning screws on Ukraine if not forced prior to parliamentary elections there:
A snap Ukrainian parliamentary election to theVerkhovnaRada will be held on 26 October 2014.[1]
Anti Russian sentiment is running high in Ukraine so if Russia wants less decisive opponents in Rada it may well relax until November. Mariupol and corridor from Russia to Crimea will be there available also in winter. Besides, in winter Russia will have one extra weapon-gas/oil. If Ukraine starts to take gas from European deliveries it will invite Russian attempts to stop stealing.
It would be also good for Putin to calm EU so that they get a bit happy with some stabilization and after experiencing economic fears become even more inclined for appeasement. Crimea is already gone, parts of Donbass as well.
Hitler needed Sudetenland Germans and Czech mines and heavy industry to further increase his military potential. He took them during appeasement. Putin needs and finds the same - ethnic Russians for army, coal and metals and very important for Russia number of military plants , especially in Kharkiv region, which produces stuff for Russian army which is in principle very costly and difficult to replace.
Despite this, on 4 December 1938 there were elections in Reichsgau Sudetenland, in which 97.32% of the adult population voted for NSDAP. About a half million Sudeten Germans joined theNazi Party which was 17.34% of the total German population in Sudetenland (the average NSDAP membership participation in Nazi Germany was merely 7.85% in 1944). This means the Sudetenland was one of the most pro-Nazi regions of the Third Reich.[13] Because of their knowledge of the Czech language, many Sudeten Germans were employed in the administration of the ethnic CzechProtectorate of Bohemia and Moravia as well as in Nazi organizations (Gestapo, etc.). The most notable was Karl Hermann Frank: the SS and Police general and Secretary of State in the Protectorate.
Czechoslovakia was a major manufacturer of machine guns, tanks, and artillery, most of which were assembled in the Škoda factory and had a modern army of 35 divisions. Many of these factories continued to produce Czech designs until factories were converted for German designs. Czechoslovakia also had other major manufacturing companies. Entire steel and chemical factories were moved from Czechoslovakia and reassembled in Linz, Austria which incidentally remains a heavily industrialized sector of the country.
So I think we see some calm now until elections in Ukraine, then things will again get nasty on next level; given the setback with first wave separatists in Kharkiv Mariupol regions, there is time needed also to make preparations.
And of course I admit that Putin has all rights to do this as West ditched Russia after 1990 -ties, broke promises about NATO expansion, dealt with Russia in disrespectful manner- as Hitler had all rights to restore German dignity after Versailles and reparations.
Question remain how far will this analogy go; splitting Ukraine in two parts - that is clear, and is analogy to German occupation of Czechoslovakia Czech part in 1939.
On 16 March 1939, the GermanWehrmacht moved into the remainder of Czechoslovakia and, from Prague Castle, Hitler proclaimed Bohemia and Moravia the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
Sounds like some Donetsk Kharkiv Protectorate of Novorussia, right?
But question is , what comes next? Molotov Ribentropp Pact and invasion of Poland in September 1 , 1939. Nastily fast succession of events. Is Eastern Europe even as members of NATO as unprotected as Poland was then? I bet so.
Well, after some time though ( and that will happen with China joining victorious side and participating in division of Russia) the unlucky starters (Germans) of both WWI and WWII were beaten and occupied/humiliated.
I wonder where the division line will go between Chinese occupation zone (Yuan) and German (NATO) one in Russia (EUR) , and who else will cut a piece off in the South/Far East ( USA is right next to it) . I hope to end up in German part if I am still alive. Timetable - 2017 ( fast loss) or 2026 ( protracted fighting) = the end of the war.
So Russia is in serious trouble as they know that what has started by USA push into Ukraine has no good end planned for them. Chinese will use the situation to chop up Russia, first helping it to get weaker and more dependent on China by supporting it. A Classic.
Only problem for me is that Baltic states - as in 1939- might be devoured by Russia before attack on Poland or some other East Europe country. Belarus by that time will be part of Russia- another protectorate- here is why- and its no secret BTW in Russia/Belarus:
Alexander Lukashenko won the presidential election that took place on 19 December 2010 with 79.65%.
President of Belarus is directly elected by the people of Belarus for a five year term. Elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus are held in the united constituency comprising the whole territory of the Republic of Belarus.
So, next election is December 2015. Time to change horses. Or call early presidential elections due to...