LIVE Gold Prices $  | E-Mail Subscriptions | Update GoldSeek | GoldSeek Radio 

Commentary : Gold Review : Markets : News Wire : Quotes : Silver : Stocks - Main Page 

 GoldSeek.com >> News >> Story  Disclaimer 
 
Latest Headlines

GoldSeek.com to Launch New Website
By: GoldSeek.com

Is Gold Price Action Warning Of Imminent Monetary Collapse Part 2?
By: Hubert Moolman

Gold and Silver Are Just Getting Started
By: Frank Holmes, US Funds

Silver Makes High Wave Candle at Target – Here’s What to Expect…
By: Clive Maund

Gold Blows Through Upside Resistance - The Chase Is On
By: Avi Gilburt

U.S. Mint To Reduce Gold & Silver Eagle Production Over The Next 12-18 Months
By: Steve St. Angelo, SRSrocco Report

Gold's sharp rise throws Financial Times into an erroneous sulk
By: Chris Powell, GATA

Precious Metals Update Video: Gold's unusual strength
By: Ira Epstein

Asian Metals Market Update: July-29-2020
By: Chintan Karnani, Insignia Consultants

Gold's rise is a 'mystery' because journalism always fails to pursue it
By: Chris Powell, GATA

 
Search

GoldSeek Web

 
Cryptojunkies: Beware the Ides of December


 -- Published: Tuesday, 12 December 2017 | Print  | Disqus 

Source: Michael J. Ballanger for Streetwise Reports   12/11/2017

As Bitcoin futures are set to begin trading next week, precious metals expert Michael Ballanger discusses movements in gold and cybercurrencies.

-->

It was two years ago this week that I proclaimed that we were witnessing the final lows in the 2011–2015 bear market in the precious metals as gold traded down to $1,045 amidst total capitulation by the Large Specs and after massive short-covering by the Commercial traders. The weekly COT for that week showed an aggregate short position of a miniscule 2,911 contracts down from the earlier highs of over 300,000 contracts. About six weeks later, despite the earlier bottom in gold, the HUI (NYSE Arca Gold BUGS Index) got mauled mercilessly and closed at 99.19 on January 19th 2016. What followed was the best rally in a decade as the HUI peaked the following August at 286.05. The 2.88 times move in the HUI was paltry compared to the moves in the leveraged ETFs NUGT (Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 3X ETF) and JNUG (Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Bull 3X ETF). The NUGT moved from $13.92 in January to $143.06 in August for an advance of 927%. Based on what I saw in the latest COT report, the set-up is in progress for a repeat performance. And it will be a BIG one.

The recent Nov. 27 commentary was entitled "Bullion bank short-covering will become year-end profit-taking," and that is EXACTLY what transpired this past week as the bullion bank traders (loosely termed "Commercials") covered 22% of their shorts into the decline. To wit, since the COT week ends on a Tuesday, the Wednesday–Friday projectile emesis of unwanted longs was a perfect example of the longstanding opinion voiced by this author that in gold and silver, you BUY breakdowns and you SELL breakouts. Why do I violate the basic trading rules for technical analysis? It is because unlike most other markets, the precious metals markets are "rigged." The bullion banks waited for the hedgies (Large Specs) to gather en masse on the long side of the trade before crushing price down through 50 and 200 DMAs, triggering a full-scale liquidation into the ever-greedy and welcoming arms of the bullion banks. It was a complete no-brainer as you can see below with the profit taken on a notional value of $7 billion allows for a very Merry Christmas indeed for the serial manipulators manning the desks of the most corrupted, compromised markets on earth. I figure they took $50 per ounce out last week on 5,665,100 "ounces" of fabricated, phony, counterfeit "gold" for a tidy year-end profit of $283,255,000, which has got to be the best (and easiest) job in all of finance. Backstopped by the CFTC and the central banks, this rigging exercise is surpassed in history by none except perhaps the masterful importing of bootleg liquor by Capone from the mighty Canadian Bronfman family back in the days of Prohibition. The only real difference is the utility of self-medication associated with booze versus the blatant robbery committed by the bullion banks.

Now, simply because the Commercials trimmed their shorts by 22%, it doesn't mean that price is going to suddenly vault forward because back in late 2015, it took six weeks for them to cover 122,000 net shorts before arriving at that fateful $1,045 low, but the good news is that we are heading at least in the right direction. Accordingly, the proper action for me will be to add to positions—SLOWLY—with the JNUG and NUGT ETFs containing maximum leverage (and risk) in advance of the "turn." For the retirement account, I will stick to physical silver (no leverage) and for the taxable accounts, I will move next week to accumulate an additional position to the tiny option purchases made the week of Nov. 27. Remember that we still have tax-loss selling to get through so the optimum acquisition period should be the last two weeks of December unless of course the big money decides to preempt the retail bargain hunters, which I view as a distinct possibility.

The bottom line for many of us that have been accumulating physical precious metals is this: We correctly foresaw this coordinated global currency debasement at an alarmingly accelerated pace after every crisis since that DotCom meltdown in 2000. We enjoyed vindication from 2001 until 2013 with rising precious metal prices until the central banks decided to forever cripple investor sentiment for gold and silver by way of orchestrated carpet bombings carried out via the derivative markets (Crimex) with increased and predictable frequency after the bank bailouts in 2009. Like dutiful and obedient canines, we came back time after time to the "master" (gold ownership) only to be rebuked with physical, emotional and financial sadism. Always believing that 5,000 years of economic, political and financial history would once again reassert itself vaulting gold and silver to the forefront of investor urgency, we have been undermined with malicious fervor at every turn by the "moneychangers in the temple" that refuse to accept the fact that physical ownership as opposed to digital ownership is the only true "safe haven."

As a result, here we are in the final month of 2017 with bubbles arising everywhere, be they cryptocurrencies or real estate or lithium deals where investors have indeed been trained in a manner not unlike my beloved Fido that flees from the room the minute my voice rises point-zero-three octaves to AVOID gold because it has been rendered "obsolete." "You WILL avoid gold and you WILL love paper assets or suffer the consequences!" roar the price managers in Washington and London and Brussels and indeed that is what drove the younger and infinitely more pragmatic breed of investors to avoid fiat currencies in favor of the digitally generated stores of value.

This need for fiat sanctuary, insulated (or so they assume) from the devious tentacles of bankers and governments, will be tempered by the introduction of Bitcoin futures by the CME Group on Dec. 18. Just as precious metals futures are the tail by which governments and bankers wag the dog through unimpeded interventions, it is, in my opinion, the very tail by which the moneychangers are going to "reel in" cryptocurrencies. So, between now and the end of the month, the Commercials (bullion bank traders) will reduce their aggregate short position as gold's major competition comes under the smothering blanket of intervention and manipulation.

As I wrote about in the commentary entitled "The True Meaning of Bitcoin's Success" this is all about the arrival of the hyperinflationary melt-up characterized by various asset classes going into systemic price spikes. Stated another way, it is about the purchasing power of fiat currencies experiencing sudden and dramatic crashes. This recent narrative of a digital currency replacing gold as a store of value is as non-sensical as the idea that "dollars" whether from the U.S., Canada, or Zimbabwe will maintain their purchasing power over time. The bankers reeled in gold in 2013; they will reel in the Bitcoin as well. What both have in common is the medium of control.

Beware the Ides of December.

Originally trained during the inflationary 1970s, Michael Ballanger is a graduate of Saint Louis University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in finance and a Bachelor of Art in marketing before completing post-graduate work at the Wharton School of Finance. With more than 30 years of experience as a junior mining and exploration specialist, as well as a solid background in corporate finance, Ballanger's adherence to the concept of "Hard Assets" allows him to focus the practice on selecting opportunities in the global resource sector with emphasis on the precious metals exploration and development sector. Ballanger takes great pleasure in visiting mineral properties around the globe in the never-ending hunt for early-stage opportunities.

Disclosure:
1) Michael J. Ballanger: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Stakeholder Gold Corporation and Canuc Resources Corp. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies referred to in this article: None. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector. Additional disclosures are below.
2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for its services. Click
here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article.
4) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal
disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article, until one week after the publication of the interview or article. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Stakeholder Gold and Canuc Resources, companies mentioned in this article.

All charts courtesy of Michael Ballanger.

Michael Ballanger Disclaimer:
This letter makes no guarantee or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the data provided. Nothing contained herein is intended or shall be deemed to be investment advice, implied or otherwise. This letter represents my views and replicates trades that I am making but nothing more than that. Always consult your registered advisor to assist you with your investments. I accept no liability for any loss arising from the use of the data contained on this letter. Options and junior mining stocks contain a high level of risk that may result in the loss of part or all invested capital and therefore are suitable for experienced and professional investors and traders only. One should be familiar with the risks involved in junior mining and options trading and we recommend consulting a financial adviser if you feel you do not understand the risks involved.


| Digg This Article
 -- Published: Tuesday, 12 December 2017 | E-Mail  | Print  | Source: GoldSeek.com

comments powered by Disqus



 



Increase Text SizeDecrease Text SizeE-mail Link of Current PagePrinter Friendly PageReturn to GoldSeek.com

 news.goldseek.com >> Story

E-mail Page  | Print  | Disclaimer 


© 1995 - 2019



GoldSeek.com Supports Kiva.org

© GoldSeek.com, Gold Seek LLC

The content on this site is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws and is the property of GoldSeek.com and/or the providers of the content under license. By "content" we mean any information, mode of expression, or other materials and services found on GoldSeek.com. This includes editorials, news, our writings, graphics, and any and all other features found on the site. Please contact us for any further information.

Live GoldSeek Visitor Map | Disclaimer


Map

The views contained here may not represent the views of GoldSeek.com, Gold Seek LLC, its affiliates or advertisers. GoldSeek.com, Gold Seek LLC makes no representation, warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy or completeness of the information (including news, editorials, prices, statistics, analyses and the like) provided through its service. Any copying, reproduction and/or redistribution of any of the documents, data, content or materials contained on or within this website, without the express written consent of GoldSeek.com, Gold Seek LLC, is strictly prohibited. In no event shall GoldSeek.com, Gold Seek LLC or its affiliates be liable to any person for any decision made or action taken in reliance upon the information provided herein.