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Gold: Shootout At The 24K Corral
Written by Brad Zigler   
July 26, 2010 9:51 am EDT

Real-time Monetary Inflation (last 12 months): -1.9%

We could be in for some big doin's in gold.

Last week, it seemed as if bulls and bears were merely trading punches as spot metal vacillated between $1,200 and $1,180. Despite the apparent draw, some real damage was done to gold's momentum.

Bullion ended the week as it started—with short selling. Friday's short selling, though, was a lot more aggressive. Open interest shot up by nearly 20,000 contracts on Friday as prices sank. The buildup replaced the contracts that had been offloaded when shorts covered their midweek bets. In other words, a whole new wave of short-sellers came to the market Friday.

The move came after money managers liquidated long positions to a level not seen since April 2009. The Money Manager Strength Index fell below 90 last week as 9 percent of portfolio runners closed out long gold positions. The index measures the bullishness of managed gold futures on a scale of 1-100. The index had been topping out in the high 90's for months.

 

COMEX Gold And Money Manager Strength Index

COMEX Gold And Money Manager Strength Index

 

Gold prices are now precariously close to a bullish trend line emanating from the October 2008 pivot point low. If bulls can't keep spot bullion above $1,180 by week's end, bears will be greatly emboldened to push prices lower. Sights will first be set at a key retracement level at $1,155 and, if that's breached, $1,044. Those giddy with bearish intent might be shooting at a three-digit target at the $974 level.

So, what if the sell-off occurs? Will it spell the end of gold's run? No, not even if gold trades with a $900 handle. After all, there was a $200 swoon in gold prices when the Money Managers Strength Index pitched 26 points lower between August and September 2008. Look what happened afterward.

No, real danger for gold's longer-term uptrend won't be signaled until prices break the trend line passing through the 2006 lows. Today, that's at the $780 level. Could that happen? Sure, but for now the odds are long. The fundamentals that engendered gold's bull market haven't changed. There's been a lot of fear premium built into gold's price, though. It's that which is now being eroded.

For now the line is drawn. Bulls and bears are headed for a showdown. This week ought to be real interesting.



 

 
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Comments (11)

 Tuesday, 27 July 2010 9:43 EST - Posted by Tazio Z.

 
The bulls will win and THE GOLD GAME will continue! TGG: Honest Money/Austrian (Misesian) Economics/Free-Market-Thinking-Capitalism (Gold Bullion) vs Fiat Money/Socialist (Keynesian) Economics/Militarism-Statism-Corporatism-Merchantilism (USD, Euro, Pound, Yen, Etc).

Read The Daily Bell, LewRockwell.com, freedomainradio.com, etc. for more valuable knowledge!

"The modern mind dislikes gold [bullion] because it blurts out unpleasant truths." - Joseph Schumpeter

 Tuesday, 27 July 2010 10:15 EST - Posted by Floyd

 
It might be better discribed as a line being drawn between the Bulls and the market manipulators. The manipulators have the upper hand of course with only electronic entrees necessary too achieve their goal.

 Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:28 EST - Posted by MehulKumar Paatadia

 
GOLD SHOULD GO DOWN TO BELOW $600.

 Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:43 EST - Posted by Paramjit garewal

 
gopd must go back to $600. all this speculation should stop and the bulls CASTRATED

 Tuesday, 27 July 2010 11:45 EST - Posted by Paramjit garewal

 
gold should go back to $600 and speculators and bulls should be taught a lesson

 Tuesday, 27 July 2010 18:26 EST - Posted by Eugene Cerko

 
Gold should continue to climb in the long run if for no othe reasons but cost of production and supply and demand.Gold must be viewed as a means of protecting a persons value. Isn't the final goal to make sure that you don't loose too many dollars while at the same time being able to eventually cash the metal in for - guess what - dollars? Nothing wrong with trying to protect one's future.

 Sunday, 01 August 2010 8:55 EST - Posted by Happyhep

 
Keep it civil, folks. This comment has been unpublished for violating the terms of use of the HardAssetsInvestor Web site.

 Sunday, 01 August 2010 9:27 EST - Posted by Happyhep

 
CORRECTION: GOLD IS WORTH 100 TIMES MORE THAN PAPER SINCE 1913! SORRY!

 Sunday, 01 August 2010 21:38 EST - Posted by stephen

 
the gold price has formed a short-medium top for sure ... usd is not going to collapse soon, and gold price will just stage a "normal correction" at least back to 960USD before another upleg.

 Monday, 02 August 2010 13:51 EST - Posted by Victor Carulei

 
No, real danger for gold's longer-term uptrend won't be signaled until prices break the trend line passing through the 2006 lows. Today, that's at the $780 level.

Looking at StockCharts.com gold traded to a low of $542 in 2006?!

 Monday, 02 August 2010 14:02 EST - Posted by Brad Zigler

 
Victor -

If you drew the trendline connecting the 2006 lows to the higher subsequent lows marking spot gold's bull run, it would have lead you to the $780 price level by July 25, the date the article was written.



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  About Brad
Brad Zigler's stints as a contributing
editor for the Corporate Communica-
tions Broadcast Network, the Journal
of Indexes, and CRB Trader have set
the stage for his current role as manag-
ing editor of HardAssetsInvestor.com.

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