Budget Surplus and Trade Deficit

By TraderVox.com

Tradervox (Dublin) – Mixed data is seen coming out of the Australian economy. Today early in the morning hours the Australian economy posted Trade Deficit figures. The country’s trade deficit for the month of March doubled to $ 1587 million from previous $ 754 million. This was the highest trade deficit the country has recorded in the past two and half years. In other data coming from Australia the retail sales rose significantly indicating that consumption is gaining momentum in the country, which also reflected in an increase in the business confidence numbers.

The rising consumption boosted demand for imports which are now cheaper due to the strong Australian Dollar. Australian exports of raw materials were severely hit by global economic slowdown particularly due to the declining demand from Chinese manufactures. Also higher commodity prices and strong Australian dollar further hampered Australian exports.

Today in other events the Australian treasurer Wayne Swan presented the budget before the parliament. In his budget speech Mr. Swan expressed optimism that country may be on the track of budget surplus. This he plans to achieve by a series of reduction in government spending.

The markets have reacted negatively to trade deficit data pushing the currency lower against the US dollar.

 In the wake of the huge trade deficit the RBA may cut the interest rates to boost exports and this speculation is driving bearish positions in the AUD. The currency pared off early week gains and turned bearish early in the day. Also fueling the bears are the risk off sentiment in the financial markets after the Greek and the French elections. The Greek and the French election results indicate strong support for anti austerity parties which has renewed fears about the European financial stability and have sparked pessimism that the crisis will not end soon.

 The AUD/USD pair is currently trading at 1.0134 levels. The bearish trend is beginning to gather pace but is obstructed by the tight volatility in the market. The near term support for the currency is at 1.0118 and a break of this level could push the pair to 1.0113 levels.

Disclaimer
Tradervox.com is not giving advice nor is qualified or licensed to provide financial advice. You must seek guidance from your personal advisors before acting on this information. While we try to ensure that all of the information provided on this website is kept up-to-date and accurate we accept no responsibility for any use made of the information provided. Opinions expressed at Tradervox.com are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Tradervox.com or its management. 

Article provided by TraderVox.com
Tradervox.com is a Forex News Portal that provides real-time news and analysis relating to the Currency Markets.
News and analysis are produced throughout the day by our in-house staff.
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/tradervox

Greek Elections Lead to Significant Euro Losses

Source: ForexYard

The results of Greek parliamentary elections held over the weekend kept the euro low against virtually all of its main rivals throughout yesterday’s trading session. Investor concerns about Greece’s new government and how it will act toward tough austerity measures imposed on the country brought the euro down to a 3 ½ year low against the British pound and a three-month low against the US dollar. Turning to today, euro-zone news is once again forecasted to impact the markets. The German Industrial Production figure and a speech from the ECB President have the potential to create significant volatility.

Economic News

USD – USD Takes Slight Losses against Main Currency Rivals

After seeing significant gains when markets opened for the week, the US dollar staged a minor downward correction during European trading yesterday. After dropping to 1.2953, a three-month low, the EUR/USD began moving upward during early morning trading, reaching as high as 1.3052 by the afternoon. The AUD/USD also saw some upward movement during the European session. The pair was up close to 90 pips by the afternoon session, reaching as high as 1.0196. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar remained virtually unchanged at around 79.80 over the course of the day.

Turning to today, a lack of significant US news means that any dollar volatility will likely come as a result of euro-zone news. Traders will want to pay close attention to a speech from the ECB President, scheduled for 12:30 GMT. Should investors interpret the speech as negative for euro-zone growth, investors may return to safe-haven currencies which could result in renewed bullish activity for the dollar. Later in the week, traders will want to remember that the Fed Chairman is scheduled to give a speech. Following last week’s disappointing US jobs report, investors will be listening to the speech for any clues regarding any future plans for quantitative easing in the US.

EUR – EUR Remains Low amid Euro-Zone Worries

Investor concerns that the new Greek government will back away from previously agreed upon austerity measures sent investors to safe-haven assets, resulting in heavy losses for the euro to start off the week. The common-currency fell to a 3 ½ year low against the British pound, hitting 0.8034 during early morning trading. The EUR/GBP eventually staged a minor upward reversal, and by the afternoon session was trading as high as 0.8078. Against the Japanese yen, the euro fell over 125 pips during the overnight session, reaching as low as 103.20. The pair eventually recovered during mid-day trading to trade as high as 104.30.

Turning to today, traders will want to pay attention to both the German Industrial Production figure at 10:00 GMT, followed by a speech from ECB President Draghi at 12:30. As the biggest economy in the euro-zone, German indicators tend to have a significant impact on the euro. Should today’s news come in above the forecasted 0.8%, the euro could see moderate upward movement during the mid-day session. With regards to the ECB President’s speech, traders will want to pay attention to any mention of how the recent elections will impact euro-zone economic growth. Any negative comments could result in euro losses.

Silver – Weak Global Data Leads to Bearish Movement for Silver

Silver fell as low as $29.85 an ounce during yesterday’s trading session as poor fundamental data resulted in weak demand for the precious metal. Specifically, uncertainty regarding the prospects of the euro-zone recovering from its sovereign debt crisis led to the bearish movement. Overall, silver was down around $0.50 during European trading.

Turning to today, silver may continue to fall if poor euro-zone fundamental data results in risk aversion in the marketplace. Traders will want to pay attention to a speech from the ECB President for clues as to how this past weekend’s elections may impact the euro-zone economic recovery. Any negative comments could result in additional losses for the precious metal.

Crude Oil – Euro-Zone Worries Result in Losses for Crude Oil

Concerns regarding the euro-zone’s ability to solve its debt crisis in the aftermath of elections in France and Greece over the weekend resulted in additional losses for crude oil during yesterday’s trading session. During overnight trading, crude dropped an additional $2.25 a barrel, reaching as low as $95.24. While the commodity saw minor gains during the middle of the day, it was once again moving down toward the end of the European session.

Today, traders will want to continue monitoring any developments out of the euro-zone. Any signs that the new Greek government will go back on any of the austerity measures it promised to undertake before receiving its most recent bailout package may result in additional bearish movement for oil.

Technical News

EUR/USD

The Williams Percent Range on the weekly chart has dropped into oversold territory, indicating that this pair could see upward movement in the coming days. Furthermore, the MACD/OsMA on the same chart appears to be forming a bullish cross. Traders will want to keep an eye on this pair, as it could stage an upward correction in the near future.

GBP/USD

A bearish cross has formed on the weekly chart’s Slow Stochastic, in a sign that downward movement could occur for this pair. In addition, another bearish cross on the daily chart’s MACD/OsMA is providing further evidence of an impending correction. Traders may want to go short in their positions.

USD/JPY

Most long term technical indicators place this pair in neutral territory, meaning that no definitive trend can be predicted at this time. The one exception is the weekly chart’s MACD/OsMA, which has formed a bearish cross. Traders will want to keep an eye on some of the other indicators on the weekly chart for signs of an impending downward correction.

USD/CHF

The Williams Percent Range on the weekly chart has crossed over into overbought territory, indicating that this pair could see downward movement in the near future. Furthermore, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the same chart is moving upward and appears poised to cross into the overbought zone as well. Traders will want to keep an eye on the RSI. If it crosses above 70, it may be a good time to open short positions.

The Wild Card

EUR/GBP

Following the significant downward movement this pair has seen recently, technical indicators now show that an upward correction could take place in the near future. The daily chart’s Relative Strength Index has dropped into oversold territory, while the Slow Stochastic on the same chart has formed a bullish cross. Forex traders may want to go long in their positions.

Forex Market Analysis provided by ForexYard.

© 2006 by FxYard Ltd

Disclaimer: Trading Foreign Exchange carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. There is a possibility that you could sustain a loss of all of your investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with Foreign Exchange trading.

 

Pound Falls on House Price Data

By TraderVox.com

Tradervox (Dublin) – The pound weakened against the US dollar today after a report by a London-based Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors showed that the UK house price index fell to six month low in April. The demand for houses weakened after a stamp-duty exemption for first time buyers ended in March 24. The index fell to -19 from -11 in March registering the lowest level since June 2010. A reading below zero indicates that more surveyors registered a price drop than gains in the last month. This report came as Britain’s property market struggles to recover from the first double-dip recession in the country since 1975.

After the report was released, the Great Britain Pound fell within two cents of an eight month low against the dollar. Despite an increase of 4.3 percent within the last three month, the pound dropped by 0.3 percent against the dollar to trade at $1.6143 during the London trading session after it had rose to 1.6302 on April 30, the strongest it has been since August 31 last year. The sterling pound was little changed against the euro buying one euro at 80.65 pence, it had climbed to 80.36 pence per euro yesterday when the Euro dropped following elections in the region.

According to Peter Bolton Kings, a spokesman for Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the consumer confidence was undermined by the recent talk of double-dip recession and current concerns over the economy of the nation. He also added that the lack of affordable mortgage has contributed to the declining first-time house buyers. Analysts have said that the boost in demand seen early this year was due to the tax exemption on purchases of houses costing less than 250k pounds which expired on March 24.

The Bank of England is expected to publicize its policy decision on may 10 prior to new quarterly economic forecasts expected to be released next week. The market is expecting a no change in the bond-purchases target and interest rate.

Disclaimer
Tradervox.com is not giving advice nor is qualified or licensed to provide financial advice. You must seek guidance from your personal advisors before acting on this information. While we try to ensure that all of the information provided on this website is kept up-to-date and accurate we accept no responsibility for any use made of the information provided. Opinions expressed at Tradervox.com are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Tradervox.com or its management. 

Article provided by TraderVox.com
Tradervox.com is a Forex News Portal that provides real-time news and analysis relating to the Currency Markets.
News and analysis are produced throughout the day by our in-house staff.
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/tradervox

South Pacific Currencies Drop on Trade Deficit Data and Eurozone Elections

By TraderVox.com

Tradervox (Dublin) – The Australian dollar was just shy of this year’s low after the nation reported a more-than expected trade deficit. This has compounded already existing concerns that the spending cuts carried by the government will dampen the nation’s economic growth. The country’s budget will be announced on July 1 by Wayne Swan. The Aussie has dropped after gaining yesterday as riskier assets regained their losses after Europe election results on Sunday. The kiwi continued with its longest losing spell in six years as Greek political leaders met for the second day to try and form a coalition government.

According to Yoshisada Ishide, who is the manager of the world’s biggest mutual fund on Aussie-dominated bonds at Daiwa SB Investment, the factors that have supported the Australian dollar are disappearing and the market is realizing that the Australian Government cannot take stimulus measures and it is relying on monetary policy to support economic growth and the Aussie.

The Bureau of statistics reported that the country’s imports outdid the exports by A$1.587 billion in March. Moreover, the budget surplus is expected to contract which is expected to be negative for economic growth. However, a return to surplus will allow the Reserve Bank of Australia, room to make interest rate cuts.

Analysts are saying that the New Zealand dollar has succumbed to the weaker fundamentals that have been seen in the economy in the recent times hence the continued decline. Kiwi’s woes have been compounded by the weaker global sentiments particularly at the beginning of the week. The country has also registered a budget deficit that is wider than it had been forecasted by the market. Further, a report from the Treasury Department showed that the tax revenue slowed in March as the ANZ National Bank report showed that the export prices for commodities dropped by 4.5 percent in April.

Such concerns in the south pacific nations led the Aussie to drop by 0.3 percent against the dollar to trade at $1.0190. The kiwi was 0.1 percent lower trading at 79.36 US cents.

Disclaimer
Tradervox.com is not giving advice nor is qualified or licensed to provide financial advice. You must seek guidance from your personal advisors before acting on this information. While we try to ensure that all of the information provided on this website is kept up-to-date and accurate we accept no responsibility for any use made of the information provided. Opinions expressed at Tradervox.com are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Tradervox.com or its management. 

Article provided by TraderVox.com
Tradervox.com is a Forex News Portal that provides real-time news and analysis relating to the Currency Markets.
News and analysis are produced throughout the day by our in-house staff.
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/tradervox

Central Bank News Link List – 8 May 2012

By Central Bank News
Here’s today’s Central Bank News link list, click through if you missed the previous central bank news link list.  Remember, if you want to submit links for inclusion in the daily link list, just email them through to us or post them in the comments section below.

Euro Rallies after Eurozone Political Drama

By TraderVox.com

Tradervox (Dublin) – The euro has come back from a tumble it experienced on Monday after Sunday’s election results in Greece and France. There has been a general bounce of risk correlated assets but some analysts are claiming that this is nothing more than minor consolidation prior to the next wave of risk liquidation. The euro has managed to close above 1.3000 on Monday, but any additional rallies is expected to be capped at 1.3200. Market analysts are have warned that the market is digesting Sunday’s election results and traders are looking to see whether the newly elected governments will adhere to the austerity measures imposed on the region to ease debt crisis.

Eurozone is under a lot of uncertainty with Greece situation being the first on the list as political leaders meet to form government. It is expected that austerity measures might be significantly reduced as the government tries to quell the opposition. In France, Francois Hollande has vowed to fight austerity measures; in addition, Spain has hit the headlines again as it tries to rescue the third largest bank in the country. These situations in the region are set to affect investor confidence in the regions ability to fight debt crisis. Moreover, the softer global economic data that is being released indicates the fragility of the global economy hence risk correlated equities’ rallies will be limited and there might be a bearish outlook.

The euro dropped 0.1 percent to trade at $1.3033 from $1.3051 yesterday, it had touched its lowest at $1.2955, which the lowest it has been since January 25. The 17-nation currency traded at 104.21 yen from 104.28 it closed yesterday. Japanese currency dropped against the dollar by 0.1 percent to trade at 79.96 per dollar. In south pacific nations, the Australian dollar declined by 0.1 percent to $1.0190.

Disclaimer
Tradervox.com is not giving advice nor is qualified or licensed to provide financial advice. You must seek guidance from your personal advisors before acting on this information. While we try to ensure that all of the information provided on this website is kept up-to-date and accurate we accept no responsibility for any use made of the information provided. Opinions expressed at Tradervox.com are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Tradervox.com or its management. 

Article provided by TraderVox.com
Tradervox.com is a Forex News Portal that provides real-time news and analysis relating to the Currency Markets.
News and analysis are produced throughout the day by our in-house staff.
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/tradervox

Market Review 8.5.12

Source: ForexYard

printprofile

The EUR/USD and USD/JPY once again turned bearish during overnight trading as uncertainty regarding Greece’s new parliament led to additional risk aversion in the marketplace. Commodities and precious metals were also down during the Asian session. Crude has fallen to the $97 a barrel level, while gold dropped over $6 an ounce.

Main News for Today

EUR German Industrial Production- 10:00 GMT
• Forecasted to come in at 0.8%, well above last month’s -1.3%
• If true, may lead to moderate risk taking in the marketplace which could help euro

EUR ECB President Draghi Speaks- 12:30 GMT
• Any mention of French and Greek elections and their potential impact on the euro-zone recovery could lead to volatility for euro

Read more forex news on our forex blog

Forex Market Analysis provided by ForexYard.

© 2006 by FxYard Ltd

Disclaimer: Trading Foreign Exchange carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. There is a possibility that you could sustain a loss of all of your investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with Foreign Exchange trading.

Why It’s Time to Buy Gold

By MoneyMorning.com.au

Gold has fallen out of the spotlight recently.

And it’s no surprise.

Frankly, watching gold trade has been a bit…well, boring.

But that could be about to change. During its 12 year bull-run, gold has often made its next move up after it has ‘done some work’ in a particular price range for a while.

After trading mostly between US$1600 and US$1800 an ounce for almost 11 months, the next move up could be coming soon…

Gold – tends to rally after a long slow patch

Gold - tends to rally after a long slow patch

Source: stockcharts

So what’s happening in the real world to break gold out of its 11-month rut?

The short story is economic data out of the US is getting worse, and this gives the US Federal Reserve an excuse to print money.

QE3 to Boost the Gold Price Again?

In the past, the Fed’s money printing, AKA ‘Quantitative Easing’ or QE, has sent the gold price soaring. During the first bout of money printing, the gold price increased by over 70%. It increased another 15% during QE2.

The Fed is now watching the US economy decelerating. It only grew at an annual rate of 2.2% last quarter, down from 2.8% at the end of 2011. That’s a concern, but this figure tells us what has happened in the past. But what about right now?

Well, the creation of new jobs has slowed down in the last few months, gaining just 115,000 new jobs in April. This is half the amount it was in February.

And as a bellwether for the US economy, it’s worth watching what ‘purchasing managers’ are doing. These purchasing managers are in charge of buying stock for their businesses. If they get it wrong, their employer could go out of business. So between them, they have one of the best up-to-the-minute views of the economy.

The purchasing managers index (PMI) for the ‘non-manufacturing sector’ (which is important as the US is mostly a services economy), has fallen for the last few months.

It’s down from 57.3 (fast growth) in February, to 53.5 (slow growth) in April.

So it looks like the head of the Fed, Ben Bernanke, has all the ammo he needs to go ahead with the next round of QE that he’s hinted about for months.

Getting a turbo boost from the Fed may give gold a nudge in the short-term.

But in the long-term, gold has to be backed up by fundamentals. By this I mean gold demand. And things look good here too.

China – the New Big Buyers of Gold

One of the big driving forces in the gold market today is the pace of Chinese gold imports. Not satisfied with being the world’s biggest gold producer, it’s now on the way to becoming the world’s biggest gold importer too.

In February it imported 40 tonnes of gold from Hong Kong. I’ll put that in context – that’s about 20% of the world’s monthly gold mine production. A year ago, China’s gold imports were hardly worth talking about. Today it’s one of the biggest forces in the market.

It’s a similar story for central banks. A few years ago they were selling their gold. Today, as a group they are huge buyers. Last month central banks from 12 countries, including Russia, Mexico and Turkey, bought 57 tonnes of gold.

In reality, China’s central bank should be on that list too – they just don’t declare how much they buy.

So, is it all good news for gold? Not quite. There is one headwind. It’s the fall in Indian gold imports.

Gold is hugely important in Indian society and religion, but there is next to no gold mining in the country. And as its economy has grown rapidly at between 6-10% in recent years, so has its gold consumption. India has been the world’s biggest gold importer, and a cornerstone of the industry.

But recently, the falling rupee has made gold too expensive for Indian buyers. The government made things worse (of course) by threatening to increase its tax on gold.

The President of India’s ‘Bombay Bullion Association’ now reckons that Indian gold imports will be down to 700-800 tonnes this year, compared to 969 tonnes last year. This could leave up to 269 tonnes of gold, worth $14 billion, up for grabs…any takers?

There is talk they may scrap this gold tax when the government discusses it next week. We’ll see. If they do, this would help increase Indian gold imports again.

But even without this boost, the 269 tonnes that may not be imported by India this year would be snapped up by other buyers. At the current rates, Chinese imports and central bank purchases, which are both on the rise, would account for it in just 10 weeks.

And with Bernanke twitching over the digital printing press button, if you’re thinking about buying gold, now might be a very good time to do it.

Good News for Aussie Gold Buyers

The catch for Australian gold buyers is that we have the Aussie dollar to deal with as well.

As long as the Aussie keeps rising, it erodes gold’s gains. This is why the Aussie dollar gold price has gone up an average of just 11.0% per year for the last ten years – compared to the US dollar gold price, which has gone up an average of 17.2% per year.

But the Aussie dollar might just be on our side this time. It is falling steeply at the moment, and has now dropped from $1.08 to $1.02 in just a few months. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s 50 basis point interest rate cut last week has really taken the wind out of the Aussie. Judging by the down-leg in previous interest rate cycles – not to mention the state of the Australian economy – more cuts are coming. Which should mean the Aussie may have further to fall yet.

So if we see gold start its next leg up, and the Aussie dollar continue to fall, right now Australian gold investors are looking at a very good opportunity to buy gold.

The one thing I’d say about gold is that it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s a long-term alternative to holding cash in a portfolio. The trick to making it work hardest for you is buying at the right time.

When the gold headlines have long since dried up, when the chart has had 9-12 months of consolidation, and the world’s governments are readying to trash their currencies again – that is the time to buy.

Dr. Alex Cowie
Editor, Diggers & Drillers

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Why It’s Time to Buy Gold

The Commodities Bull Market: Insights on Energy and Agriculture

By MoneyMorning.com.au

Despite the setback caused by the 2008 financial crisis, the commodities bull market rolls on. A short four years later, many commodities are trading at or near all-time highs.

And thanks to huge swaths of the developing world moving up the ranks, the current bull market in commodities promises to be one for the history books– both in time and size.

After all, the wants and needs of 7 billion people are an irresistible and monumental force.

Soon virtually every substance vital to modern life will become enormously expensive – and profitable for investors who know how to play it.

In fact, today’s scarcity and soaring costs could spur history’s biggest gains.

It is one of the reasons why I recently sat down with resource investor extraordinaire Rick Rule.

A leading American retail broker specializing in mining, energy, water utilities, forest products and agriculture, Rick has dedicated his entire life to all aspects of the natural resource industry.

Rick is without question something of a heavy hitter.

At Sprott Global Companies, he leads a team of professionals trained in resource-related disciplines such as geology and engineering. Together, they work to evaluate commodities-related investment opportunities.

I think you’ll enjoy what Rick had to say during our recent Q&A.

Insights on the Commodities Bull Market

Peter Krauth: What is your general outlook for commodities – the commodities market over the next, say, one to three years and even beyond that?

Rick Rule: I think my outlook is quite good and quite good for simple old economic reasons: supply and demand. Supply is constrained because in the period sort of 1982 to 2002, we had a 20-year-long bear market in commodities, and the bear market constrained new investments.

These are long lead time, capital intensive businesses, and taking 20 years out, with, figuratively speaking at least, not very much investment in natural resource and commodity-specific production facilities: oil fields, mines, things like that, you greatly constrain your ability to produce over time.

Secondly, in terms of the constraint side -constraint to production, so lack of supply side, the incidents beginning late 2007-2008 rocked the worldwide credit markets. That’s constrained the availability of debt finance for large-scale natural resource projects. This is a capital intensive business and without capital, you don’t have a business.

Finally, at least in the oil and gas side, but increasingly in the mining side, a lot of natural resource exploration and production activities don’t take place in the private sector but rather take place with things like national oil companies, and these national oil companies have now, for 15 years, diverted way too much of the free cash flow from the national oil businesses, to politically expedient domestic social spending programs.

And so there’s been insufficient sustaining capital investments in the oil and gas business to sustain current levels of production; which is very worrisome. So on the supply side, we have real supply constraints. On the demand side, the equation’s really Malthusian.

We have 7 billion people in the world now and at least in frontier and emerging markets, as those societies become a little more free, they become a lot more rich. And as they become rich, the things that people at the bottom of the demographic pyramid buy are very much resource intensive; while when you and I get more money we tend to buy more services or things with higher value added from technology.

When people at the bottom of the demographic pyramid get more money, they develop as an example a more calorie-intensive diet, a more energy-intensive lifestyle, and a more materially-intensive lifestyle, and so on both sides of the equation you have constrained supply and you have increasing demand, which is very good for the natural resource business.

Insights on the Growing Markets in Energy and Agriculture

Peter Krauth: When we compare it to commodities in general, it looks like either gold has gotten relatively expensive or the commodities have gotten relatively cheap compared to the gold price in U.S. dollars. Which individual sectors do you think have the best risk/reward setup right now in terms of commodities?

Rick Rule: I suspect that what you’re seeing really is deterioration in the denominator that is the U.S. dollar over time. I certainly believe that gold has outperformed other commodities as a consequence of the fact that gold acts in many capacities, but seldom as a commodity itself.

Gold is viewed, I think, historically and traditionally as both the store of value and the medium of exchange. And so the gold price, I think, has been relatively strong as a consequence of people’s renewed preference of it to other mediums of exchange.

You have to go back to sort of the old gold bug tenets. Gold, unlike other mediums of exchange, is simultaneously a store of value. It isn’t a promise to pay, it’s payment in and of itself, and as a consequence of that and as a consequence of the fact that you’re seeing on a really global basis, debasement of other mediums of exchange be it euro, U.S. dollars or Renminbis.

I think the gold price is going to continue to do well, simply because it’s denominated in a fiat sea of currencies, and those fiat currencies are engaged in sort of a competitive debasement.

The other commodities that I like are the grossly oversold commodities. I think in the energy complex, North American natural gas, if you have a two- or three-year time horizon, is astonishingly cheap.

And buying companies that are solvent that have lots of proved, undeveloped locations that aren’t worth anything at $2.50 per thousand, but would be worth something at $4.00 per thousand are really good speculations. I like the uranium business. I think the world needs more energy of all kinds, but in particular it needs the energy density of uranium and the ability to generate 24/7 baseline load economically.

I like the agricultural minerals, meaning potash and phosphate. One of the things that we’re learning with 7 billion of us on the planet is that increasing food supplies by increasing the amount of farmland that we have under cultivation is increasingly a difficult proposition. And what we need to do is increase the yields per acre and the best way to increase the yields per acre is through the intelligent application of potash, phosphate and nitrogen.

I’m not talking about the profligate use of it like we used to do in the 60s, but the intelligent application of nutrients is the only way that we can feed 7 billion people — particularly when 1.2 billion of them are increasingly able to better their substandard diet in terms simply of calorie concentration than they had in the past.

So, I’m attracted to the potash business, I’m attracted to the phosphate business and those businesses have gotten very cheap. The potash and phosphate quotes have fallen pretty dramatically in the past 12 months, but I think that they are probably unsustainably low on a going forward basis.

Longer term, not in the near term but longer term, I’m still attracted to the crude oil business. Because despite the impact that high crude prices have, rising crude prices have had in Western Europe and the North American atmosphere, you can’t get over the fact that in the next 20 years at least, we’re extremely oil dependent.

In the context of vehicular transportation and the problem that we talked about earlier in the call, which is these national oil companies not reinvesting substantial amounts of sustaining capital in their business, means to me that in the fairly near term, perhaps as near as three years, perhaps as near as five years, several major exporting countries, particularly Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Indonesia, and probably Iran, cease to be petroleum exporters.

If that happens, about 20% of the world’s export crude comes off the market. With crude demand on a worldwide basis growing at 1.5% compounded, you could imagine what would happen if 20% of the world’s oil supply came off in the face of fairly steady increases in demand.

When those supply/demand lines converge and then cross, the price experience can be pretty explosive, and I think that we could see, you know, three years out $150 crude in real terms which could mean $160-$170 crude in nominal terms if the depreciation of the U.S. dollar continues.

*

So there you have it. One of the sharpest minds in the entire resource business sees tremendous opportunities in the years ahead in a number of subsectors. But remember, if you’re going to invest in resource companies, consider carefully what you don’t know. Read, research, and get expert opinions before you dive in.

The key is that the commodities bull market still has plenty of room to run.

Peter Krauth
Global Resources Specialist, Money Morning (USA)

Publisher’s Note: This is an edited version of an article that first appeared in Money Morning (USA)

From the Archives…

Why China’s New Consumer Economy Won’t Give You the Trade of the Decade
2012-05-04 – Kris Sayce

Why China Could Be The Next Destination For the Financial Crisis
2012-05-03 – Merryn Somerset Webb

How Did We Get It So Wrong on Australian Housing?
2012-05-02 – Kris Sayce

This Indicator Shows the Copper Price Could Be Set to Soar
2012-05-01 – Dr. Alex Cowie

How Gold Nanoparticles Will Create A New Kind of Gold Rush
2012-04-30 – Michael Robinson


The Commodities Bull Market: Insights on Energy and Agriculture