Gold Nears $1,900 - Venezuela Formally Requests Gold Holdings Held By BOE Ship By Sea
From GoldCore
Gold Nears $1,900 - Venezuela Formally Requests Gold Holdings Held by BOE Ship By Sea
All major currencies have fallen against gold and silver again today with gold reaching new record nominal highs in most fiat currencies including U.S. dollars. Gold reached a new record of $1,894.80/oz - just shy of $1,900.
Cross Currency Table
Gold is trading at 1,870.10 USD , 1,296.40 EUR , 1,132.40 GBP, 1,470.90 CHF and 143,670 JPY per ounce and has risen some 1% in all currencies. Gold is particularly strong against the yen and Swiss franc which have fallen in international markets on concerns of debasement.
The London AM fix was a fourth consecutive record nominal high in US dollars. Gold’s London AM fix this morning was USD 1,877.75, EUR 1303.17, GBP 1139.55 per ounce (from Friday’s USD 1,862, EUR 1299.28, GBP 1126.91 per ounce).
Silver is in all major currencies and has risen another 1.4% in dollars after last week’s 8% gain.
Gold’s 6.2% rise last week and silver’s 8.2% rise was barely reported in the press and media in Europe over the weekend – with all the focus continuing to be on equities and to a lesser extent bonds. The usual suspects in stockbrokerages and banks warned about gold being a bubble again.
Silver was not reported at all and remains almost completely taboo in the non specialist financial press. Besides the very occasional article warning that it is a bubble.
According to Bloomberg, the central bank of Venezuela has sent a statement by e-mail requesting its 99 tons of gold holdings from the Bank of England, citing the institution’s president Nelson Merentes.
“We’ve contacted the Bank of England and the corresponding protocols have been initiated to complete this operation as soon as possible,” Merentes said, according to the statement. “Once that’s done, the shipments will begin by sea.”
Chavez ordered the central bank Aug. 17 to repatriate $11 billion of gold reserves held in developed nations’ institutions. Chavez fears 'hostile countries' may seize the national patrimony.
Venezuela holds 211 tons of its 365 tons of gold reserves in U.S., European, Canadian and Swiss Banks.
40 shipments will be needed to carry the 17,000 400oz bars by sea. Piracy must be a real concern given the value of the bullion and Venezuala should ensure that the shipment is well protected.
While physical demand remains robust, sentiment in the trading pits remains muted. An indication that speculative sentiment remains lukewarm was seen in the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data released Friday evening.
Hedge-fund managers and other large speculators decreased their net-long position in New York gold futures in the week ended Aug. 16, according to the CFTC data.
Speculative long positions, or bets prices will rise, outnumbered short positions by 200,086 contracts on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, the Washington-based commission said in its Commitments of Traders report. Net-long positions fell by 3,487 contracts, or 2 percent, from a week
The opposite was the case in the silver market where sentiment appears to be heating up somewhat with the risk of another short squeeze developing.
Hedge-fund managers and other large speculators increased their net-long position in New York silver futures in the week ended Aug. 16, according to U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data.
Speculative long positions, or bets prices will rise, outnumbered short positions by 21,928 contracts on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, the Washington-based commission said in its Commitments of Traders report. Net-long positions rose by 3,540 contracts, or 19 percent, from a week earlier.
The dumb money continues to warn that gold and silver are bubbles.
Their simplistic bubble thesis is based almost exclusively on the nominal US dollar price and recent price movements and on the assumption that (to paraphrase) ‘gold has gone up in price a lot - therefore it is a bubble’.
There is a continuing failure to look at the important supply and demand fundamentals of the gold and silver markets which leads to unsound reasoning and irrational conclusions. There is also a failure to adjust for inflation.
There is little knowledge of the very small size of the physical bullion markets vis-à-vis the stock, bond, currency and other markets.
There is also very little knowledge of financial, economic and monetary history and a continuing ignorance regarding ‘investment 101’ which is diversification.
Being prudent and having an allocation of 10% to gold will protect no matter what economic and monetary scenario develops in the coming months. If one is not leveraged and is prudently diversified and owns gold bullion (coins and bars in the safest way possible), it does not matter if gold is a bubble or not as you own a range of other quality assets.
From a purely investment point of view - an allocation of 5% to 10% makes sense.
From a financial insurance or store of wealth point of view – having a higher proportion of your overall net worth makes sense.
Especially given the risks posed to the dollar, euro, pound and fiat currencies and to deposits “guaranteed” by insolvent states.
Not putting 10% of your wealth in gold is extraordinarily imprudent today and a recipe for further financial destruction.
For the latest news and commentary on gold and financial markets please follow us on Twitter.
NEWS
Gold Seen Heading for Biggest Gain in 32 Years on Investment
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-08-22/gold-seen-heading-for-biggest-gain-in-32-years-on-investment.html
Bulls pounce on European stocks as gold hits record
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/eb843958-cc6d-11e0-9176-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1Vk2VwGdR
Gold soars to record high on economic woes
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/22/us-markets-precious-idUSTRE7781Q420110822
Summer malaise helps gold to fresh record
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/eb843958-cc6d-11e0-9176-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1Vk2VwGdR
Hedge Funds Buying Corn to Silver to Soy as Commodities Tumble
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-08-22/hedge-funds-buying-corn-to-silver-to-soy-as-commodities-tumble.html
BLOOMBERG WIRE
- Thai Exchange Temporarily Halts Silver Futures After Price Jump (20%)
- China’s July Silver Imports Were 284 Tons, Customs Says
- Venezuela Gold Repatriation Won’t Mean Metal Scramble, UBS Says
- Gold is strong in all currencies and is entering a stage when prices go “parabolic,” Dennis Gartman says
COMMENTARY
Things That Make You Go Hmmm.... Such As A Venezuelan Dictator Bringing Down The Global Gold Cartel
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/things-make-you-go-hmmm-such-venezuelan-dictator-bringing-down-global-gold-cartel
Gold, Silver SOAR, Gold Cartel In Shambles
http://news.goldseek.com/LemetropoleCafe/1313960280.php
The Battle For Libya Is Almost Over... As Is The Battle For Its 144 Tons Of Gold
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/battle-libya-almost-over-battle-its-144-tons-gold
David McWilliams: The Future - Tax the Rich
http://www.sbpost.ie/commentandanalysis/the-future-tax-the-rich-58155.html
Should You Sell Your Gold Now? – Dominic Frisby
http://www.moneyweek.com/investments/precious-metals-and-gems/gold/money-morning-should-you-sell-your-gold-13501
Gold Standards: FT’s Lex Column
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/3/0f98ae0c-ca50-11e0-a0dc-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1Vk2VwGdR
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- Things That Make You Go Hmmm.... Such As A Venezuelan Dictator Bringing Down The Global Gold Cartel
If that ship reaches Venezuela it will be nothing less then a big surprise.
Will Russian or Chineesse ships accompanyed by milatary forces be used?
40 ships definitely diversifies the risk of failure of delivery.
$44 to 42.77 now, looks like Blythe is in early.
www.silvergoldsilver.blogspot.com
china, bitchez
http://azizonomics.com/2011/08/22/is-venezuela-next/
JPM:SILVER now negative for 21 days.
Suck on THAT, Blythe.
IN GOLD WE TRUST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/India-set-for-record-gold-imports/articleshow/9691022.cms
Check this out guys.. not sure if the people of India will ever stop consuming gold.. 1000 tonnes of Phyisical Gold being imported this year...
"40 shipments will be needed to carry the 17,000 400oz bars by sea."
Why the hell do they need 40 shipments to move a couple of hundred tons of anything by sea, much less gold?
They dont "NEED" 40, they have just thought this through a little bit more then you have!
Well, please enlighten me!
There's an old saying, I can't quite remember it - something about "eggs" and "one basket" - I'm sure you've heard it.
Pirate/hijack/terrorist/common-burglar - if they manage to take a boat, they only take 1/40th.
Weather, huricane, tsunami, whatever - if it hits, it only hits for 1/40th.
Have you been enlightened, young Grasshopper?
Thank you for the assist.
One plane, on one date, in one place VS. 40 ships, on several dates, in several places - that will probably have Chineese or Russian military escorts.
Which represents a greater risk??? (rhetorical question)
nice tits by the way.....
Not so rhetorical, given the reliability of air and ship travel. The odds of losing one or more of those 40 shipments are considerably higher than losing one large shipment.
Have you been enlightened, grasshopper?
I don't think he'll ever "get it". He only has ONE pair of boobs to gawk at. None to spare like Hugo does with his bullion rods.
Sgt, you beat me to it! What are the odds of a surreptitious (friendly) "hijack" and blaming it on the US?
Have the Somali Pirates expanded their operations across the Atlantic & Pacific as well? Perhaps Capt'n Jack Sparrow is aiming to plunder Chavez booty?
I'd be more worried about Ragnar Danneskjöld than I would about Cap'n Jack.
I think you should think it through as well because it's not going by 40 ships.. LOL. They wouldn't announce the details of transport to the world. LOL!! The gold is going by air!
This way Obama and or Israel can't claim Terrorists are riding shotgun and steal the gold.
Just go after the one that's riding low... /italian job
Osama knows the plight of shipment at sea. It is even today, fraught with danger and uncertainty.
Would it be possible that even with Chinese guard, passing over the "Laurentian abyss" ........a sinking tragically occurs!
Nah!
I hope all the Tungsten makes it to Venezuela.
The future headlines will look rather strange:
"Guiness has just verified the worst luck a single country has ever had after Venezuela's 40th gold-laden ship sank from a "malfunction". All 40 ships have been lost at sea. Leaders of that country could not be reached for comment."
Ruslan (Antonov AN-124), with a payload of 120 tons, and some "escort" would do the trick, no?
Ex-act-ly my good Pladizow.
We shall see who is contracted to transport these bars...
Why don't you just paint the damn ship white and paint the word Gold in big black letters on the side. I think LLoyd's will be more than happy to pay out on this claim. It will essentially be a huge exchange of paper for gold. Fucking brilliant way to fill up Englands coffers with gold again. All thanks to that brainless moron in Venezuela.
"If that ship reaches Venezuela it will be nothing less than a big surprise."
Not really - the big players, the ones with enough resources to take the gold probably know that what he is getting is the Tungsten Bar Special (on sale now!).
Well we know the biggest player is no threat even if the ship is full of real gold. Even if the Bernank was to find the ship wrecked on an island with its content intact, he would leave it there obviously. Who in his right mind would pick up such a load of barbarian tradition?
I respectfully disagree: you can bet the Venezuela Central Bank first task will be to test a large sample of the bars delivered from London.
If some, most or all of them are found to be gold-painted Tungsten, all hell is going to break loose on the PM markets. Gold prices would then go to the stratosphere.
That ship doesn't reach Venezuela , the ensuing panic will light gold on fire. This operation has to be pulled off perfectly and the bankers know it...
Bank of Canada has 0 gold. Will have to borrow from Sprott.
Excellent observation. All paper gold has risk. Is SGOL, the Swiss fun any safer? Snippet from a Canadian article:
Read WHY Canada sold the Gold. Reagan, CIA, deflate the price of Oil, And Gold. USSR's (at the time) source of hard currency.
WHEN IRISH EYES ARE SMILING
http://www.lemetropolecafe.com/Pfv1.cfm?pfvID=2612&SearchParam=Shamrock+Summit
"If Canada’s gold was instrumental, it is certainly understandable why neither Brian Mulroney nor his finance minister, Michael Wilson, would want to talk about it publicly. It would not have been helpful for our trading relationship with our ‘Soviet comrades’, if either of these esteemed gentlemen had risen in the House of Commons and announced that Canada was selling its gold in an internationally co-ordinated effort to bring an end to communist regime in the U.S.S.R."
Sorry, I think they're gonna give it the silver smack down this week. If they do, I'll buy more.
So far so good on that one!
Remember what happened when people started chasing silver
looks like we may run up to 50 this week.... I wouldn't hold your breath on a drop! Even if there is no direct QE3 announcement at Jackson Hole, I would still expect a pop in PM's....
The Dollar (paper) was the real bubble - gold going up only reflects the fiat bubble bursting.
Gold is really pushing the price boundaries that are possible given the current Gold/Oil ratio.
Ratio currently sitting at around 23, however history shows that it struggles to hold above 21.
Lower Gold prices on the way short term in my opinion.
http://www.bullionbaron.com/2011/08/goldoil-ratio-where-is-it-heading.html
Those ratios are no longer very useful. The game has changed completely for obvious reasons. Supply and demand matter most when the manipulators of price constitute such a large percentage of the demand. They can only push prices lower if they can hold their conspiracy together and collectively stop buying on the dips. But this isn't 2008, and the conspiracy isn't as strong as it used to be. The Chinese are not playing along, and now Venezuela left the pack. Who next, panic buying from the Canadian central bank?
Why are the ratios no longer useful? Is it just the Gold/Oil ratio or are you suggesting all ratios are now obsolete? You don't think we'll see 1:1 with the Dow?
Venezuela want their Gold? I remember reading Germany asked for their Gold a couple of years ago as well... what happened to that?
I do think Gold has a long way to run higher in this bull market, but I also think it's at or very close to a top right now (a SHORT TERM top). Happy to be wrong as I am long metals with around 50-60% of my capital right now...
Gold:Dow 1:1 at 5,000 is a pretty fair guess IMHO
As for oil, well let's let the ratio tell us. At 20, it would imply $250 oil. In US dollars. In yen or euros, well...interesting question.
If Bernanke continues to devalue $250 oil may be just about right. Even if there's no sneak peak in oil.
That is my approximate target as well: $5000 for each.
Its going to be one hell of a ride, IMO.
if you panic, panic first. and panic without sound
There seems to be a strong resistance ceiling in gold/oil ratio around 30 barrels/ounce. A breakthrough will indicate a PO (permanent) production squeeze that will indicate a prudent jump into oil.
Oil is useful... until it is all gone.
Gold has no use whatsoever. But it is forever.
True. That's why it works so well. One of the least mentioned features of what makes a good preserver of wealth is that it be a luxury, or of no use other than it is what it is. Other factors such as scarcity, divisibility (portability), inertness also are present in gold. If gold had a large function in manufacturing or other areas that would diminish its preservation it would not serve so well as it does today. Finding out that a large dose of gold in some medical format would cure cancer would reduce gold to a mere commodity, and that would reduce its role as a wealth preservation medium. The "price" is high in absolute terms but very cheap when one considers a sudden, life-saving or high-tech application that would offer a high return scenario.
hmmmm so why is it so valuable for eons?
one theory:
"445,000 ago, Ea, a Nibiran Sumerians call Enki, rocketed to Earth. Medical officers, 600 miners and 300 crewmen followed him to Earth to get gold to contain and shield Nibiru’s atmosphere. We of theTwenty-First Century use gold as a shield too, in spaceshuttle widows."
http://www.enkispeaks.com/
mom and dad will be demanding delivery of all of it soon as their planet gets back in town
Since this supposed planet Nibiru is presently nowhere to be seen in the Solar System, it must be moving at truly incredible speeds, in one hell of an elliptical orbit. One has to wonder how the Nibirians fare during the 99.999999% of their year out somewhere in the Oort Cloud at sub -400 degrees Fahrenheit. One would think that they would much prefer some enriched uranium for nuclear reactors, or even a nice thick blanket, to gold.
I incline more to the Leprechauns-with-pots-of-gold-at-the-end-of-rainbows theory myself.
This. so many people don't understand that you don't want your money to be used for anything else. My father's biggest beef with a gold currency is that we'd be wasting so much human labor and energy to pull a metal out of the ground that doesn't do anything. He doesn't get that it's a small price to pay for the self-optimizing market that emerges from the use of gold as money.
Anyone who would claim that gold is "useless" would logically also have to claim that policemen, judges, lawyers, composers, musicians, poets, entertainers, priests and monks are "useless" as well, just because they do not directly produce a physical, recognizable product for society.
(Well, I might concede the point with the lawyers.)
Except that it trades for oil.
BOE says it will ship the gold via the coast of Somalia
that's going to be a long boat ride, all the way from libya through the suez canal to colombia
BOE figures144tons of Libyan gold -99tons for Hugo 45tons balance and then, oops pirates take it all. Oh well Lloyds will insure it and pay out in full with FIAT
You do know that Venezuela has a long strech of coast, right? And that Chavez is the president of Venezuela, not Colombia? Please, say that you knew...
"Please, say that you knew..."
The Ministry of Truth will be along shortly to fix that post.
If your avatar happens to find my wristwatch in there, could you have her forward it to me by post? Oh, in a plastic bag, of course.
I´m sure we´ll find some space on the Venezuelan gold boat. Don´t worry, I´ll have your watch insured in cases pirates, odd storms or space aliens manages to sink all the tungst...gold bars.
This made me laugh almost out loud.
Hah, another "bounce" today, heheheh! Am long paper PMs, with tight stops, once executed I'll buy more Physical on the "weaknes", hehehe! Nice Monday for me, don't know about all the "hopefulls" on FEDster's doling out more money this week! HEHEHEH!
Continued weakness in all fiats means continued strength in PMs... end of story.
Typical LBMA 4am - 8.30 "gold garage sale" going on again this morning. Last gasp "gold at half price" day. LBMA needs a lower price so they can buy it on the open market to send to Chavez.
Well, it is fungible...
Absolutely hilarious.
(eyes closed, thumb and forefinger on the bridge of my nose) "OK, OK, OK, I think I've got it. Stocks up, gold up. Stocks down, gold up. Right?"
Question: Where do you think stocks are going?
Answer: Who cares?
WWWWWeeeeee!
'The dumb money continues to warn that gold and silver are bubbles.'
Gold and silver ARE in bubbles. It's like Nasdaq 5000 -- WHEEEEE!!!!
Even a retarded squirrel finds a nut now and then. :>)
And US and European bonds, and governmental debt in general, are ....... ?
I think the fact that all the gold-is-in-a-bubble folks have their eyes glued to the gold/pile-of-paper ratio is the ultimate misdirection that should make any magician jealous.
Yeah, thinking in terms of money instead in terms of value. The classic mistake.
Yes, I know all about "you won't get rich with gold", it has no dividend, it's gains are really just preserving purchasing power, etc, but gold has now increased over 53% in one year, and I don't think the currency has devalued 53% in one year. So, it's kinda difficult to say that goldbugs aren't seeing some form of actual gains.
Bubbles reach the popping point when trade becomes dominated by the Greater Fool principal. In most cases, this is because the public has jumped in with both feet and frothed up the waters.
Gold trading has not been taken over by the Greater Fool principal. Central bank purchases are a chief source of demand. They are buying and holding prices down, not pushing them up. They have not taken such pains to buy at lower prices, merely to dump their stores of gold. They can only push prices lower by halting their purchases, which they won't do. Margin hikes are becomming ineffective and won't cut it anymore to suppress prices.
On the other hand, the public in the US seems hardly aware of gold. They are inundated with commercials to induce them to sell their gold, and commercials to sell them gold, but very few have acted. They have a lifetime's worth of conditioning to sit in the stock market and a lifetime's worth of disinformation about gold to restrain them. Many of the ones would would have acted think they already missed the boat.
Repeating like magpies that gold is in a bubble earns the public the pat on the head for being so smart they so desperately yearn for from other magpies. Until they start congratulating each other for the intelligence of following the crowd, we will not have a Greater Fool situation. This is simple human nature, and the driving force behind wholesale acceptance of such religions as: global warming; free trade; notions about racism; politics; religion; you name it. Groupthink becomes a religion. Gold is not yet a religion among the public, so even without the fundamental arguments why gold must rist, just based on psychology alone, gold doesn't qualify for a bubble yet.
Thank goodness for inertia, momentum, or whatever it is that keeps people from actually ACTING on what may be best for them -- like buying PMs. The other side of the coin is the self-talk that makes people look for that confirmation of why they don't buy: Bubble, fad, late to the party, or whatever. I like it! Being a contrarian by nature, I hate crowds, mobs, and group-think. The time to either start burying my stash or selling it will be apparent. I'll bury it when the hungry start to migrate out of the city, and I'll sell it when the financial markets get some common sense and fixes itself. I wouldn't bet on the latter. Well, actually, I have bet on it by buying at every opportunity.
Bubbles, tiny bubbles -- Don Ho (hold the Bitchez)
PM's are not in them yet by a long shot.
Smells likes Pirates of The Carribean all over again
Do you think hugo will sub his bullion ship protection to Captain Sparrow?
That would make Johnny Depp's day; another sequel to the old tale. $$$$$$!
I'm calling bull shit Tyler - they can fly 100 tonnes in a 747 crago jet - no fukking way by sea.
Sorry toobear, I have to differ. Would YOU ship your gold on one vessel and risk it having an accident and disappearing? By the time they found it was empty it would be old news.
Exactly. Time is of the essence here.
I agree--sea shipment too risky. Calling the Antonov AN-225. Can hold 550,000 lbs. (225 tons) internally . . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-225
One plane on one date in one place VS. 40 ships on several dates in several places - that will probably have Chineese or Russian military escorts.
Which represents a greater risk??? (rhetorical question)
Yup, we've seen that movie.
Apparently the Chinese have some stealthy submarines...
And now a little game theory: is it better to divide the gold equally among the 40, put it all in 1 with 39 decoys, or some other distribution?
My personal choice: 20 decoys and a binomial distribution over the remaining 20.
+1
Another idea here. You divide in 41, give me one part, and do what you want with rest....
Oh I'm diversified alright. I own gold, AND silver. That's all the diversification I can stand in this abortion of a market. Anyone in stocks or bonds, or just about anything else, is just gambling.
(Oops, I forgot my hedge in bullets)
The money doesn't get any dumber than Chavez.
Might wanna' be looking for a short/medium term top right here. This is unless of course people think Chavez is the smartest money at the table, in which case I would proffer you to take his side of the trade.
I'm going short gold here.
earth to bob_d:
this is not a trade
Cramer said this morning that he's a gold bug, and always has been.
Just sayin'
"Cramer said this morning that he's a gold bug, and always has been. "
He is also a babbling fool and always has been... are you long babbling fools?
I briefly tuned in CNBS this morning - just to see where the POG was - and Cramer was so amped on something that he was having trouble making sense. The other crews were rolling their eyes, shaking their heads slightly, etc. Geez, Cramer, lighten up on the amperage in the mornings. I don't know why they can't find someone else to take his place, preferably a cute gal, of course.
A very curious claim, given Cramer's repeated and numerous CNBC bashings of gold in 2008 and 2009, and his rabid insistence on the superiority of holding equities above "dead commodities". Repeat a lie often enough ..........
The only thing dead here is that part of Cramer's body above the neck (minus, of course, the mouth, which is autonomously animated).
That, and his credibility.
"this is not a trade"
Right. It's like withdrawing your savings from BAC and putting them in your mattress. Makes sense to me!
A lot of people shorted stocks over the last two years and got creamed.
A lot have shorted gold with a similar result.
Even if we were just discussing something with no fundamental reasons to continue to rise, shorting a ten year trend can be a littly risky.