January 27th, 2012
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From the monthly archives:

February 2011

AAPL – Apple Computer (Last:359.18)

by Rick Ackerman on February 15, 2011 7:32 am GMT

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SIH11 – March Silver (Last:30.570)

by Rick Ackerman on February 15, 2011 7:08 am GMT

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GCJ11 – April Gold (Last:1364.00)

by Rick Ackerman on February 15, 2011 5:49 am GMT

No change. A Hidden Pivot at 1379.80 has been our minimum upside target for so long that it should no longer be regarded as especially significant. The short-term trend is bullish but growing stale, and we should therefore require nothing less than a pop by Wednesday or so to 1394.80, eclipsing two external peaks on the hourly chart, before we get too enthused.  In the meantime, a close above the 1362.00 midpoint associated with the target would be an encouraging start.

Join me this morning…

by Rick Ackerman on February 15, 2011 3:13 am GMT

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ESH11 – March E-Mini S&P (Last:)

by Rick Ackerman on February 15, 2011 3:05 am GMT

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Bullion? He Prefers Mining Shares…

by Rick Ackerman on February 15, 2011 2:52 am GMT · 46 comments

[In a guest commentary here yesterday, our friend Erich Simon used grocery prices from the good old days to buttress his conclusion that $2100 was the “right” price for an ounce of gold. The essay provoked a lively discussion, including the interesting note below from “Radek,” who’d rather own bullion shares than the actual metal. To find out why, read on.  RA]

I think $2100 gold will just be a point in time when we can officially call the beginning of a “gold bubble” – i.e., where perceived value is greater than fundamental value. It will only go up from there for a few years (more or less), ahead of the pace of inflation while the herd gets in. It will go parabolic to heights that [another who posted to this forum] suggested. Then it will pop, and settle down, probably back to the $2100 that Mr. Simon suggested, and rise continuously at a more “steady” rate thereafter. 

This is why I have decided not to purchase any bullion of any kind. Instead I am going to take advantage of the leverage that quality gold/silver stocks offer during the run-up; hopefully, sell at or near the top; wait a year; and then let everything crash and “settle down.” This will allow me to purchase more bullion due to the additional gains from leverage (as long as fees and taxes don’t make it financially unsound, as ‘Ricecake’ noted [above] ).

Why would anyone in their right mind want to purchase bullion (never mind the losses due to fees, premiums, insurance, and potential future government interventions) unless they believe the “end game” is a total and utter collapse of the financial system that forces us to revert to local bartering with said bullion? I see bullion ownership as an “all or nothing” scenario: either you believe the whole thing will come down and we’ll have gold/silver as the final remaining currency, or the government will step in and halt the rise/inflation at some point. If you believe the latter, then owning gold will only lower your potential profit due to the above-mentioned profit-siphoning effects.

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CLH11 – March Crude (Last:85.61)

by Rick Ackerman on February 14, 2011 7:39 am GMT

March Crude (CLH11) price chart with targetsThe breach of a trendline that has contained price lows for more than four months suggests the futures are about to fall to structural support near 82, at least, if they can’t lift themselves above the trendline in the days ahead.  It comes in today at 86.01.

SIH11 – March Silver (Last:29.880)

by Rick Ackerman on February 14, 2011 7:24 am GMT

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GCJ11 – April Gold (Last:1358.80)

by Rick Ackerman on February 14, 2011 7:08 am GMT

April Gold (GCJ11) price chart with targetsA Hidden Pivot at 1379.80 has been our minimum upside target for so long that it should no longer be regarded as especially significant. The short-term trend is bullish but growing stale, and we should therefore require nothing less than a pop by Wednesday or so to 1394.80, eclipsing two external peaks on the hourly chart, before we get too enthused.  In the meantime, a close above the 1362.00 midpoint associated with the target would be an encouraging start.

Shhhhhhh….

by Rick Ackerman on February 14, 2011 6:54 am GMT

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