Technical Correction Under Way in Silver, Gold

Silver and Gold got thrashed yesterday, the latter falling hard in off-hours trading after the June Comex contract surged to a record high Sunday night at 1577.40. We’d warned subscribers of a potentially important top at 1581.20, a target derived from our proprietary Hidden Pivot Method.  The actual peak came close enough to the target to suggest that a significant correction may be under way. We give the pullback a good chance to at least equal last winter’s correction, which saw June Gold fall from 1437 to 1310, or about nine percent, between early November and February. Silver, meanwhile, sputtered out well shy of an equivalent Hidden Pivot target north of $50, and it got hit much harder than Gold in percentage terms. At day’s end, the May contract had fallen as low as 42.190, down 15% from last week’s 49.820 peak and as much as $6 intraday.

Whatever happens in the days and weeks ahead, we seriously doubt that the long-term bull-market in precious metals is in jeopardy, since none of the fundamental factors that have been driving bullion quotes higher have changed.  In particular, we expect Fed easing to continue until the dollar collapses, taking the financial system with it. As for the odds of European-style austerity taking hold in the U.S., it’s a non-starter as far as we’re concerned – about as likely as the Fed pursuing the strong-dollar “policy” that Geithner and his predecessors have been blathering about for more than a decade.

Avoiding Stress…

We use purely mechanical means to forecast the ups and downs of stocks and futures, and that helps us stay calm whenever the markets are said to be at the mercy of inscrutable or even violent forces.  For instance, if May Silver were to show some pluck at 42.37, a Hidden Pivot support that is our minimum downside target for the moment, we’d infer that sellers were already starting to run out of ammo and enthusiasm. And we’d be even more confident about this if a bounce from 42.37 were to exceed a couple of small peaks recorded on the hourly chart on the way down. As for June Gold, we’d start to worry only if it falls to 1444.90, nearly $100 below current levels, without an upward retracement. To find out why, or if you’re interested in the upcoming Hidden Pivot webinar at the end of May, click here.  If you are more concerned about what Silver and Gold are about to do, you can get a free week of Rick’s Picks forecasts and trading recommendations by clicking here. This will also give you access to a 24/7 chat room that draws experienced traders from all over the world.

(If you’d like to have Rick’s Picks commentary delivered free each day to your e-mail box, click here.)

  • rt May 6, 2011, 9:03 pm

    we are in the “new normal” where anything goes, including massive fraud, blatant crime by the big bankers, traders, investment houses, friends-of-ben, AND BY COMPLICIT REGULATORS.

    you think that this is a correction? this isn’t a correction, or a top or a “peak”! it’s a FORCED TAKEDOWN by all the above-mentioned, and what it shows me is that the US Government regulators are either stupid, on drugs, or complicit in this criminal manipulation.

    Since when does a MASS SELLOFF start in off-hours (Sunday night, May 1) when volume is almost nil, stupid. All you need to know is: manipulated. And thus it will not last long.

  • Marc Authier May 4, 2011, 8:55 am

    And what are your technical indicators telling about US treasury toilet paper or junk bond toilet paper ? I can’t believe how dumb and brainwashed investors are when it comes to bonds. Any bonds.

    • Metcho May 4, 2011, 11:10 pm

      Easy, Mark.
      Despite I hate bonds, my gut indicator tells me bonds will outperform all other asset classes short-term.
      It is simple. China is slowing down, Europe is jerking with PIIGS debt, Japan is on its knees. I bet that slowing USA with unresolved debt ceiling will cause MASS slowdown. Emerging markets cant sustain this summer. In USA the profit taking is over. The morons are just getting on reversed H&S. We are waiting only for one spark. Unemployment rate in Friday?
      If you haven’t sell your bullish stocks and halved your metals, you’re dead meat.

  • Marc Authier May 4, 2011, 8:42 am

    Yeah. What’s silver’s competition offering ? 0,005% yields for 13 weeks. 4,66% for 30 year bonds. I remember that in the 80’s, while silver was at 50$ you could buy good 30 year bonds paying 19%. Or I forgot. How about greek bonds or irish bonds ?

  • Marc Authier May 4, 2011, 8:26 am

    Hell. How about talking of the real bubble. US treasuries 13 week yielding 0,005%. Silver and gold are not bubbles. 0,80% of investment assets in precious metals. Hey oil and gas are not bubbles. Commodities are not bubbles. If I remember in the 80’s gold and silver represented 9% of investment assets. In the 80’s gold and silver had competition from high interest rates. You have to love it. People investing in US tresuries at 0,005 % while real inflation is about 8% ! The real bubble is US debt.

  • Chris T. May 4, 2011, 2:32 am

    “As for the odds of European-style austerity taking hold in the U.S., it’s a non-starter as far as we’re concerned –”

    Rick you are too cynical.
    We just got $38B out of $3700B budget, you know they are serious!
    And they can both agree on reducing the budget deficit by 2 Trillion dollars for the years 2016-2020.
    I mean really, how could they not be serious when they are now able to prdict 10 years out?

    On another note:
    While APMEX has virtually no inventory of Ag Eagles, premiums are as high as always.
    Yet:
    90% junk is sold at a discount, evn the $100 bag is at 0 premium (40% is -2% almost).

    In England, ONE scrap buyer reported 1 ton of scrap silver (tableware of all sorts) bought in one day-including an 260tr. oz. Tiffany set.
    19th cent. Tiffany sold for scrap, esp. one of such scope?
    The rubes are SELLING silver!
    When was the last time a rally ended with the rubes SELLING?

  • fallingman May 3, 2011, 8:28 pm

    Thanks for speaking the unspeakable Aussie Mick.

    I don’t know exactly what to believe and what not to believe from day to day, but I know “we the people” don’t run the show and I know I’m being lied to at every turn by the combine’s propaganda machine. The Osama raid / burial at sea thing is so weak, it almost seems as if it’s an experiment to see just how flimsy their stories can be and still have the American people buy into them.

    Makes me think of our American comedian Jon Lovitz. “Burial at sea…yeah, that’s the ticket.”

    • Chris T. May 4, 2011, 2:33 am

      see my comment above about some inter. reading material

  • Aussie Mick May 3, 2011, 6:21 pm

    If you believe this crap about Osama…the ‘burial’ at sea..Obama has done his job. He is a puppett..doing the bidding of those that pull the strings..JP Morgan is controlled and owned by Rockerfeller ..as is the Federal Reserve…the media..go buy yourself a copy of “The true Story of the Bilderberg Group..author Daniel Estulin..and Gary Allen’s book The Rockerfeller Files. While you are at it..check out Infowars .com and prison Planet.com . Osama Bin Laden has been dead for years…no thinking person…could believe this bull….me think OBAMA BIN LYIN…then again the CIA..would never tell a lie…they might run the world drug trade..kill your presidents…but NO..never tell a lie…America was built by ” BOYS WITH BALLS.”..THE WORLD IS WAITING….ARE THERE ANY LEFT. We can’t fix your problems…it is almost too late…Aussie Mick.

    • Robert May 3, 2011, 7:41 pm

      “America was built by ” BOYS WITH BALLS.”..THE WORLD IS WAITING….ARE THERE ANY LEFT. We can’t fix your problems…it is almost too late…”

      Mick- The Boys with Balls in the US are positioning themselves to make sure the problem gets fixed. Go look at the Oathkeepers website. Those expected to fight to preserve the system are declining in number, and will soon yield to those who would fight for their neighbors and their liberty. The mindless authoritarian thugs in uniform do not outnumber the equally well trained, and rapidly awakening numbers who realize that everything they trained to put their life on the line for is a lie.

      You must understand that in this day and age, as goes the USA, so goes the world. Would an armed American insurection against Washington DC lead to world peace? Doubtful.

      The discontent is there, and it’s growing. Rule of law around the world is teetering on the brink. Some think this is part of the elitist’s plan…

      I don’t think they have a plan.

    • Steve May 3, 2011, 11:42 pm

      There is no Rule of Law left, except in the hearts of the few.

  • A. Rand Fan May 3, 2011, 5:48 pm

    Rick, last week you alluded to a forming of a new base for Silver and I agree. When the news has died down from the killing of Osama is when i think we’ll it moving up again.
    On a side note. The trend has not been Obama’s friend. Chatter was getting louder that the economy was turning for the worst fueled by higher gas prices. So Obama pulls out one of his aces from up his sleeve to change the focus of the MSM and thus the sheeple. IMO, and the cynic that I am, I think they have known of Osama’s whereabouts for some time. They felt the timing was right to play this card. And the celebration in front of the Whitehouse seemed so contrived.

    • cosmo May 3, 2011, 7:54 pm

      Yes, another perfectly timed staged event, with the “body” dropped in the ocean never to be seen again. I suppose I have been lied to for too long to believe ANYTHING the govt says. Their credibility is lost completely.
      For all we know Osamas been staying at Trump Tower…

      I just “know” PM have a long way to go before I will even think about selling, and looking to buy when the “hammer” turns at the bottom.

    • Chris T. May 4, 2011, 2:22 am

      See Paul Craig Robert’s two articles posted al lewrockwell.com for some insight into your point.
      One is from 5/3, the other from 5/2.
      While at it, also see Eric Margolis; latest posted 5/2.

      Any bets on whether the annointed one will now declare: We have succeeded in our Afghanistan-war objective, and are taking down the tents there?
      Ha, just look at the compound (being) built in Kabul for an answer…

  • Robert May 3, 2011, 5:42 pm

    Awe Shucks, PM bull market’s over (again)… What’s this, the 5th, 6th time in the past 10 years that the Bull market in PM’s has ended…?

    Anyone who is repeatedly wrong consistently must choose to either:

    1) Change their set of assumptions about why they are consistently wrong, and use introspection to better understand their own biases.

    or

    2) Stick to their premise, and continue to adhere to the principle that with each wrong prediction, they improve the statistical probability that they will be right next time.

    This PM bull market will not end until there are no buyers left. I have been buying since 2006, and I am still buying every time the PM bubble pops (as it is now, yet again)

    When Rick Ackerman and Richard Russell are the lone voices in the wilderness wandering why everyone is taking on debt and selling their furniture in order to buy Maples and Eagles, then I’ll start paying attention to the writing on the wall…

    oh, and Gary- the claim:

    “Silver has never gone vertical without it being a terminal move.” is a little disengenuous perhaps?

    I mean, how many times has silver had a 100%+ vertical move before this one?

    1979-1980- That one was terminal. All the rest have been mere speed-bumps on the highway to higher highs, notwithsatnding Buffet’s 1997 move that required about 4 years to work itself out.

    You seriously think silver will not see $50 again for 4 years (if ever)?

    and, even at the 79-80 top, the price of silver moved 500% in 6 months. This recent spike had nowhere near that much energy.

    Everyone plays their cards based on their understanding of the rules of the game, and their speculation of what cards the other players are holding…

    Who is holding the “higher real interest rates” hand?

    I don’t think it’s been dealt.

    • gary leibowitz May 3, 2011, 7:34 pm

      If a deep deflationary spiral occurs everything but cash will drop.

      The only way we get sustained inflation, or even stagflation, is if debt can be added to the system and maintain the “faith” that it will be paid back.

      The 70’s had no debt run-up before the spiral occured.

      If copper breaks down all metals will follow.

  • gary leibowitz May 3, 2011, 2:59 pm

    I differ with your assumption that fundamentals haven’t changed. In fact it is a dramatic change on the political front. There is no more talk about entitlements being off the table. The real question is will the Republicans accept the suspension of Bush’s tax cuts.

    In fact if you want to bring up conspiracy theories I would suggest you look at the multi-year slide in the dollar. Without it this tenuous recovery would never have taken place.

    I am looking for an equities top within the next few months that would be triggered by a strong rally in the dollar. Silver has never gone vertical without it being a terminal move. Copper the leading metal indicator has been stuck in place for a long time.

    Another sign we are entering a new phase is the fact that all commodities have surged together. If inflation is the fear than the bond market has it wrong. Their track record has been spot on in predicting inflationary pressure. I would even suggest that yields are going to test the lows of two years ago.

    • mario cavolo May 3, 2011, 4:11 pm

      Hi Gary…stimulating stuff…

      I dare suggest that in the global world economy we now live in, the U.S. needs/needed this falling USD. Causes inflation at home but brings other benefits related to the U.S.’s place in the global economy, regardless of the how we’ve gotten to the current state of affairs.

      On your commodities/bond observation, again, seems possible that Bernanke will end up being correct that the commodities spike is more related bad weather/harvest problems combined with massive rising Asian demand for ag commodities and other resources, a double whammy for prices which seem to be in a topping stage now and could also go right back down with good, normal weather/harvests next season. Many advisors I’ve been reading are calling for various commodity tops now including the most well known by GS recently to its clients. The play is played out?

      But in a persistent low interest rate environment I wouldn’t expect much of a dollar rally later on, why should we? I could see the markets stuck churning in a range for the next couple years…I’ll stick with my “Say Goodbye to Yields” treatment a few months back; low interest rates are the prime directive, otherwise the system is doomed…my meandering guessing games…

      Cheers, Mario

  • John Jay May 3, 2011, 2:45 pm

    Margin increases for “volatile” (it keeps going up) silver futures, but none for crude oil or the Dow/S+P. Some brokers are adding another 20% to the exchange margins for silver futures. Pretty easy to guess which markets they want to keep going up, and which ones they don’t.

    • fallingman May 3, 2011, 8:17 pm

      Bingo.

  • mario cavolo May 3, 2011, 8:57 am

    …Shanghai time gang….U.S. futures back on the rise as usual late afternoon here from S&P 1353 like clockwork despite the sucker punch…

    Cheers, Mario