Avast Ye Steam-punk Scalawags!
________________________________________

Looks like the bewigged and wedge-shoed scarlet coats of the Federal Admiralty have thrown down their first frilly gauntlet and taken a shot across our portside bow last evening with a cannon-load of “hot grape” called “quarter point discount rate increase,” in the less civilized quarters of New Orleans and other pirate dens.

Powdered pooftahs that they are, they are already begging our mercy come the morn as we swing our starboard cannon about to rake their pommy sides amid-ships.    Too late for them, and theirs, I’m afraid, as there’s gold in those Admiralty cargo holds and we mean to have it.

Let’s not get all a-sweat and a-lathered, me scurvy dogs.   The thesis has not changed and certainly the Fed is not going to take the “brave man’s step” of setting the Caribbean afire with rum-soaked English scrip whilst our Parliament (of Whores) continues to spend like grog-stupefied wainwrights on barrel-selling day.    No, maties, they seek to confound us with this Mary-move of callow authority.   No man can call his actions bold while pleading apology in the next breath!  

If anything, said grape-shot toss was mere subtrafuge to cover for additional scrip production in yonder Admiralty’s subterranean printing gaols!  What will occupy the Admiralty’s cargo holds for years — baser and baser scrip — will be what ensures our golden Treasures worth! 

So be not a-feared but rather emboldened by the tightness of Rear Admiral Bernanke’s wedgies, and the sagging of his pompadour.  Now is the time to press the hot cutlass to their throats and let roar with musket, grape and cannon.   The battle is near-won, me swabbies.   Let us not then quail at the size of the Admiralty’s frigates, but rather laugh at their frailty — they are made of paper, lads!

_______________________

This day I shall be indulging in all me favourites, but  most especially those in the silver Escudo doubloons, for the price of bonnie silver is racing back up even faster than that of gold.    To that end I shall be indulging in me favourite miners, Silver Wheaton Corp. (USA) [[SLW]] , [[EXK]] , [[SVM]] , [[PAAS]] and maybe even the worm-bitten dogs [[CDE]] and Hecla Mining Company [[HL]] .   [[AGQ]] is only for the traders, but it may boom off of any pullback here.

Don’t forget me favourite golds either, which number three — Allied Nevada Gold Corp. [[ANV]] , Eldorado Gold Corporation (USA) [[EGO]] and Royal Gold, Inc. [[RGLD]] .   Some dogs that may be opportunities thanks to yesterday’s scare off  could be New Gold Inc. (USA) [[NGD]] , Exeter Resource Corp. [[XRA]] , NovaGold Resources Inc. (USA) [[NG]] and Northgate Minerals Corporation (USA) [[NXG]] , along with Rubicon Minerals Corp. (USA) [[RBY]] and even [[BAA]] .  Of course [[GDX]] is a great purchase if you want a catch all.

I also think the Ag side will continue to stay hot, so any weakness in Monsanto Company [[MON]] , The Andersons, Inc. [[ANDE]] , The Mosaic Company [[MOS]] , and Potash Corp./Saskatchewan (USA) [[POT]] should be seen as an opportunity.  I will likely have more to say on this front.   

Many of you may have seen I chose Cree, Inc. [[CREE]] as my March Madness pick (SLW is too volatile).   I like it and Veeco Instruments Inc. [[VECO]] as my two hottest tech names for the intermediate to long term (the only way I play).  

Best to you all, my hearties, and if anything today — WATCH SILVER — something seems to be “up.”

__________________________

Comments »

“Ash Wednesday” by Carl Spitzweg c. 1855-1860
_____________________________________

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

{Psalm 51, “The Miserere Mei,” Verses  1-3}

___________________

Developing…..

Comments »

Sun, Sun, Sun, Here He Comes…
_______________________________________

Today was golden, metaphorically and physically.  Aye, my purse weighs heavy tonight, good sir. They’ll be more to come, but let’s see what today’s action meant for one of favourite picks.  Today, I examine the daily Allied Nevada Gold Corp. [[ANV]] chart for some near term lessons and targets:

What a difference a day makes, no?  One successful thrust and we are up and out of the consolidation zone once again, and ready to make a run at the early January highs ($16.50 area).   We may get a couple of pullbacks from here, but I think we will proceed to that stated goal relatively quickly before pausing to coil again.

Our friend Baby [[HUI]] is also showing signs of robust life, not two weeks after becoming as oversold as that index had been back in the dark days of November ’08.  

Note how the MACD and the slow stochastic are only just turning up on this weekly chart?  It makes one want to touch one’s staggeringly huge bouffant, doesn’t it?

There’s a lot of run left in this move, I think.   Maybe we’ll even shoot past the recent highs of $520 in this cycle.   With the dollar continuing to flag, and the price of gold holding about $1,120 — I have all the confidence in the world.

Back in the here and now, I continue to like all the precious plays I named in yesterday’s post, and I also like the “N” team, NovaGold Resources Inc. (USA) [[NG]] , New Gold Inc. (USA) [[NGD]] and Northgate Minerals Corporation (USA) [[NXG]] .   My top picks continue to be in silver, and especially Silver Wheaton Corp. (USA) [[SLW]] and [[EXK]] .

I also like the action in my two tech favourites (sic) today, Cree, Inc. [[CREE]] and Veeco Instruments Inc. [[VECO]] .   I actually attended a venture capital presentation this afternoon on nanotechnology that blew my socks off.   This new company’s first major customer was Veeco.   I think that may be a sign, I dunno.

On the “other metals” area — the three T’s will be strong with steel ripping.   Don’t forget Thompson Creek Metals Company, Inc. [[TC]] , Teck Cominco Limited (USA) [[TCK]] , and Titanium Metals Corporation [[TIE]] , as well as RTI International Metals, Inc. [[RTI]] , which has moved nicely in the last year or so. 

Finally, I would be remiss if I left off my two platinum blondes [[PAL]] and [[PTM]] .   Buy these and get a year’s subscription to Lady GaGa Magazine.   It won’t disappoint.

Your faithful servant in the Reign of the Sun King,

Jake.

Comments »

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAkoYcfDmrk 450 300]

Wait for 1:43 for the transcendent beauty to begin.   Then go out and procure your child cello lessons.

_________________________________

Who’s sick of this damn winter already? I sure am.   Someone sold me a story about moving to the South some years ago, but I think I’m going to apply for a refund.  We had zero snow last year (sticking wise) and I bet we’ve had 25-30 inches this year.   And the cold!  The damnable cold!   I could almost handle the snow if it didn’t come with this extra serving of Canadian Clipper.  

Enough already! 

But that brings me to a super nova of my own making.  It’s called my portfolio, and you are welcome to bask in it’s awesome radiation.   The dollar (DXY) is down 17 cent to $80.16 (use [[UUP]] as your proxy here), and the price of gold (“POG”) is up well over $1,100 to $1,109.10.    If we get to $1,120 on the POG, we will be off to the races.

Mind you, I think we’re already off.   I’m already locked and loaded, and if you’ve been following this blog over the last three plus weeks, you’re likely ready as well.   If not, and you’re still looking for some last minute shopping, here again are my two favourites (sic)…

First the Gold Standard, Allied Nevada Gold Corp. [[ANV]] :

Note, I’m using the weekly’s here because these are long termers for me.  You can also see that the last two weeks has been giving us the signal in both names.  

My silver goddess has been and continues to be Silver Wheaton Corp. (USA) [[SLW]] .   This chart is even prettier than the previous:

It’s late so I’ll bid you adieu.   Here’s to a great week, and a great month in the PM’s.    These gems are just two of many that I believe will run in the next several weeks.  I also look for Royal Gold, Inc. [[RGLD]] , Eldorado Gold Corporation (USA) [[EGO]] and IAMGOLD Corporation (USA) [[IAG]] on the gold front, and [[EXK]] , [[SVM]] and [[PAAS]] on the silver.

Best to you all.

__________________________________________

Comments »

 

Omm Nom! Nom! Nom!
_____________________________________
Looks like Mr. Limm and kin are trying to take away our punch bowl.   Not bloody likely, I say.

You see, the Chinese really only have one way to cauterize the inflation wound they are already seeing in their economy — and that’s by removing themselves from their peg to the U.S. dollar.  They can make all the noise in the world about raising reserve requirements and dampening loan growth, but they will will still strain to be heard over the “clack-clack-clack” of the U.S. Mintex 3ooo Printing Robots in the basement of Ben Bernanke’s Transylvania Castle.

I say, if the Chinese refuse to de-peg their currancy and let the Yuan run free, naked and untethered, they ought to just continue to get drunk and buy stocks.    It’s the only rational thing to do when you are allowing your currency to be devalued right along with that of the Great White Ghost across the Pacific.  

And let’s face it, there’s only so much iron ore, coal, copper, lead, zinc, chromium and every other heavy metal for industrial usage left in this globe.   Outside dredging the Hudson River, that is, but even that reclamation project is years away.   The Chinese know all this and realize the only way to keep those prices cheap to them is by miming along to the dollar prop story.  

Again, raising Chinese reserve ratios is not going to do that if Helicopter Ben is easing quantitatively as fast as his machines can print, purchase and store massive haystacks of U.S. cabbage like he is.   We all know (and yes, the Chinese leadership knows) that fast cash to you is just heading right back into the Chinese economy via click-bought and big box consumer goods purchases (oh, and look here, retail sales are strengthening… wonder where those goods are coming from?).  What’s more, that money, once washed up on the shores of the South China Sea has to go right back into the commodity markets as the Chinese continue to build out infrastructure and purchase raw materials inventory.

Here me now and believe me later — The Chinese cannot “whip inflation” by themselves while they are tied to the dollar, and while their growing economy is tied to our consumption.   These are infrastructural realities that are not going to change because the Chinese CB has decided to take a stern line on lending reserves.  So sorry.

My take?  Eat a samich (sic) this morning until at least 11 am to see where the market settles out.    Gold is currently down only about $16 (less than 1.5%) and silver, as usual is taking it harder, down 44 cents (2.8%), with the DXY at a current $80.64.   I continue to believe this is a shakeout, and that the dollar will not continue much higher than here, despite all this “nooze” circulating to keep it propped.  If we break much above $81, however, I will be forced to reassess, and perhaps take a little off some of my riskier metal plays.

Best to you all.

________________

Update:  I notice in my haste to get out this morning’s post that I neglected to give you a run down on yesterday’s purchases (which were recorded in real time on The PPT, of course, as were today’s).   Yesterday I added to the following positions:

2k Petroleo Brasileiro SA (ADR) [[PBR]] @ $40.60

4k Exeter Resource Corp. [[XRA]] @ $8.46

2k Eldorado Gold Corporation (USA) [[EGO]] @ $12.66

2k Thompson Creek Metals Company, Inc. [[TC]] @ $12.67

10k NGAS Resources, Inc. [[NGAS]] @ $1.62

1K Sociedad Quimica y Minera (ADR) [[SQM]] at $37.06

This morning’s purchases (also “adds”):

2k [[PAAS]] @ $21.75

4k Gold Fields Limited (ADR) [[GFI]] @ $11.75

 

_________________________

Comments »

 [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ERnT1X9HPw 450 300]

A Song for the Times?
___________________________________

Well, so much for Helicopter Ben’s New York Times- abetted “tightening” kabuki theater act.

Did you enjoy it?  I hear he’s been studying at the New School.

I dunno, maybe the guys down at Goldman called Bernanke up last night and asked him for some help in getting out of their Euro shorts, since DXY (sorry, no quote yet — see? [[DXY]] ) had run up to about $80.30 today by lunch time, only to tuck tail and (Black?) swan dive right back down to $80 flat just in time for Benjamin’s Jawboning routine at 2:15 pm. 

That particular bit of mummery and prestidigitation must’ve in turn convinced at least one or two bag-holding kaftan merchants from Milwaukee to buy dollars again, because the dollar index got all the way to $80.10 by late afternoon, giving us all that familiar “blah” feeling at the close.

All pretense seems to have dropped away after the stock mavens went home, however, and the dollar is now (as of 12:36 am Eastern) trading back down to yesterday’s low’s at about $79.74, looking at a “next stop” of about $79.50, and then $79 even.     Party on, Garth (and Darth… Vadon, that is).

These incipient moves should be enough to get our rally on in the gold and silver sector, not to mention our other hard currency equivalents including earl, natural gas, and the specialty metals.   I was extremely busy today and I apologize, but my punishment was not being able to add much to the portfolio, although I would’ve loved to finish my Allied Nevada Gold Corp. [[ANV]] accumulation today.   I am quite sure it will be more dear tomorrow.  

I was able to add 60 more June $40 [[GDX]] calls at $5.80.   They were a standing order, and I think I may have been able to get them even cheaper, but beggars, chooser, etc. etc.   I now have total 120 of those $40 June strike calls, and I think I’m done there.  

 The rest of my exposure will remain in liquid equities, and I hope to add to positions tomorrow in the usual suspects, and perhaps some NovaGold Resources Inc. (USA) [[NG]] , New Gold Inc. (USA) [[NGD]] and Northgate Minerals Corporation (USA) [[NXG]] .   I also like Exeter Resource Corp. [[XRA]] ‘s relative strength as of late.  

For silver I may dip my toe in the Chanci selection — [[SVM]] , as I’ve admired their price action recently.  I may also look to grab some additional [[PAAS]] .   If [[CDE]] stalls in the early trade, I may also add to that one.

Platinum is reviving tonight along with its brethren, so don’t forget about [[PTM]] and [[PAL]] . 

On the non-precious side, I may grab some [[ERX]] for a ride similar to that of [[AGQ]] .   I also continue to like Petroleo Brasileiro SA (ADR) [[PBR]] and Occidental Petroleum Corporation [[OXY]] .    I also happen to think SandRidge Energy Inc. [[SD]] is undervalued here, and it is a perennial favourite (sic) of The PPT .

Last, don’t forget Thompson Creek Metals Company, Inc. [[TC]] , Teck Cominco Limited (USA) [[TCK]] and Titanium Metals Corporation [[TIE]] in the specialty metal names, and Sociedad Quimica y Minera (ADR) [[SQM]] , as their lithium is a bargain here as well.    I expect tomorrow will be a good day for we merry shipmates of the U.S.S Jackson.

All aboard!

______________________________________

Comments »