The Eureka Miner

Friday, March 10, 2017

Mining Employment Up! Triple Whammy for Gold, Holds Near $1,200

Battered but not beaten

Eureka, Nevada (June 2010)

Weekly Summary updated for 3/10/17 AM (something new!)

(click on table for larger size)

My commentary in the just released Spring 2017 Mining Quarterly:

Commentary: Gold ain't just whistling Dixie; The U.S. dollar has peaked and commodities have bottomed – a bullish case for gold in 2017

McEwen Mining (MUX) $2.9350 per share (AM)

Gold Bar Project on Track, McEwen Rocks; Gold Bounce Next Week? (Eureka Miner, 03/03/2017)

McEwen Mining & Gold Bar Thumbs Up for 2017! (Eureka Miner, 12/30/16)

General Moly (GMO) $0.5000 per share (AM); Moly oxide (LME) $6.92 per pound

What's Up with General Moly (GMO)? EM Talks to CEO Bruce Hansen (Eureka Miner, 1/27/12)

Friday, March 10, 2017 AM

Morning Miners!

Gold got a triple whammy this week but is showing resilience around $1,200 per ounce.

My input to the Weekly Kitco Gold Survey:

My vote is up. Target gold price $1,205 per ounce . Target Silver price $17.0 per ounce.

A triple whammy for gold this week pressured by falling commodities, less-dovish comments by ECB Mario Draghi and the almost certainty of a Fed rate hike next week following today's strong employment report. Comex gold is presently trading at $1,201.7 per ounce. Dipping to a 5-week overnight low [$1,194.5], the yellow metal is showing good resilience by holding its head above the key $1,200-level after suffering a 2% loss for the week.

Comments by China's Premier Li Leqiang at Monday suggesting a lower GDP target and less restrictive control of their currency kicked off a commodity retreat led by oil which fell below $50 per barrel. Copper, already in a downtrend, fell to new lows by Thursday. Gold, now positively correlated with both*, felt the gravity of declining commodities.

Mario Draghi's confidence in the European economy and expressing, "no anxiety of the euro breaking up" relieved worry about upcoming European elections favoring far-right candidates. This in turn bearishly dropped gold in euros to below trend support Thursday [see graph below].

The better-than-expected U.S. employment report boosted Treasury yields and stocks this morning causing additional pressure on gold. The yellow metal has now lost all gains relative to the S&P 500 for 2017 [see Chart to Watch below].

However, with all these bearish influences, gold has not declined as much as its commodity cousins and is buoyed some by by increasing inflationary pressures in the U.S. and abroad. Most importantly, there is still concern about a surprise outcome in France elections or miscalculation in dealing with hot spots such as North Korea. Gold is likely to regain ground above the $1,200 level.

Additional things to watch:

The fate of the Chinese yuan remains a key tell for gold and copper - a material drop in valuation could boost gold and depress copper prices. Aggressive liquidity tightening by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) has eased, stabilizing the yuan below 7 USD/CNY. However, defending their currency has brought China foreign reserves to a 6-year low. Premier Li Leqiang's lowering of the China GDP target to 6.5% and an upcoming Fed rate hike suggest a relaxation of this vigorous defense is likely. This morning, the yuan has strengthened a bit but volatility is higher (1-month volatility** is still a low 0.23%) trading at 6.9083 USD/CNY.

Have a good weekend!

*one-month correlation of gold with oil & copper is +0.73 & +0.48 respectively.

** by comparison the euro & yen 1-month volatilites are roughly 0.4% & 0.8% respectively.

Mining Employment Up!

The Labor Department's monthly jobs report was better-than-expected adding 235,000 jobs versus an expectation in the range of 200,000-220,000. Headline unemployment was little changed at 4.7% but there was breadth across sectors except retail.

Here's some great news, "Employment in mining increased by 8,000 in February, with most of the gain occurring in support activities for mining (+6,000). Mining employment has risen by 20,000 since reaching a recent low in October 2016."

Although this includes all the folks that extract wealth from the earth, including oil & gas, it is a welcome relief to see the mining employment bottom in the rear view mirror!

Window View

Eureka, Nevada (2010)

Gold Price Outlook 2017

Gold started the year nicely and should remain in my newly revised range of $1,180 to $1,320 per ounce*. Average gold price for 2017 should print above $1,200 per ounce. This morning gold fell to $1,194.5 but has since recovered around the key $1,200-level.

An important gold ratio to watch is gold-to-S&P500 or AUSP. The ratio bottomed in early-December of 2015 and reversed to a bullish trend, peaking February 11, 2016. It bottomed again December 20, 2016 trended higher but has now bearishly reversed. Confirming a double-bottom in the coming months would be a significant positive for the lustrous metal; latest developments are less positive - we must stay above the December bottom! (see chart below).

Gold has gained ground on the embattled euro and yen. Post-election, gold in euro and yen terms are up and safely above 2013 lows (chart below) and are both above pre-election levels. It is somewhat worrisome that gold in euro terms broke below uptrend support Thursday (circle on chart) - something to monitor carefully.

Gold ratios relative to copper and oil are stabilizing near historically less extreme levels which is a healthy sign. Geo-political events and/or a bump in inflation expectations could restore glitter to gold in 2017.

Gold near my low-range of $1,180 per ounce-level is a tempting "buy."

(please do your own research, markets can turn on you faster than a feral cat!)

*My pre-election October range for gold price was $1,240 to $1,320 per ounce, Winter 2016 Edition of the Mining Quarterly Storms Never Last: Positive News for Gold, Oil & Copper

Click on the image for a larger size:

Gold in euro & yen terms regaining value post-election

Chart to Watch

Here's a new chart to watch. Click on the image for a larger size:

Gold-to-Silver Ratio (updated 3/03/2017)

An important gold ratio to watch is gold-to-S&P500 or AUSP. The ratio bottomed in early-December of 2015 and reversed to a bullish trend, peaking February 11, 2016. It bottomed again December 20, 2016 trended higher but has now bearishly reversed. Confirming a double-bottom in the coming months would be a significant positive for the lustrous metal; latest developments are less positive - we must stay above the December bottom! Currently, gold has lost all its 2017 gains relative to the S&P 500 (AUSP on Dec. 30, 2016 was 0.5144 compared to today's 0.5060).

Cheers,

Colonel Possum & Mariana

Photos by Mariana Titus if not otherwise noted

Friday, March 3, 2017

Gold Bar Project on Track, McEwen Rocks; Gold Bounce Next Week?

Gold Bar Mine

Eureka, Nevada (McEwen Mining photo, April 2011)

Weekly Summary updated for 3/03/17 AM (something new!)

(click on table for larger size)

McEwen Mining (MUX) $3.29 per share (Friday close)

Gold Bar Project on Track, McEwen Rocks; Gold Bounce Next Week? (Eureka Miner, 03/03/2017)

McEwen Mining & Gold Bar Thumbs Up for 2017! (Eureka Miner, 12/30/16)

General Moly (GMO) $0.536 per share (Friday close); Moly oxide (LME) $6.92 per pound

What's Up with General Moly (GMO)? EM Talks to CEO Bruce Hansen (Eureka Miner, 1/27/12)

Friday, March 3, 2017 AM

Morning Miners!

Gold got clobbered this week but don't despair...

My input to the Weekly Kitco Gold Survey:

My vote is up. Target gold price $1,240 per ounce . Target Silver price $18.0 per ounce.

A horrible week's end for gold with a 2.5% drop in price from last Friday and a loss of value across a broad set of assets and currencies. A bullish Monday intraday high of $1,264.9 per ounce has fallen to today's $1,225.7 low. Gold is presently trading at $1,228.0.

Bearish factors include the return of a "risk-on" attitude after the President Trump speech to Congress evidenced by new stock market highs, the U.S. dollar scoring a 6-week peak and market positioning for an expected rate hike announcement by the Federal Reserve next week.

However, all the negativity surrounding the yellow metal is reminiscent of the early stages of the presidential transition period. I will take a contrarian view that today's softness in the U.S. dollar and pause in domestic stocks presages another turn of fortune for gold. I wager the Fed will not raise rates because the details and timing of the new administration infrastructure plan remain unclear, and the drumbeat of upcoming elections in Europe is growing louder; fears of a French FN victory and the potential impact to European stability provide a solid floor for gold price above $1,200.

My vote is therefore up with a target price of $1,240 per ounce.

Gold did regain some ground relative to silver this week after the gold-to-silver ratio broke a trend line of higher lows stretching back to April 2011 [see Chart to Watch below]. It is likely that the yellow metal will also regain this week's losses to copper, oil and the broader commodity index as well as currencies euro and yen. To the later, I offer this poem:

The shadow cast by Marine Le Pen
Will bring shine to gold in euro, yen

Additional things to watch:

The fate of the Chinese yuan remains a key tell for gold and copper - a material drop in valuation could boost gold and depress copper prices. Aggressive liquidity tightening by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) has eased, stabilizing the yuan below 7 USD/CNY. However, defending their currency has brought China foreign reserves to a 6-year low. Now that the Lunar New Year holiday is over, we'll see if this vigorous defense is sustainable. This morning, the yuan is steady (1-month volatility* is a low paint-drying 0.15%) at 6.8953 USD/CNY. With some better-than-expected economic data coming from the dragon, so far so good.

Have a good weekend!

* by comparison the euro & yen 1-month volatilites are roughly 0.8%

Gold Bar Project on Track, McEwen Rocks

McEwen Mining released their quarterly and year end report yesterday. The ole Colonel listened to the teleconference at 8:00 a.m. Eureka time:

McEwen Mining Reports 2016 Full Year and Q4 Results (Press Release, 03/02/2017)

McEwen had an excellent 2016 producing 145,539 gold equivalent ounces and closed the year with a solid debt-free balance sheet. As described in the press release by Chairman and Chief Owner Rob McEwen:

On many important fronts, 2016 was a good year for McEwen Mining. We generated significantly higher cash flow and earnings per share despite producing 6% fewer ounces. We grew our treasury by 84% without resorting to equity financing, or sale of metal streams, or royalties, or taking on debt. Looking forward into 2017, our next chapter of growth begins. Pending government approval we are ready to start construction in Nevada at our Gold Bar deposit late this year. In Mexico, we are reconfiguring our El Gallo Silver project to improve its economics. In addition, we are testing new exploration targets. In Argentina, our Los Azules project is getting more attention as a result of the improving copper price. Finally, when completed our proposed friendly acquisition of Lexam VG Gold will enhance our development and production pipeline with several high grade gold projects in Timmins, Canada, one of the world’s largest gold districts.

For Eureka folks, the re-opening of the Gold Bar Mine north of town promises to be an exciting event for later this year. Old timers remember the days when the mine was last operated by Atlas Mining in the late-1980s to early-1990s. According to McEwen, there is still a lot of gold in them thar hills with an expected 7-year mine life.

Here's the latest schedule:

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be published by BLM March 3, 2017*
A 45-day public comment period ends April 17, 2017
The BLM & McEwen Mining will address public comments prior to the approval of the Final EIS and awarding of the Record of Decision (ROD)
Assuming a favorable decision, initial stage mine construction will commence during the fourth quarter of this year

*Draft EIS (Mt.Lewis Field Office), also the Elko Daily Free Press column: BLM asks public to comment on proposed gold mine in Eureka County (EDFP, 3/6/2017)

McEwen has budgeted expenditures of $38.7 million for 2017 ($1.5 million for permitting and 37.2 million for construction).

Rob McEwen concluded the teleconference with an upbeat, "Gold is money. Gold is going higher and so is silver!"

Amen. The best of luck to the McEwen team.

Gold Bar Mine

Eureka, Nevada (McEwen Mining photo, April 2011)

Gold Price Outlook 2017

Gold started the year nicely and should remain in my newly revised range of $1,180 to $1,320 per ounce*. Average gold price for 2017 should print above $1,200 per ounce.

An important gold ratio to watch is gold-to-S&P500 or AUSP. The ratio bottomed in early-December of 2015 and reversed to a bullish trend, peaking February 11, 2016. It bottomed again December 20, 2016 but has been trending higher since. Confirming a double-bottom in the coming months would be a significant positive for the lustrous metal.

Gold has gained ground on the embattled euro and yen. Post-election, gold in euro and yen terms are converging and safely above 2013 lows [chart below] and are both above pre-election levels. Additionally, gold ratios relative to copper and oil are stabilizing near historically less extreme levels which is a healthy sign. Geo-political events and/or a bump in inflation expectations could restore glitter to gold in 2017.

Gold near my low-range of $1,180 per ounce-level is a tempting "buy."

(please do your own research, markets can turn on you faster than a feral cat!)

*My pre-election October range for gold price was $1,240 to $1,320 per ounce, Winter 2016 Edition of the Mining Quarterly Storms Never Last: Positive News for Gold, Oil & Copper

Click on the image for a larger size:

Gold in euro & yen terms regaining value post-election

Chart to Watch

Here's a new chart to watch. Click on the image for a larger size:

Gold-to-Silver Ratio (updated 3/03/2017)

March 1 the closely watched gold-to-silver ratio (GSR) broke a key higher-low trend line that stretches all the way back to April, 2011. The GSR fell below 68 (ounces of silver per ounce of gold) to 67.4 - a lower ratio favors silver. Although the GSR has inched back above 68 this morning, broken long term trend lines should not be ignored. If gold rallies in the coming weeks, silver could move much higher. The 3-month silver beta is 1.3 and bullishly rising (this implies a 1% change in gold price yields, on average, a 1.3% gain in silver). Restoring a more typical beta of 2.0 would be a very bullish indicator.

Cheers,

Colonel Possum & Mariana

Photos by Mariana Titus if not otherwise noted

Friday, February 24, 2017

Gold Breaks $1,260; Copper Reversal - Uh-Oh, Later You Say?

A Point-of-Balance

Devil's Gate, Eureka, Nevada (2012)

Weekly Summary updated for 2/24/17 AM (something new!)

(click on table for larger size)

McEwen Ming (MUX) $3.95 per share

McEwen Mining & Gold Bar Thumbs Up for 2017! (Eureka Miner, 12/30/16)

General Moly (GMO) $0.5301 per share; Moly oxide (LME) $6.92 per pound

What's Up with General Moly (GMO)? EM Talks to CEO Bruce Hansen (Eureka Miner, 1/27/12)

Friday, February 24, 2017 AM

Morning Miners!

Gold continues on its path upwards but we have some red metal warnings...watch silver.

My input to the Weekly Kitco Gold Survey:

My vote is up. Target gold price $1,265 per ounce . Target Silver price $18.4 per ounce.

Another strong week for gold as a copper reversal to the downside and plummet in 10-year yields* suggest the President's signature tax reform plan and infrastructure plans may be realized later than originally expected. Comments by the new Treasury Secretary implied that the former may not be rolled out until this summer; infrastructure spending will now likely begin in 2018 [Update: Comex copper $2.68 per ounce, 10-year yield 2.3170%, Friday close]

Comex gold broke the key-$1,250 level yesterday, now trading at 1,257.9 per ounce. The yellow metal is on a march to $1,280 and is likely to break $1,265 next week. Silver is also showing strength with a fall in the gold-to-silver ratio supporting an $18.4 per ounce level in the near term.[Update: Comex gold $1,258.3 per ounce, silver $18.339 per ounce, Friday close]

Soaring stock markets and a a strong U.S. dollar bounce stalled on this re-calibration of expectations but could reemerge as headwinds for the yellow metal. However, its 3.5-month high this morning ($1,261.2) was allied by solid value gains for the week compared to copper, oil and the broader Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) [see Weekly Summary above].

Gold also rose in terms of major currencies euro and Japanese yen - all very bullish indications [see chart below].

Factors creating a solid floor for gold above $1,200 per ounce are fears of a "Frexit" if the French FN party prevails in upcoming elections and the Greek bailout review.

Have a good weekend!

*Gundlach expects U.S. 10-year T-note yield to drop below 2.25 percent (Reuters, 2/25/2017)

Copper Reversal

Supernova, Mariana Titus (2011)

Janet Mirasola, Managing director for Sucden Futures Inc. NY, described recent drivers for copper price this morning:

Other global assets however have reacted to short term corrections as metals and mining shares were affected by yesterday's sudden fall for the Red One even though a strike at Escondida, the world's biggest copper mine is entering its third week. The Red One yesterday fell over 3% triggered by a story from Axios' Mike Allen saying that the promise of infrastructure spending that had been made immediately following the election last November may be delayed until 2018 taking the froth off a copper rally that began with that thought and carried through with the added burden of supply disruption at Escondida in Chile and Grasberg in Indonesia.(Morning pre-market brief, 2/24/17)

Yesterday Comes copper reversed to the downside (i.e. lower high, lower low, lower closing price) breaking the 2017 uptrend. This morning the red metal is below $6,000/tonne, trading presently at $2.654 per pound ($5851/tonne).

However, copper has enjoyed a greater than 30% rise in price over the last 12 months. The Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM), including everything from animals that oink to metals that shine, is up over 20%. For metals the reasons include increased global infrastructure spending, Chinese attempts to cut excess capacity and the closure of some large mines. A significant portion of the rally has come after the election of Donald Trump with his promise of massive infrastructure spending in the U.S. If there are delays in implementation, copper prices will feel the impact in 2017.

The fate of the Chinese yuan remains a key tell for gold and copper - a material drop in valuation could boost gold and depress copper prices. Aggressive liquidity tightening by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) has eased, stabilizing the yuan below 7 USD/CNY. However, defending their currency has brought China foreign reserves to a 6-year low. Now that the Lunar New Year holiday is over, we'll see if this vigorous defense is sustainable. This morning, the yuan is steady at 6.8644 USD/CNY. So far so good.

Gold Price Outlook 2017

Gold started the year nicely and should remain in my newly revised range of $1,180 to $1,320 per ounce*. Average gold price for 2017 should print above $1,200 per ounce. This morning's peak at $1,261.2 is a 3.5 month high.

An important gold ratio to watch is gold-to-S&P500 or AUSP. The ratio bottomed in early-December of 2015 and reversed to a bullish trend, peaking February 11, 2016. It bottomed again December 20, 2016 but has been trending higher since. Confirming a double-bottom in the coming months would be a significant positive for the lustrous metal.

Gold has gained ground on the embattled euro and yen. Post-election, gold in euro and yen terms are converging and safely above 2013 lows [chart below] and are both above pre-election levels. Additionally, gold ratios relative to copper and oil are stabilizing near historically less extreme levels which is a healthy sign [Chart to Watch, below]. Geo-political events and/or a bump in inflation expectations could restore glitter to gold in 2017.

Gold near my low-range of $1,180 per ounce-level is a tempting "buy."

(please do your own research, markets can turn on you faster than a feral cat!)

*My pre-election October range for gold price was $1,240 to $1,320 per ounce, Winter 2016 Edition of the Mining Quarterly Storms Never Last: Positive News for Gold, Oil & Copper

Click on the image for a larger size:

Gold in euro & yen terms regaining value post-election

Winter 2016 Edition Mining Quarterly

Elko Daily Free Press Editor Marianne Kobak McKown has put together another dandy. The Winter Edition of the Mining Quarterly has great columns on Newmont Mining Corp.'s Twin Creeks Mine, Cripple Creek and Victor Mine (Colorado), Barrick Gold Corp.'s Cortez Hills, EP Minerals' unique product and the Kinross expansion of Bald Mountain.

Chart to Watch

Here's an importanat chart to watch. Click on the image for a larger size:

Gold’s record rise against key commodities
in the strong dollar era (updated 2/24/2017)

Excerpt from the just released Winter 2016 Edition of the Mining Quarterly Storms Never Last: Positive News for Gold, Oil & Copper:

This chart [updated through this morning, February 24] is a record of oil and copper gold ratios for the last six years. October, 2010 was a relatively peaceful period when ratios were stable and close to historical norms following the market turbulence of the 2008-2009 financial crisis.

The chart indicates the percentage value change from that moment of calm. The China slowdown began to impact commodity prices in 2011. However, prices were protected to a degree by U.S. monetary policy that suppressed the value of the U.S. dollar.

For example, even during periods a high volatility, copper prices rarely dipped below $3 per pound. This is a level above even the most optimistic forecasts these days. Two Federal Reserve quantitative easing programs (or QE, the printing of dollars to buy bonds) helped moderate gold ratios through October 2014 amid record gold peaks, crashing copper prices and $100-plus oil. This period is shown by the gray box in the chart. The Oct. 3, 2011 +50% extreme occurred as the gold-to-copper ratio peaked following the already noted U.S. debt crisis. The bottom of the box marks a -30% low for the gold-to-oil ratio. Wild days for sure but the Federal Reserve kept commodity storms inside the hotel.

Trouble spilled onto the streets when the U.S. stopped printing money concurrent with a global crash in oil prices in late-2014. At the same time, other central banks tried to goose their stagnant economies with increasingly looser and experimental policies as the U.S contemplated raising interest rates. This divergence in monetary policy ushered in the current strong dollar era – a real headwind for dollarized commodities.

The value of gold relative to oil and copper headed north in a hurry. This year, the gold-to-oil ratio reached a record and unsustainable high Feb. 11 (up 180%); and for copper, Sep. 7 (up 80%). To give this some historical perspective, the average gold-to-oil ratio for the QE2 through QE3 period is 15.7 barrels per ounce. From 1986 through QE3, the average is 16.0. The February peak touched a jaw-dropping 47 barrels. Copper soared from 350 pounds per ounce six years ago to top out above 640.

Gold price in U.S. dollars rallied strongly as copper and oil fell at the beginning of 2016 scoring a nearly 30% gain by early-July. The yellow metal had left the commodity hotel and dominated major currencies as I explained in the Fall Edition of the Mining Quarterly. Very unusual times indeed.

There are increasing signs that major central banks will methodically pull back from aggressive policies and those nations will look to fiscal stimulation to keep their economies energized. Oil and copper prices are on the rise given an extra boost by rising inflation expectations. Gold ratios in turn are falling from their lofty peaks...It is important to note that the higher-low trendlines (dashed lines) have now been broken with declining gold ratios. So far go good - confident resource CEOs pass the gold test. Supply will slowly come into balance with demand and the yellow metal is checking back in the commodity hotel [i.e. plot traces remain below green horizontal dashed line]

Cheers,

Colonel Possum & Mariana

Photos by Mariana Titus if not otherwise noted

Friday, February 17, 2017

The President Trumps Yellen...Gold Above $1,240, Copper Stalls

Shootout - Bonnie & Clyde

Eureka, Nevada (December, 2011)

Frank Abercrombie Passes

Frank was a kind and gentle man with a sensitivity for Eureka folk's yards and gardens and all the little creatures that pass there. He will be greatly missed.

FRANK ABERCROMBIE (1934-2017) (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Weekly Summary updated for 2/17/17 AM (something new!)

(click on table for larger size)

McEwen Ming (MUX) $4.23 per share

McEwen Mining & Gold Bar Thumbs Up for 2017! (Eureka Miner, 12/30/16)

General Moly (GMO) $0.65 per share; Moly oxide (LME) $6.92 per pound

What's Up with General Moly (GMO)? EM Talks to CEO Bruce Hansen (Eureka Miner, 1/27/12)

Friday, February 17, 2017 AM

Morning Miners!

Whoa! Remember when the words of the Federal Reserve Chairman reigned supreme for setting market direction? This week's $26 per ounce spread in gold price has more to do with market folks trying to decipher President Trump's comments yesterday than Janet Yellen's hawkish brief* to the House Financial Services Committee Tuesday.

My input to the Weekly Kitco Gold Survey:

My vote is up. Target gold price $1,250 per ounce . Target Silver price $18.1 per ounce.

Gold's performance was strong this week as the President's unscripted 77-minute press conference created enough uncertainty to trump Fed Chairman Yellen's hawkish words. The latter had dropped gold to a weekly low of $1,218 per ounce; yesterday's wide-ranging ramble brings gold to trade this morning above $1,240.

Other factors creating a floor for gold above $1,200 per ounce are fears of a "Frexit" if the French FN party prevails in upcoming elections and the Greek bailout review.

Soaring stock markets and a a strong U.S. dollar bounce continue to be headwinds for the yellow metal. However, its 2-month uptrend was supported by solid value gains for the week compared to copper, oil and the broader Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) [see Weekly Summary above].

Gold also rose in terms of major currencies euro and Japanese yen [see chart below, Gold Price Outlook 2017].

Have a good weekend!

*Summary of President Trump's press conference & Fed Chief's Tuesday comments:

Trump, in unprecedented fashion, airs grievances in an epic 77-minute press conference (Allen Smith, Business Insider, 2/16/2017)

Fed Chair Yellen: 'Unwise' to wait too long to hike interest rates (CNBC Business News, 2/14/2017)

Waiting too long to raise interest rates would be "unwise" as economic growth continues and inflation rises, Fed Chair Janet Yellen told Congress on Tuesday.

Copper Rally Stalls

Cuprum 29, Mariana Titus (2011)

Janet Mirasola, Managing director for Sucden Futures Inc. NY, described key levels and recent drivers for copper price on Wednesday:

The Red One is holding just above $6,000 [$2.72 per pound] in London this morning as a strike at the world's largest copper mine, Escondida in Chile continues, this however after falling from a $6200 [$2.81 per pound] peak on news that workers agreed to go back to the negotiation table. .(Morning pre-market brief, 2/15/17)

This morning the red metal is below $6,000/tonne, trading presently at $2.693 per pound ($5930/tonne) as the rally stalls for the week.

However, copper has enjoyed a 36% rise in price over the last 12 months. The Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM), including everything from animals that oink to metals that shine, is up over 20%. For metals the reasons include increased global infrastructure spending, Chinese attempts to cut excess capacity and the closure of some large mines. A significant portion of the rally has come after the election of Donald Trump with his promise of massive infrastructure spending in the U.S.

The fate of the Chinese yuan remains a key tell for gold and copper - a material drop in valuation could boost gold and depress copper prices. Aggressive liquidity tightening by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) has eased, stabilizing the yuan below 7 USD/CNY. However, defending their currency has brought China foreign reserves to a 6-year low. Now that the Lunar New Year holiday is over, we'll see if this vigorous defense is sustainable. This morning, the yuan is weakening slightly at 6.8639 USD/CNY. So far so good.

Gold Price Outlook 2017

The question becomes whether 2017 will be a repeat of 2013 with gold losing value across a broad set of assets, which includes stocks, commodities and currencies, or stabilize in a range above $1,100. There are increasing signs that the latter case will prevail. Gold started the year nicely and should remain in a range of $1,125 to $1,320 per ounce*. Average gold price for 2017 should register above $1,200 per ounce.

An important gold ratio to watch is gold-to-S&P500 or AUSP. The ratio bottomed in early-December of 2015 and reversed to a bullish trend, peaking February 11, 2016. It bottomed again December 20, 2016 but has been trending higher since. Confirming a double-bottom in the coming months would be a significant positive for the lustrous metal.

Gold has gained ground on the embattled euro and yen. Post-election, gold in euro and yen terms are converging and safely above 2013 lows [chart below]. Additionally, gold ratios relative to copper and oil are stabilizing near historically less extreme levels which is a healthy sign [Chart to Watch, below]. Geo-political events and/or a bump in inflation expectations could restore glitter to gold in 2017.

Gold near my low-range of $1,125 per ounce-level is a tempting "buy."

(please do your own research, markets can turn on you faster than a feral cat!)

*My pre-election October range for gold price was $1,240 to $1,320 per ounce, Winter 2016 Edition of the Mining Quarterly Storms Never Last: Positive News for Gold, Oil & Copper

Click on the image for a larger size:

Gold in euro & yen terms regaining value post-election

Winter 2016 Edition Mining Quarterly

Gold’s record rise against key commodities
in the strong dollar era (updated 2/17/2017)

Excerpt from the just released Winter 2016 Edition of the Mining Quarterly Storms Never Last: Positive News for Gold, Oil & Copper:

This chart [updated through this morning, February 17] is a record of oil and copper gold ratios for the last six years. October, 2010 was a relatively peaceful period when ratios were stable and close to historical norms following the market turbulence of the 2008-2009 financial crisis.

Cheers,

Colonel Possum & Mariana

Photos by Mariana Titus if not otherwise noted

Friday, February 3, 2017

Good Jobs Report; Gold Solid above $1,200: Chinese Return form Holiday

Keep on Truckin'

Eureka, Nevada (December, 2010)

Frank Abercrombie Passes

Frank was a kind and gentle man with a sensitivity for Eureka folk's yards and gardens and all the little creatures that pass there. He will be greatly missed.

FRANK ABERCROMBIE (1934-2017) (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Update Friday February 10, 2017 AM

Morning Miners!

A wild ride for our favorite metal this week and copper is on a tear as it closes fast on the $2.75 per pound-level ($6,060/tonne).

My input to the Weekly Kitco Gold Survey:

My vote is up. Target gold price $1,240 per ounce . Target Silver price $18.0 per ounce.

Gold's performance was mixed this week with a Wednesday high nearly breaking the $1,250 mark only to be dashed by President Trump's promise of an imminent and "phenomenal" tax package. Earlier in the week concerns about Europe's upcoming elections gave the yellow metal support. Looking ahead, Europe's political drama will no doubt re-emerge to give gold lift from today's pullback.

Soaring stock markets and a U.S. dollar bounce continue to be headwinds for the yellow metal. However, the uptick in Treasury yields may be short lived as European's seek alternatives to rising yields on sovereign debt. I expect the net effect is a resumption in gold's 7-week uptrend.

This week gold lost ground to soaring copper but gained on the falling euro and strengthening yen [see weekly summary below]. The president reaffirming the "One-China" policy and a stabilizing yuan should keep the base metal rally intact for the time being.

Have a good weekend!

Weekly Summary updated for 2/10/17 AM (something new!)

(click on table for larger size)

McEwen Ming (MUX) $4.24 per share

McEwen Mining & Gold Bar Thumbs Up for 2017! (Eureka Miner, 12/30/16)

General Moly (GMO) $0.5289 per share; Moly oxide (LME) $6.92 per pound

What's Up with General Moly (GMO)? EM Talks to CEO Bruce Hansen (Eureka Miner, 1/27/12)

Friday, February 3, 2017 AM

Morning Miners!

A better-than-expected jobs report for January has boosted markets this morning - 222,000 versus an expected 175,000 new jobs added. The unemployment rate is little changed at 4.8%. The U.S. Labor Department Employment Situation Summary, however, showed a slowing of hourly earnings growth compared to December - up 3 cents to $26.00 (average) compared to 6 cents in the prior month. This dampens of inflation expectations to some degree. Overall, the positive report didn't impact gold price that much with Comex presently trading at $1,218.4 per ounce. The week's high scored $1,227.5 on Thursday.

My input to the Weekly Kitco Gold Survey:

My vote is up. Target gold price $1,225 per ounce . Target Silver price $17.5 per ounce.

We see a flip-flop for gold compared to last Friday with the yellow metal maintaining solid gains across a wide set of assets - even with today's strong employment report. Gold made a 2-1/2 month high yesterday while the U.S. dollar made a 2-1/2 month low - a confirmation that in the early Trump presidency U.S. dollar strength/weakness is all-important to gold/currency trajectories.

Given a high positive gold correlation with the euro and negative compared to yen*, the trio of gold/euro/yen grow weaker or stronger as the U.S. dollar rises or falls. If we think of dollar expectations as a proxy for the uncertainty surrounding Trump initiatives and policies - a bad week for the new president becomes a good week for the trio [and vice-versa].

On a one-month basis the constancy and low volatility of euro in terms of yen (EUR/JPY) is further proof that dollar direction is currently more important than regional, national or central bank influences [graph below]. Gold price follows this trend given its high correlation with major currencies.

The euro in terms of the Japanese yen (EUR/JPY)

(click on plot for larger size)

* On a one-month basis, there is an extraordinarily high positive gold correlation with the euro and negative correlation with the yen (+0.87, -0.95 respectively) EUR/JPY exhibits unusual constancy and low volatility compared to gold or euro or yen (range bound about EUR/JPY = 122, see above graph)

What this suggests is that gold is behaving as a currency. Additionally, gold & currencies are currently driven more by U.S. dollar expectations (and therefore President proclamations, tweets etc.) than regional, national or central bank influences. EUR/JPY ends up being roughly unchanged because it is the product of EUR/USD & USD/YEN. Taking out the dollar this way, shows that the euro & yen move together in strength/weakness.

In the new market parlance: For a "Trump-off" day the U.S. dollar weakens and the euro, yen & gold grow stronger together (given the gold correlations); vice-versa for a "Trump-on" day. We remember more normal days when euro weakness pushed investors into gold and yen strength given their safe haven status.

Chinese Return form Holiday

Copper Nebula, Mariana Titus (2013)

Janet Mirasola, Managing director for Sucden Futures Inc. NY, described the reaction of Chinese traders to the metals complex as they return from their one week Lunar New Year holiday:

China traders returned from a week long Lunar New Year vacation without their rally caps as they came in to most assets taking risk off after Beijing unexpectedly raised short term interest rates. China equities and base commodities tumbled and the currency weakened after the PBOC [People's Bank of China] raised open market interest rates by 10 basis points. The latest increase came after the central bank raised rates on medium term loans in late January, the first time it had raised a policy rate since July 2011. Overnight the MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.30% while the Nikkei closed close to unchanged. Shanghai Shares lost 0.60% by the close making some recovery from earlier losses. Euro bourses and base commodities are mixed off the early opening with the Red [copper] and Shiny [gold] Ones ignoring the support of a weaker dollar after China snubbed them this morning.(Morning pre-market brief, 2/3/17)

A key level for copper remains $5,800/tonne ($2.63 per pound). Comex copper is presently trading at $2.6380...a little too close for comfort!

The fate of the Chinese yuan remains a key tell for gold and copper - a material drop in valuation could boost gold and depress copper prices. Aggressive liquidity tightening by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) has eased, stabilizing the yuan below 7 USD/CNY. However, defending their currency has brought China foreign reserves to a 6-year low. Now that the Lunar New Year holiday is over, we'll see if this vigorous defense is sustainable. This morning, the yuan is strengthening slightly at 6.8649 USD/CNY.

Gold Price Outlook 2017

The question becomes whether 2017 will be a repeat of 2013 with gold losing value across a broad set of assets, which includes stocks, commodities and currencies, or stabilize in a range above $1,100. There are increasing signs that the latter case will prevail. Gold started the year nicely and should remain in a range of $1,125 to $1,320 per ounce*. Average gold price for 2017 should register above $1,200 per ounce.

An important gold ratio to watch is gold-to-S&P500 or AUSP. The ratio bottomed in early-December of 2015 and reversed to a bullish trend, peaking February 11, 2016. It bottomed again December 20, 2016 but has been trending higher since. Confirming a double-bottom in the coming months would be a significant positive for the lustrous metal.

Gold has gained ground on the embattled euro and yen. Post-election, gold in euro and yen terms are converging and safely above 2013 lows [chart below]. Additionally, gold ratios relative to copper and oil are stabilizing near historically less extreme levels which is a healthy sign [Chart to Watch, below]. Geo-political events and/or a bump in inflation expectations could restore glitter to gold in 2017.

Gold near my low-range of $1,125 per ounce-level is a tempting "buy."

(please do your own research, markets can turn on you faster than a feral cat!)

*My pre-election October range for gold price was $1,240 to $1,320 per ounce, Winter 2016 Edition of the Mining Quarterly Storms Never Last: Positive News for Gold, Oil & Copper

Click on the image for a larger size:

Gold in euro & yen terms regaining value post-election

Winter 2016 Edition Mining Quarterly

Gold’s record rise against key commodities
in the strong dollar era (updated 2/3/2017)

Excerpt from the just released Winter 2016 Edition of the Mining Quarterly Storms Never Last: Positive News for Gold, Oil & Copper:

This chart [updated through this morning, February 3] is a record of oil and copper gold ratios for the last six years. October, 2010 was a relatively peaceful period when ratios were stable and close to historical norms following the market turbulence of the 2008-2009 financial crisis.