Friday, March 5, 2010
Gold is climbing back towards previous March highs after U.S. employment data printed stronger than analyst expectations.  Although the Dollar initially climbed in reaction to the news, the risk trade has since posted a solid rally amid an improving global economic landscape.  Uncertainty is cooling in the ECB and the impact from [...]

Friday, March 5, 2010

Today’s U.S. employment data countered skeptics fearing winter weather slowed hiring.  The Non-Farm Employment Change printed stronger than expected while the headline Unemployment Rate held at 9.7% when analysts were anticipating a one basis point bump.  Meanwhile, the risk trade is rallying across the board with the Dollar and Yen declining while [...]

Thursday, March 4, 2010
Gold has topped out and is trading back around $1130/oz following the precious metal’s solid topside breakout.  Gold is heading lower following a negative reaction to U.S. data revealing a large decline in Pending Home Sales.  Today’s discouraging U.S. housing figure sent investors towards the Dollar for safety, knocking the risk trade [...]

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The S&P futures are registering slight gains right now despite Pending Home Sales coming in much lower than analyst expectations.  However, analysts are already pinning the weak housing data on adversarial winter weather.  On the plus side, Factory Orders did print strong and weekly Unemployment Claims met expectations as productivity rose.  Focus [...]

Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The S&P futures are tacking onto yesterday’s encouraging performance despite sluggish econ data from the EU and UK.  The S&P futures are also ignoring strength in the Dollar and appear to be on a trajectory of their own these days.  Meanwhile, the futures are creating further separation from their highly psychological 1100 [...]

Thursday, February 25, 2010
Gold is floating just beneath its highly psychological $1100/oz level despite broad-based risk aversion in the FX markets.  The Cable, Aussie, USD/JPY and EUR/USD have all made large legs down today amid fresh uncertainty in Greece.  Additionally, economic data from around the globe was less than encouraging, particularly the rise in weekly [...]

Thursday, February 25, 2010
The S&P futures are registering a large leg down, sinking below their highly psychological 1100 level once again as investor uncertainty increases around the globe.  Problems in Greece are resurfacing with S&P and Moody’s stating they are considering downgrading Greece’s debt should the government not successfully implement its austerity measures soon.  Additionally, [...]

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Gold is trading back below its highly psychological $1100/oz level amid weakness in the Cable and Aussie.  Gold’s large leg down during today’s Asia trading session is a bit mysterious since the precious metal exhibited a relative weakness.  That being said, investors should keep an eye on activity in the Dollar.  Investors [...]

Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Gold is trading well off Monday highs as investors exit the risk trade in the wake of more negative fundamental data from around the globe.  The selloff began with weaker than expected French Consumer Spending and German Ifo Business Climate data from the EU along with discouraging UK BBA Mortgage Approvals data.  [...]

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The S&P futures have dropped below their psychological 1100 level once again as equities react negatively to today’s weaker than expected CB Consumer Confidence data.  Earlier EU and UK data already weakened the risk trade.  French Consumer Spending registered its largest decline since October 2006 and Germany’s Ifo Business Climate number disappointed.  [...]

Friday, February 19, 2010
Gold managed to hold above Thursday’s lows and the highly psychological $1100/oz level despite broad-based strength in the Dollar in reaction to the Fed’s surprise decision to raise the discount rate.  The Fed’s decision shocked FX markets after the bell, sending investors rushing towards the Dollar after interpreting the Fed’s announcement as [...]