Latest Gold News

mariorot

Trader
May 12, 2012
6
0
12
Gold investors are the least optimistic in 5 weeks as due to political problems in Europe. All gains of 2012 have been lost recently as investor turn to USD seeing stronger-than-expected US economic growth.

Gold had risen 14% percent to $1,792.70 by Feb. 28 on the Comex in New York, before falling to $1,585 today.

Bullion reached a record $1,923.70 in September 2011. Prices have since fallen as as the USD became the safehaven asset. Barclays lowered its 2012 forecast by 8 percent to $1,716 yesterday because of political problems and mounting debt in Europe and concern that Asian (especially Chinese) economy growth will continue to slow.

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mariorot

Trader
May 12, 2012
6
0
12
Gold Prices Continue to Fall over European Debt

The price of gold rose steadily this year, but has since falling to the same level as early January. Europe’s debt crisis isn’t going away, and political instability is on the rise in many countries. France has a new socialist government, Italy recently replaced theirs, and Greece’s parliament is deadlocked without a coalition ruling party.

June gold futures dropped 1.5% to $1,560 and spot gold prices dropped 1.4% to $1,556.

Initially gold had rose steadily in 2012 due to record low interest rates in Europe and the United States.

Gold had rallied amid record-low interest rates from Europe to the U.S. The Federal Reserve has promised to keep rates at “exceptionally low levels” until late 2014.

Gold prices have been floating below its 200-day moving average for several weeks now. This is a sign to technical traders that the price of gold can still fall further down. Gold call options betting on higher gold prices are at the lowest level since December 2008.

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mariorot

Trader
May 12, 2012
6
0
12
Brent Crude Up Slightly on German Growth

Brent crude oil was up slightly today after welcomed good news regarding German GDP growth. This news was a welcome change from the Greek political standoff and debt issues. Brent crude oil is still the benchmark for the United Kingdom and much of Europe.

German GDP data for Q1 2012 was better than expected, raising hopes of a way out of the debt crisis. Outlook for the rest of the EuroZone is still flat or negative economic growth.

The Greek political deadlock has collapsed as political parties failed to form a coalition. This gives strength to the fringe parties who aggressively oppose the EU bailout plan and government austerity budget cuts. It seems likely there will be another Greek election in June.

US WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil fell again today as traders anticipated larger oil inventories stockpiling and a stronger US Dollar.
 

mariorot

Trader
May 12, 2012
6
0
12
Worldwide Shortage of Lead Coming as Prices Rise

Lead is at a year-low currently, but poised to rise on global shortages. Demand for lead has gone up every year for the past 5 years as the metal is a crucial part of industrial batteries.

Wolrdwide stockpiles dropped 7.6% since October 2011 when lead prices reaches an all-time high. Analysts estimate that prices will rise 13% before the end of the year to about $2,273 per ton as supply struggled to meet demand.

Demand is coming largely from the industrial sector and the high-tech markets as a major component of batteries. However demand is outpacing supply by 150,000 tons per year. This gap will rise further as a major Canadian mine run by Xstrata (XTA) will close next year as its deposits are exhaused. The company will focus on new, more profitable mines.

Currently only China is developing new lead mines.

http://www.goldoilsilver.com/worldwide-shortage-of-lead-coming-as-prices-rise/05/2012/
 

mariorot

Trader
May 12, 2012
6
0
12
Battle At OPEC Over Output

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is meeting today in Vienna, Austria to discuss current output levels. However there is already a big disagreement over whether the current levels should be raised or lowered.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates want output limits to be raised by 500,000 barrels per day, however Iraq, Angola, and Venezuela believe there is an oversupply and want it lowered.

Countries who’s regimes are almost solely supported by their oil revenues want the price to rise to make as much money as they can as fast as they can, while the countries who want higher supply (and therefore lower price) are focusing on long-term global economic growth and not the survivability of their own regimes.

The discussions also center around the pending European Union boycott of Iranian oil coming into force on July 1.
Abdalla El-Badri, secretary-general to OPEC, said in Vienna today that “there is some oversupply in the [crude oil] market”.

OPEC sets supply quotas to try to stabilize prices as high as they can without hurting economic growth. Their current limit is 30 million barrels per day, however current output is actually around 31.9 million barrels per day exceeding their ceiling limits and at a 4-year high in output.

http://www.goldoilsilver.com/battle-at-opec-over-output/06/2012/