Gold above $1023 an ounce as the dollar plunges

Gold futures rally above $1,023/oz as dollar weakens

By Polya Lesova, MarketWatch

FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) -- Gold futures rallied above $1,023 an ounce on Wednesday, as the U.S. dollar weakened against major currencies, boosting the appeal of the precious metal.

Gold for December delivery rose to an intraday high of $1,023.30 an ounce in electronic trading on Globex.

The contract was recently up $12, or 1.2%, to $1,018.30 an ounce. December gold is not the front-month contract, but it's the most actively traded contract.

The record intraday price for a front-month gold contract is $1,033.90 an ounce set on March 17, 2008.

"The catalyst for the rally was the weak dollar," wrote analysts at Commerzbank in a note to clients.

The proximity of the all-time high "is increasingly attracting investors to the gold market, reflected in the sharp rise of speculative net-long positions and the recent inflows into the gold ETFs," they said.

Wednesday's U.S. inflation data could provide further support, they added.

Economic data due Wednesday includes August consumer prices at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, and industrial production at 9:15 a.m., along with the NAHB housing market survey for September at 1 p.m.

U.S. stock futures were pointing to a higher start on Wednesday with a focus on the economy after upbeat talk from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Other precious metals also gained, with December silver futures rising 1.9%.
Source

Get out of the stock and bond markets except for gold and silver shares

Bob Chapman writes in his latest The International Forecaster under the title :

The Flight To Quality Lands On Gold

" Get out of the stock and bond markets except for gold and silver shares. Terminate cash value life insurance policies and annuities; they invest in the stock market. Although mutual life companies have to invest in bonds. If you have to have some of your assets in cash, own treasuries from Canada, Switzerland or Norway. We are embarking on one of the most unusual times in investing history. Only 10 to 15 percent of investors will participate, the rest will lose 60 to 90 percent of their assets, their wealth. Don’t you be one of those losers. Don’t forget the elitists cannot print gold and gold is debt free. For 6,000 years it has been the only real currency. Gold and silver’s fundamentals are overwhelming. The supply is limited and production is falling and will continue to fall for years to come. Governmental and central bank debt is increasing exponentially and that is destroying the value of all currencies versus gold. Major nations are now aggressive major gold buyers. Gold and silver are going higher. Do not miss the opportunity to protect your wealth and perhaps to become very wealthy.

Our estimate of real unemployment, U6 minus the Birth/Death ratio, is 21% or 30 million people unemployed or employed part-time. If you include dependents that affects some 100 of 300 million Americans. In part as a result, yoy there has been 126,000 bankruptcies up 34%. That 9.7% unemployment just doesn’t tell the entire story. We continue to see energy and commodity inflation, which translates into higher prices, which are aggravated by lower wages. About a year from now, in the absence of further stimulus or increased bank lending, unemployment will rise to over 30%. That will lead to major economic, financial and social problems the likes of which no modern economy has ever seen. Residential and commercial real estate have 20 to 30 percent downside left depending on the market region and 25%, soon to be 50%, of US mortgages are currently underwater and 50% of mortgages will be in negative equity within a year. That is when Americans will finally realize their country is bankrupt. The FDIC and mortgage lenders are broke along with 50% of the population. Over the next three years between 3,200 and 4,200 banks will go under and the Fed will create $23 to $60 trillion to bail out the mess. Either that or your savings deposits will go up in smoke. We have $1.3 quadrillion in derivatives to be settled. If only 5% fail the financial system collapses. Banks are still leveraged 5 times deposits and carrying massive losses on their books. "

Read the Full article :

Dollar Collapsing Gold Soaring Are The Gold Bugs Finally Right

For longer than anyone can remember, gold bugs have been predicting the demise of paper-based currencies and the rise of their favorite yellow metal. Yesterday, gold cracked $1,000 per ounce, a level it has broken only briefly in the past. And the dollar continued its collapse. So are the gold bugs finally right? Should you swap all your dollars for gold dust and stash it in a safe-deposit box (maybe picking up some guns and cat food while you\'re at it)?
Channels: Precious Metals Currencies
Tags: Gold Precious Metals Dollar Currencies