Gold Today –New York closed at $1,267.00 yesterday after closing at $1,256.10 yesterday. London opened at $1,263.00 today. 

Overall the dollar was weaker against global currencies, early today. Before London’s opening:

–         The $: € was weaker at $1.1179 after yesterday’s $1.1157: €1.

–         The Dollar index was weaker at 97.40 after yesterday’s 97.50. 

–         The Yen was slightly stronger at 110.84 after yesterday’s 111.07:$1. 

–         The Yuan was much stronger at 6.8180 after yesterday’s 6.8546: $1. 

–         The Pound Sterling was weaker at $1.2791 after yesterday’s $1.2859: £1.

Yuan Gold Fix

Trade Date	Contract	Benchmark Price AM 1 gm	Benchmark Price PM 1 gm
2017    5    31      2017    5    30      2017    5    26	SHAU SHAU SHAU	On holiday 279.25	279.4 On holiday 279.60
$ equivalent 1oz at 0.995 fineness @    $1: 6.8180        $1: 6.8615        $1: 6.8737		On holiday $1,265.85	$1,274.61 On holiday $1,267.44

Please note that the Shanghai Fixes are for 1 gm of gold. From the Middle East eastward metric measurements are used against 0.9999 quality gold. [Please note that the 0.5% difference in price can be accounted for by the higher quality of Shanghai’s gold on which their gold price is based over London’s ‘good delivery’ standard of 0.995.]

 While the Yuan price of gold has dipped a little, the rise in the Yuan has lifted the dollar price of gold there. Shanghai was trading today at just $2.61 above New York while London opened at $6.61 below Shanghai.

Global currency and gold markets are relatively calm, with the exception of the Yuan which has gone much stronger [over 1% stronger in the last two days] as the People’s Bank of China intervenes in the market place. We see this as a continued attack on speculation and the  efforts to improve the reputation of all Chinese financial markets.

Silver Today –Silver closed at $17.41yesterday after $17.32 at New York’s close. A glance back over the last couple of weeks shows that the silver price pointed the way for gold. It fell just ahead of the fall in the gold price and is now rising as the gold price consolidates at lower levels. Is it leading the way for gold?

LBMA price setting:  The LBMA gold price was set today at $1,263.80 from yesterday’s $1,262.80.  The gold price in the euro was set at €1,127.08 after yesterday’s €1,131.03.

Ahead of the opening of New York the gold price was trading at $1,264.65 and in the euro at €1,127.89. At the same time, the silver price was trading at $17.33. 

Price Drivers

The gold price is consolidating in a tightening range heading towards that strong move that we have been waiting for, for some time now. We do see the 50-day average above the 200-day average now, but more importantly the Technical picture is indicating that the next strong move will be seen short, medium and long term.

Leading Fund Managers are stating that the 2%+ growth in the U.S. is not evident, placing a large question mark over whether last quarter’s lower growth is temporary. They are also saying that E.U. growth is likely to be stronger than U.S. growth. Alongside this, Fed Officials are stating that a correction in the equity markets would be healthy. Add the two factors together and we see a downturn in markets and likely a fall in the dollar.

If we don’t see a rate hike in June we would expect to see the gold price rise and potentially strongly as U.S. investors switch into the gold market there.  

Please bear in mind that many equity investors hold them as they yield more than fixed interest rate securities. If there is a rate hike that difference will narrow causing many shares to adjust downwards until they, once again, yield more than Treasuries.

Gold ETFs – Yesterday, saw no sales or purchases of gold to or from the SPDR gold ETF (GLD) but a purchase of 0.15 of a tonne into the Gold Trust (IAU). Their holdings are now at 847.452 tonnes and at 202.97 tonnes respectively.

Since January 6th 2017 38.838 tonnes have been added to the SPDR gold ETF and the Gold Trust.

Julian D.W. Phillips  GoldForecaster.com | SilverForecaster.com | StockBridge Management Alliance