By Thoughts From the Frontline, on May 10th, 2010 in US & WorldTurning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
- William Butler Yeats
Last week we focused on the first half of a paper by the Bank of International Settlements, discussing what they characterized as the need for "Drastic measures … to check the rapid growth of current and future liabilities of governments and reduce their adverse consequences for long-term growth and monetary stability." As I noted, you don’t often see the term drastic measures . . . → Read More: The Center Cannot Hold
By Outside the Box, on April 27th, 2010 in US & WorldBack and recovering from my Strategic Investment Conference this weekend (where I decided to give myself permission not to write my usual letter, but I promise I will be back at it this next Friday!) I have spent some time pondering what we learned. It was a fabulous conference. Lacy Hunt, Dr. Gary Shilling, David Rosenberg, Niall Ferguson, Paul McCulley, George Friedman, former Fed Senior Economist Jason Cummins (who is now Chief Economist for Brevan Howard, the largest European hedge fund, and who was quite impressive), Jon Sundt of Altegris, and your humble analyst were all in top form. I must admit with a little pride that I think this is the finest speaker lineup for ANY investment conference . . . → Read More: The Making of a Greek Tragedy
By Invest With An Edge, on April 21st, 2010 in ETFsGlobal X launched new ETFs today (4/20/10) targeting silver and copper miners around the globe. Global X Silver Miners ETF (SIL) and Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPX) become the ninth and tenth products from Global X, joining Global X/InterBolsa FTSE Colombia 20 ETF (GXG), Global X FTSE Nordic 30 ETF (GXF), and the six Global X China Sector ETFs.
The new funds each have an expense ratio of 0.65% and aim to replicate indexes of global companies involved in the silver and copper mining industries. The underlying Solactive Indexes were created by Structured Solutions.
Global X Silver Miners ETF (SIL) (fund summary) will seek to replicate the performance of the global silver mining industry. The underlying index uses a . . . → Read More: SIL and COPX: Global X Launches ETFs Tracking Silver and Copper Miners
By The Gold Report, on April 21st, 2010 in Expert InterviewsSource: Ellis Martin of The Gold Report
"News flow is really, really important. If you’re going to play these kinds of stocks, especially if this is a sector you’re not that comfortable with, you want to get in at the start or before the start of a drill program and not at the end," says Eric Coffin, co-editor along with his brother David of the HRA (Hard Rock Analyst) publications. In this exclusive interview for The Gold Report, Eric explains the importance of sniffing out upcoming news and timing in selecting potential resource investment opportunities.
The Gold Report: Let’s say you’re sitting on the sidelines with a great deal of cash right now. You’ve been following all . . . → Read More: Eric Coffin: Follow the News Early
By OilPrice.com, on April 5th, 2010 in US & WorldThe strategic framework and the correlation of forces in the Gulf of Guinea — one of the most significant and growing energy resource regions of the world — is changing rapidly. A new era in security arrangements for the region is beginning.
The region is moving from an area of low technology defense and security systems, and minimal command and control at national levels, to one of growing sophistication, higher mobility, and the potential for military confrontation.
The five-year, $250-million Equatorial Guinea maritime security program – essentially the build-up of an integrated naval and air capability – announced on February 24, 2010, signalled the start of a re-defined strategic architecture in West Africa. It has brought a coherent military-security . . . → Read More: Tension Builds in the Gulf of Guinea as Competition for Economic Resources Increases
By The Gold Report, on March 23rd, 2010 in CommoditiesSource: The Gold Report
Richard Karn, managing editor of The Emerging Trends Report, is taking a hiatus from North American markets to explore the long-term investment opportunities in Australian resources. The Gold Report caught up with Richard, currently in Australia gearing up for the trip, in an email exchange about his journey to circumnavigate the country visiting a wide variety of precious and specialty metal projects "down under."
The Gold Report: Richard, we understand you’re embarking in mid-April on a multi-month Australian tour of 30 to 40 precious and specialty metal mining projects. That’s a pretty ambitious endeavor. What makes Australia so intriguing to you?
Richard Karn: Australia possesses stunning resource wealth, which at the end . . . → Read More: Richard Karn: Australia’s Stunning Resource Wealth
By Invest With An Edge, on March 19th, 2010 in ETFsFirst Trust launched two new ETFs on March 12: First Trust ISE Global Platinum Index Fund (PLTM) and First Trust ISE Global Copper Index Fund (CU). Their names sound like they are commodity ETFs, and perhaps even physically-backed commodity ETFs. However, they are equity funds that invest in stocks. First Trust probably should have added “producers,” “miners,” or “equity” to the names to avoid confusion.
First Trust ISE Global Platinum Index Fund (PLTM) is based on an equity index called the ISE Global Platinum Index, which is designed to track public companies active in platinum-group metals mining based on revenue analysis. Platinum group metals include platinum, palladium, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, and rhodium.
PLTM holds 25 stocks. The largest are MMC . . . → Read More: PLTM and CU: New First Trust ETFs Not Physically Backed
By The Gold Report, on March 13th, 2010 in Expert InterviewsSource: The Gold Report
Charismatic, articulate, contrary and persuasive, Rick Rule probably could draw an audience if he were talking about the weather. But combine his presence with character, knowledge, understanding, experience and a track record of success, particularly in the resource arena, and the crowd falls silent. People listen to what Rick has to say and, as they have for years, look to him for guidance. Founder and chairman of Global Resource Investments, Rick recently made himself available for a brain-drain, and shared his insights on the direction of precious metals. Economic Indicators
Lest you think the rallying stock market serves as a leading indicator that good times will soon roll again, along comes Rick Rule to . . . → Read More: Rick Rule: Systemic Shock Will Kill Sucker Rally
By The Gold Report, on March 9th, 2010 in Expert InterviewsSource: Interviewed by Gordon Holmes, The Gold Report
The Gold Report caught up with John Embry, Chief Investment Strategist, Sprott Asset Management, to get his thoughts on gold and some mining stocks he favors. Embry, an industry expert in precious metals, has researched the gold sector for over 30 years. Read about why he thinks gold could gain another 30% this year as a greater proportion of the public realizes the degree of difficulty that sovereign debt is in. He believes as confidence in gold returns people will seek an outlet in gold stocks, especially small-cap gold producers and junior explorers with solid projects.
The Gold Report: John, in Investors Digest of Canada you recently said you’re . . . → Read More: John Embry: As Confidence Returns, Gold Will Rise
By Money and Markets, on February 22nd, 2010 in Opinion & CommentaryIf you thought Wall Street’s debt crisis was traumatic, wait till you the see the consequences of Washington’s debt crisis!
Never before in history has a world power like the U.S. been so utterly buried in debt! And never before has that debt been financed so massively by foreign investors!
Nineteenth century Mexico, Spain, and Argentina accumulated so much debt, they were forced to default.
In the 20th century, a similar fate befell Germany (1932) … China (1939) … Turkey (1978) … Mexico again in 1982 … Brazil and the Philippines (1983) … South Africa in 1985 … plus Russia and Pakistan in 1998.
Argentina kicked off the 21st century with a default in 2001. And . . . → Read More: Armageddon
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Armageddon
If you thought Wall Street’s debt crisis was traumatic, wait till you the see the consequences of Washington’s debt crisis!
Never before in history has a world power like the U.S. been so utterly buried in debt! And never before has that debt been financed so massively by foreign investors!
Nineteenth century Mexico, Spain, and Argentina accumulated so much debt, they were forced to default.
In the 20th century, a similar fate befell Germany (1932) … China (1939) … Turkey (1978) … Mexico again in 1982 … Brazil and the Philippines (1983) … South Africa in 1985 … plus Russia and Pakistan in 1998.
Argentina kicked off the 21st century with a default in 2001. And . . . → Read More: Armageddon