Reuters Poll Says Average Gold Prices to be 30% Higher this Year and Silver to Track
Source: Mineweb��(7/24/08)
"If there are more bank failures then gold could move way above $1,000 an ounce," said Matthew Turner, analyst at Virtual Metals. "If the credit-crunch gets worse, then gold could really perform. It's been investment demand that's driving the price since last August rather than jewellery demand." More >

Gold and Silver ETFs Top the Pack
Source: Mineweb��(7/23/08)
At this stage, gold ETFs have risen to the top of the performance pack, in terms of percentage falls from high prices. The world's biggest gold ETF, the SPDR Gold Trust, currently holding USD 22bn worth of gold bullion on behalf of its investors, is just 6% off its all time high. More >

Following the Ring of Fire to the Geological Hot Spots
Source: The Gold Report��(7/22/08)
Ron Parratt, president and CEO of AuEx Ventures, takes The Gold Report on an exclusive tour of the world's most geologically attractive areas for precious metals exploration. As a geologist and exploration manager for 30 years, Parratt has an exceptional record of discovery and development of North American gold projects. . . he shares his passion for the industry and his enthusiasm for some of his favorite junior explorers. More >

Haywood Reduces 2008 Precious Metals Forecast, Base Metals Forecast
Source: Mineweb��(7/22/08)
In commodity price revisions published by Haywood Securities metals analysts, only copper and uranium prices definitely showed promise, while 2008 precious metals and most base metal price targets declined. More >

Primer in Mining Equity Investment
Source: John Lee, CFA��(7/22/08)
John Lee, CFA, goldmau.com, gives a quick overview of the rationale behind mining equity investment, how to choose between metals futures or metals miners, and which mining sectors to buy and which to avoid. More >

Gold ETF Holdings Up Five Tonnes in Second Quarter
Source: Reuters��(7/22/08)
The World Gold Council said that inflow into all gold ETFs totaled 22 tonnes in May, and the pace picked up in June to 45 tonnes, offseting an significant outflow of 61 tonnes in April as investors took profits heavily after bullion hit an all-time high. More >

Reuters Poll Sees Lead, Zinc, and Nickel All Lower Than Earlier Forecast
Source: Mineweb��(7/22/08)
The survey of 42 commodity strategists from around the world carried out over the past month suggests cash prices of zinc and lead on the London Metal Exchange will drop further than forecast in a Reuters poll at the beginning of the year. More >

Gold and Platinum Start Week on Positive Note
Source: Mineweb��(7/21/08)
"We saw high levels last week, and we retraced very fast. Maybe we will keep the trading range of $950 to $975," said Louis Lok, a dealer at Bank of China in Hong Kong. With bullion holdings at SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, at a record high above 700 tonnes NYS, there was a possibility of a sellback, said Lok. More >

Why the Mania Phase in Gold May Be Upon Us
Source: Jeff Clark, Casey Research��(7/21/08)
the long-awaited Mania stage in gold may be nigh. How can I make such a claim? After all, some have been screaming “It’s here! It’s here!” for months or even years. So I propose that instead of simply declaring that Mania time is near, I lay out the facts and see if you come to the same conclusion. More >

Panic on Wall Street Is Building—Gold and Silver’s Role
Source: David Morgan, Silver Investor��(7/21/08)
My worldview is that silver plays a role in the best of times and in the worst of times. Right now there is a huge shift of wealth; wealth is being created in the East and wealth is being diminished in the West.. . .wealth cannot be printed, and therefore the role of gold and silver at this point in time comes mainly as a means to protect or build wealth. More >

Gold's Finest Hour: How to Buy Now
Source: Eric Roseman, Seeking Alpha��(7/20/08)
Gold prices are heading much higher before this bull lays to rest. This marks the first time in history that every facet supporting the bull market is riding on steroids! More >

Oil Is a Commodity, Gold Is Money - Decoupling Will Happen
Source: Mineweb��(7/19/08)
Those who mistakenly perhaps see the oil and gold prices linked as indicators of dollar weakness, may mark the gold price down as oil falls back, but this should be shortlived. Oil should be subject virtually in its entirety to the laws of supply and demand. More >

Higher Diesel Prices Adverse for Platinum
Source: Mineweb��(7/18/08)
One of the great advantages platinum has enjoyed over the last decade compared with palladium is the trend away from gasoline-powered cars to those using diesel. This trend has been most evident in Europe. Until recently diesel engine vehicles could only use platinum-based catalysts, but the price gap between platinum and palladium has encouraged autocatalyst producers to use less platinum and increase the volume of palladium in autocatalysts. More >

Platinum Comfortably Above $2,000/Ounce Despite Macro Concerns
Source: Mineweb��(7/18/08)
The Fortis metals monthly says the outlook for platinum is comfortably above $2,000/ounce on new investment demand, higher capital costs stemming from power generators and a looming Cosatu strike in South Africa. More >

Roger Wiegand, Part II: Commodities Provide Hedge in Turbulent Times
Source: The Gold Report��(7/18/08)
In Part II of our Roger Wiegand (Trader Tracks) interview, he gives his latest viewpoint on commodities and where one might want to invest, including gold and mining equities. Buckle your seat belts as the economy continues to experience severe turmoil... More >

Run to Gold
Source: James West, www.MidasLetter.com��(7/18/08)
Is there a mounting sense of panic in North American stock markets, or is the freefall led by financials just a reflection of the demise of ludicrously leveraged banking? Should we panic? Should we be in the stock market or the bond market or the supermarket? Or should we cling to our cash in the hopes that increasing prices lock-stepping with currency devaluation don’t finish us off financially? More >

ETFs and ETCs A Revolution of Note
Source: Mineweb��(7/18/08)
The lesson for now is that ETCs, along with commodity indices, and commodities futures, have come of age, seemingly just within the past two or three months. As ETF Securities put it, records for ETC inflows were this week shattered as investors continued to seek asset classes "uncorrelated" to listed stocks, or equities. More >

Possibility of Big Central Bank Gold Sales to Try and Stabilize the Dollar
Source: Mineweb��(7/17/08)
...if bankers sell gold to try and reverse the dollar slide, will it make any serious difference to the gold price, or the dollar, anyway? Short term negative gold price impacts may result, but overall the fundamentals behind the dollar weakness cannot be undone by such an artificial procedure. Indeed if such sales are made openly, and the gold price is not significantly affected, which has to be a possibility, then the dollar may be seen as being even weaker still. More >

Twelve Month Review on Metals Rankings
Source: Mineweb��(7/17/08)
Top place goes to aluminium, which is expected to be 12% higher than at end-June 2008, followed by platinum, palladium, silver and gold. More >

Silver Institute Launches Marketing Initiative to Boost Sales
Source: Mineweb��(7/17/08)
The Washington, D.C.-based Silver Institute has launched the "Silver Marketing Initiative," which aims to increase awareness and encourage consumers to buy sterling silver jewelry.
It also strives to educate the consumer and trade press about sterling silver and be a source of silver-related product news and marketing information. More >

Rare Coins Better Than Gold as Inflation Hedge
Source: Mineweb��(7/17/08)
As investors' concerns about inflation become more acute, they increasingly turn to inflation hedges such as gold. However, some sophisticated investors realize that rare coins have, historically, been a much better hedge against inflation than gold has been - twice as good, in fact. More >

Emerging Market Fund Managers Turning to Commodities
Source: Mineweb��(7/17/08)
Commodity volatility, contrary to popular belief, has also been comparatively low. Using three-year volatility of monthly returns on an annualised basis, the DJ-AIG All Commodity index has shown a volatility varying between 12% and 16% while that of the MSCI Emerging Markets index has been between 16% and 26%, which is an argument for including commodities in the portfolio as means of improving efficiency. More >

$1,000 Gold and $20 Silver in Sights Again as Investors Flee Financial Markets
Source: Mineweb��(7/16/08)
For the gold investor it is again a case of two steps forward, one step backwards, but there remains the view that the price is at a firmer base now and with Swiss banker, UBS, normally a very conservative organisation, predicting an average gold price of $1,000 an ounce next month there is a continuing big change in investment sentiment which should continue to be positive for the gold price. Safe Haven status is taking over. More >

Investors Shun Gold Mining Stocks in Favor of ETFs
Source: Reuters��(7/16/08)
Traditionally, investors have bought gold mining shares for the extra leverage to benefit not only from a rising gold price but also higher profit margins. The equation has flipped in recent years despite a surge in the gold price to new highs this year. More >

Gold to Replicate Oil's Parabolic Move
Source: Seeking Alpha, Nostradamus��(7/16/08)
...In this kind of environment, with inflation expectations running high as well as multiple looming bank failures, there really is no limit to how high gold can go. Would it surprise me to see $1500-2000/oz by year end? No... More >