InvestMacro

By Michael Kuchar

Nike is well renowned for its fantastic sporting merchandise, and it has been one of the biggest players in the sporting universe, for many years. They launch several notable products each year, and it is of no surprise that they are looking to the blockchain market as their next target audience. Nike has been awarded a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark office to launch a blockchain compatible line of sneakers called “CryptoKicks”. These sneakers are much than just another line of squeaky new shoes, as they bring about a whole new experience.

In doing so, the United States clothing and footwear brand has joined the ranks of several mainstream corporations that have entered the field of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, or have already ventured into the same. Starbucks, Samsung, and Facebook are among some of the giants who have already traversed the path of blockchain-backed technology. That being said, when did Nike file the patent, and what is CryptoKicks all about? Read on to find out.

When was the Patent Filed?

The news about CryptoKicks, and its reported patent filing was broken by Josh Gerben, a trademark attorney who works in the United States, via Twitter, on the 24th of April, 2019. The filing mentions cryptocurrency wallets, downloadable mobile-based applications that provide access to cryptocurrency collectibles, cryptocurrency art, and application tokens. It also mentions an online marketplace that features clothing, and footwear as potential use cases for the brand.

The document also outlines plans to provide a digital currency that can be used by members of an online community, enabling the possibility of transactions. This implies that Nike might indeed integrate blockchain technology into its market space. It’s not that Nike needed to enter into the sphere of blockchain and cryptocurrencies just for the sake of it, as they posted quarterly sales exceeding $1 Billion for the first time in their history, back in April, 2019. This rise constitutes an enormous 36%, when compared to the same sales figures in April, 2018. This means many stock speculators who invested on the rise of Nike stocks made a good profit, similarly to forex traders who use forex signals that are provided by learn2.trade.

Nike wants to enter into the cryptocurrency sphere. Nike’s connects with its consumers through its products, and what better a way to introduce yourself to a whole new brand of potential customers, than incorporate blockchain technology?  Patent approval is a time-consuming process, and it was only recently that the true nature of CryptoKicks was brought to light, when news of the approval of the patent was brought to our attention.

What is CryptoKicks?

When you buy a CryptoKicks shoe, you will be getting an actual digital asset, which in its own right is directly attached to the shoe. CryptoKicks is attached to a system that makes use of blockchain to attach digital assets to shoes, and this in turn means that Nike will be able to track the legitimacy and the ownership of a CryptoKicks, using their blockchain system. This in turn will create digital scarcity, as the item will be attached to the manufacturers of the shoes.

So when you buy a genuine pair of these sneakers, a digital representation of the sneakers will be generated, which will be linked with you, and assigned to a cryptographic token. The digital representation of the shoe, and the cryptographic token in question, are collectively called a CryptoKick – Quite the pun.

What’s more, if you sell your sneakers to someone else, the ownership of the sneakers can be transferred using the system. The collection of these assets are stored in digital lockers, whose function is similar to that of a cryptocurrency wallet. Funnily enough, the owners of these sneakers can intermingle with one another, and breed a digital shoe, with another pair, to create a digital shoe offspring. The blockchain based cryptokicks mean another boost for the blockchain popularity and cryptocurrency prices. As a result, many more people choose to speculate on the volatility of cryptocurrencies with popular cryptocurrency brokers and cryptocurrency exchanges.

Conclusion

Liverpool is all set to sign the most expensive kit deal in Premier League history. Taking note of Liverpool’s recent exploits in the Champions League, Nike has wasted no time in acquiring Liverpool’s kit deal for the 2020-21 season. It is therefore of very little surprise that Nike have jumped on the cryptocurrency bandwagon. Unfortunately, Nike has not given details about a launch date as of now, but they have certainly spiked our interest.

Keep up with the latest news regarding the launch of CryptoKicks, and hopefully it will be launched in the near future. Expect Nike to venture deeper in the blockchain universe, in time to come. It is only a matter of time before other players venture into blockchain too. Nike played it smart by acquiring a patent for CryptoKicks, as it assures that no other player can use the same techniques for their merchandise – Smart marketing and business strategy at play indeed.

About the Author:

Michael is an experienced financial trader using Forex, Commodities and Cryptocurrencies. In addition to trading, he runs businesses, trains traders and develops trading technology products. His other passions are boxing and traveling.

By IFCMarkets

Weakening German consumer sentiment bearish for EURUSD

German consumer confidence is expected to weaken in January, according to GfK. Will the EURUSD decline?

The price chart on 1-hour timeframe shows EURUSD: H1 is trading sideways. The price is falling below the 200-period moving average MA(200) which is rising. And the RSI oscillator is falling below 50 level but has not reached the oversold zone. There is no trend yet formed, traders have to decide when it would be a best time to enter the market.

Technical Analysis Summary: Sideways price movement

Market Analysis provided by IFCMarkets

By Lukman Otunuga, Research Analyst, ForexTime

Disclaimer: The content in this article comprises personal opinions and should not be construed as containing personal and/or other investment advice and/or an offer of and/or solicitation for any transactions in financial instruments and/or a guarantee and/or prediction of future performance. ForexTime (FXTM), its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees do not guarantee the accuracy, validity, timeliness or completeness, of any information or data made available and assume no liability as to any loss arising from any investment based on the same.

Article by ForexTime

ForexTime Ltd (FXTM) is an award winning international online forex broker regulated by CySEC 185/12 www.forextime.com

By CentralBankNews.info

China’s central bank left its new policy rate steady at 4.15 percent following three cuts since the one-year Loan Prime Rate (LPR) was designated as the benchmark lending rate in August.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) also left the 5-year LPR rate, used to price home mortgages, at 4.80 percent in a release on its website.

The decision comes two days after the interest rate on 14-day reverse repurchase agreements was lowered by 5 basis points to 2.65 percent while the 7-day rate, which was cut was 5 points in November for the first time in more than four years, was left unchanged at 2.50 percent.

www.CentralBankNews.info

By IFCMarkets

US stocks rally was intact on Thursday supported by strong labor market data. The S&P 500 gained 0.9% to new record 3205.37. The Dow Jones industrial average advanced 0.5% to fresh record 28376.9. Nasdaq composite index rallied 0.7% to 8887.22. The dollar strengthening halted despite data showing new applications for unemployment benefits fell during last week by 18,000 to a seasonally adjusted 234,000: live dollar index data show the ICE US Dollar index, a measure of the dollar’s strength against a basket of six rival currencies, slipped 0.01% to 97.39 but is higher currently. Futures on US stock indices point to lower openings today.

European stock markets mostly resumed advancing on Thursday. EUR/USD turned higher yesterday while GBP/USD accelerated its slide as the Bank of England held its main interest rate steady at 0.75% and maintained the dovish stance, while it cut the Q4 UK GDP growth forecast from +0.2% to +0.1%. Pound is higher currently while euro has turned lower. The Stoxx Europe 600 index ended 0.1% higher. Germany’s DAX 30 however slipped 0.1% to 13211.96. France’s CAC 40 added 0.2% and UK’s FTSE 100 gained 0.2% to 7573.82.

Asian stock indices are mostly lower today. Nikkei ended down 0.2% at 23816.63 with yen climb against dollar continuing. Chinese stocks are mixed: the Shanghai Composite Index is down 0.4% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index is 0.2% higher. Australia’s All Ordinaries Index lost another 0.3% as Australian dollar slowed its climb against the greenback.

Brent futures prices are edging high today. Prices ended higher yesterday for sixth consecutive session: February Brent crude rose 0.6% to $66.54 a barrel on Thursday. Despite upward momentum in oil prices Saudi Aramco shares fell for a third straight session today. The drop in Aramco price reflects profit taking by investors after the stock was included Wednesday in MSCI’s main gauge tracking emerging-market stocks and also in the Saudi index. Aramco slid 3.3% to 35.50 riyals in Riyadh, underperforming the Tadawul All Share Index, which rose 0.5%. The stock is currently down about 6% from the highest closing price reached on Monday. The decline is more than a third of stock’s gain since the biggest initial public offering in the world on December 11.

Gold prices are edging lower today. Prices ended higher yesterday as dollar strengthening halted and House of Representatives voted for President Trump’s impeachment. February gold gained 0.4% to $1484.40 an ounce.

Market Analysis provided by IFCMarkets

Note:
This overview has an informative and tutorial character and is published for free. All the data, included in the overview, are received from public sources, recognized as more or less reliable. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the indicated information is full and precise. Overviews are not updated. The whole information in each overview, including opinion, indicators, charts and anything else, is provided only for familiarization purposes and is not financial advice or а recommendation. The whole text and its any part, as well as the charts cannot be considered as an offer to make a deal with any asset. IFC Markets and its employees under any circumstances are not liable for any action taken by someone else during or after reading the overview.

By The Gold Report

Source: Bob Moriarty for Streetwise Reports   12/18/2019

Bob Moriarty of 321gold takes a look at the Daily Sentiment Index for palladium.

The price of palladium has been on a tear lately.

Like every other investor I would love it if every one of my investments went up day after day. But it never seems to happen for me. Actually, in real life, the more days something goes up and the faster it goes up, the greater the risk of a back breaking crash. Palladium prices are up 50% in just over six months. That’s a lot, regardless of supply or demand.

No one wants to learn from this but prices of commodities or stocks have not nearly as much to do with supply and demand as does plain old human nature. You see, we are herd animals and we want to be safe, so we travel with the herd. But if you have ever watched the life span of a sheep or cow or pig, they all end up in the slaughterhouse. They get chopped up and then eaten. If you want to invest with the herd. . .well, good luck with that.

There is a good alternative that takes the very human behavior of buying at tops and selling at bottoms into account. It’s called the DSI, for Daily Sentiment Index. I’ve written a bunch of articles about it and made about 30 predictions of prices about to make a U-turn. All 30 did and that’s not bad. I’d love to say that it was all because I am so smart, but it’s simply not true. You have the same access to the data that will warn you as I do. It’s currently warning that palladium is looking for a top. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but soon. Palladium likes to wander around for sometimes a month or so with nosebleed readings before taking a tumble.

The DSI for palladium has been in excess of 80 for about three weeks. It hit 93 two days ago and settled at 92 on Dec. 16. Very soon now it will top and crash. If you have a subscription to the DSI look for a reading of 95 or above and then get out of the way of the falling safe. If you don’t have a subscription to the DSI, look for another couple of blistering days higher. And it you would like an advantage over the flock of sheep following the metals led by a bunch of parrots, consider a year’s subscription to the DSI. It’s on sale until the end of December.

I don’t get anything out of this other than he has comped me the service for the last couple of years. If you don’t find it one of the most valuable tools you have ever been handed after you use it for some time, write me and I will patiently listen to you whine and I will pat your back for you.

Bob Moriarty founded 321gold.com, with his late wife, Barbara Moriarty, more than 16 years ago. They later added 321energy.com to cover oil, natural gas, gasoline, coal, solar, wind and nuclear energy. Both sites feature articles, editorial opinions, pricing figures and updates on current events affecting both sectors. Previously, Moriarty was a Marine F-4B and O-1 pilot with more than 832 missions in Vietnam. He holds 14 international aviation records.

Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-news

Disclosure:
1) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of Bob Moriarty and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. Bob Moriarty is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. Streetwise Reports was not involved in the content preparation. Bob Moriarty was not paid by Streetwise Reports LLC for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article.
2) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports’ terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
3) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases.

Charts and graphics provided by the author.

By The Life Science Report

Source: Streetwise Reports   12/17/2019

The company’s plans for and approach to one of its most advanced drug candidates are discussed in an H.C. Wainwright & Co. report.

In a Dec. 12 research note, H.C. Wainwright & Co. analyst Ram Selvaraju reported that BioXcel Therapeutics Inc. (BTAI:NASDAQ) plans to clinically advance its innate immunity activator, BXCL701, into multiple advanced solid tumors with the launch of a Phase 2 basket trial.

Selvaraju explained the upcoming study, NCT04171219. Open label and to take place at a U.S. cancer center, it will evaluate the combination of BXCL701 and Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in patients with advanced solid cancers. Resulting progression-free survival, overall survival, response duration and safety will be measured.

“We feel that BXCL701 could be positioned across multiple indications as a checkpoint inhibitor enhancer, improving patient responses and survival parameters,” Selvaraju commented. “If successful, the planned Phase 2 study of BXCL701 would provide an option for checkpoint inhibitor therapy-relapsed/refractory patients.”

Selvaraju pointed out BioXcel is differentiating BXCL701 at least in two ways. One is with the compound’s mechanism of action. The innate immunity activator inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase 8/9 and targets the fibroblast activation protein. In so doing it blocks cancer cells from invading the immune system. The method “should enable it to enhance checkpoint inhibitor therapy effectiveness more comprehensively than single pathway approaches,” noted the analyst.

Secondly, also to enhance BXCL701’s checkpoint inhibitor effectiveness, BioXcel is targeting “hot” versus “cold” tumors, meaning ones that already contain some immune cell infiltration, noted Selvaraju.

Along with the upcoming basket trial, BXCL701 is being evaluated with Keytruda now in an existing trial, a Phase 1b/2 study for treatment-emergent neuroendocrine prostate cancer. Further safety and tolerability results from this are expected shortly, and initial efficacy data are anticipated in 2020.

The analyst highlighted that “there are numerous possible future avenues for BXCL701 development.” One is the evaluation of BXCL701 in triple combination therapy, specifically with Bavencio (avelumab) and NKTR-214 (bempegaldesleukin). Such a study in advanced pancreatic cancer could be starting in the coming months.

Additionally, BioXcel is scheduled to start testing BXCL701 in hematological malignancies, now that the compound has orphan drug status for acute myeloid leukemia from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

H.C. Wainwright has a Buy rating and a $25 per share, 12-month target price on BioXcel. The biopharma’s current share price is about $8.67.

Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-news

Disclosure:
1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.
2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.
3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports’ terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases.

Disclosures from H.C. Wainwright & Co., BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc., Company Update, December 12, 2019

Investment Banking Services include, but are not limited to, acting as a manager/co-manager in the underwriting or placement of securities, acting as financial advisor, and/or providing corporate finance or capital markets-related services to a company or one of its affiliates or subsidiaries within the past 12 months.

I, Raghuram Selvaraju, Ph.D., certify that 1) all of the views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about any and all subject securities or issuers discussed; and 2) no part of my compensation was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendation or views expressed in this research report; and 3) neither myself nor any members of my household is an officer, director or advisory board member of these companies.

None of the research analysts or the research analyst’s household has a financial interest in the securities of BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. (including, without limitation, any option, right, warrant, future, long or short position).

As of November 30, 2019 neither the Firm nor its affiliates beneficially own 1% or more of any class of common equity securities of BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc.

Neither the research analyst nor the Firm has any material conflict of interest in of which the research analyst knows or has reason to know at the time of publication of this research report.

The research analyst principally responsible for preparation of the report does not receive compensation that is based upon any specific investment banking services or transaction but is compensated based on factors including total revenue and profitability of the Firm, a substantial portion of which is derived from investment banking services.

The firm or its affiliates received compensation from BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. for non-investment banking services in the previous 12 months.

The Firm or its affiliates did not receive compensation from BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. for investment banking services
within twelve months before, and will seek compensation from the companies mentioned in this report for investment banking
services within three months following publication of the research report.

The Firm does not make a market in BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. as of the date of this research report.

H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC and its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees, excluding its analysts, will from time to time have long or short positions in, act as principal in, and buy or sell, the securities or derivatives (including options and warrants) thereof of covered companies referred to in this research report.

( Companies Mentioned: BTAI:NASDAQ,
)

By The Life Science Report

Source: Streetwise Reports   12/18/2019

Syros Pharmaceuticals’ shares rose 20% today after the firm reported that it entered into a collaboration agreement with Global Blood Therapeutics for development of therapies for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia that could result in payments to Syros as high as $315 million over three years.

This morning, gene control platform and biopharmaceutical development firm Syros Pharmaceuticals Inc. (SYRS:NASDAQ) and clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Global Blood Therapeutics Inc. (GBT:NASDAQ) announced that they have entered into a collaboration to discover, develop and commercialize novel therapies for sickle cell disease (SCD) and beta thalassemia.

The firms stated that the collaboration will combine GBT’s therapeutic area leadership with the power of Syros’ leading gene control platform. Syros and GBT indicated that the agreement was established in order to find new medicines to identify therapeutic targets and discover drugs to induce the production of fetal hemoglobin, which they advised is known to exert protective effects on the red blood cells of patients with SCD and beta thalassemia and mitigate the clinical manifestation of these diseases.

According to the agreement terms, GBT will be required to pay $20 million upfront to Syros and fund up to $40 million in preclinical research for at least three years. Under the terms of the agreement, GBT will receive an option to obtain an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize products resulting from the collaboration. The companies mentioned that if GBT were to exercise its exclusive worldwide license option, Syros could receive a total of up to $315 million under that scenario, if all the other conditions and milestones of the development and commercialization agreement are met.

Nancy Simonian, M.D., CEO of Syros Pharmaceuticals, commented, “We believe it is possible to provide a functional cure for patients with sickle cell disease or beta thalassemia by switching on the gamma globin gene with an oral medicine…Partnering with GBT, an established leader in sickle cell disease with proven research, development, manufacturing and commercialization capabilities, allows us to expand and accelerate our program, exploring multiple approaches in parallel with the aim of bringing much-needed new therapies to market for patients with sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia as quickly as possible.”

Global Blood Therapeutics’ President and CEO Ted W. Love, M.D., commented, “The discovery and development of novel therapeutic approaches to treat sickle cell disease has been a driving force for GBT since we were founded…We believe that Syros’ approach to inducing fetal hemoglobin is one of the most promising ways to identify the next generation of therapies to treat sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia at a fundamental level – upstream of serious complications such as organ damage, organ failure and early death. We will continue to seek the best scientific approaches to transform the treatment of these devastating lifelong diseases.”

Syros Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., and states that it is “redefining the power of small molecules to control the expression of genes” and that by using the firm’s unique abilities it aims to develop medicines that provide a profound benefit for patients with diseases that have previously eluded other genomics-based approaches. The company’s pipeline includes SY-1425 currently in a Phase 2 trial for treatment in a genomically defined subset of acute myeloid leukemia patients, and SY-5609, a highly selective and potent oral CDK7 inhibitor in investigational new drug application-enabling studies in cancer. The firm indicated that it also has several other preclinical and discovery programs in oncology and monogenic diseases, including sickle cell disease.

Global Blood Therapeutics has a market cap of approximately $4.7 billion and is based in South San Francisco, Calif. The company describes itself as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company “determined to discover, develop and deliver innovative and life-changing treatments that provide hope to underserved patient communities.” The firm is developing two therapies for the potential treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD), a lifelong, devastating inherited blood disorder, including its late-stage oral, once-daily product candidate Oxbryta (voxelotor). The firm is also advancing its inclacumab drug, a p-selectin inhibitor in development to address pain crises associated with the disease.

Syros Pharmaceuticals started the day with a market cap of $196.1 million with 42.44 million shares outstanding and a short interest of around 4.4%. SYRS shares opened higher today at $4.88 (+$0.26, +5.63%) compared to yesterday’s $4.62 closing price. The stock has traded between $4.82 and $5.97 per share today and presently is trading at $5.56 (+$0.94, +20.35%).

Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-news

Disclosure:
1) Stephen Hytha compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. He or members of his household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. He or members of his household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.
2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.
3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports’ terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases.
6) This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

( Companies Mentioned: SYRS:NASDAQ,
)

By Money Metals News Service

The title of this essay is part of a statement made by Stewart Thomson, editor of the investment letter, Graceland Updates. His full comment reads, “It takes more than viewing charts and government debt numbers to understand gold as the world’s ultimate asset. What it really takes comes from the heart, not the brain.”

For thousands of years, humankind has understood the magical draw (and sense of security) that owning precious metal can bring.

It satisfies the core requirements that make it a medium of exchange par excellence.

It’s durable. It’s divisible. It’s consistent. It’s convenient. It’s intrinsically valuable.

There’s a sixth reason, which Doug Casey elaborates upon when he talks about gold’s attributes above.

Unlike what David Morgan refers to as “paper promises” created at the stroke of a pen, run off on a printing press, and devalued to the point where a central bank can no longer afford to pay for the paper and ink – neither gold (nor silver) can be created out of thin air.

As Doug so ably concludes:

These are the reasons why gold is the best money. It’s not a gold bug religion, nor a barbaric superstition. It’s simply common sense. Gold is particularly good for use as money, just as aluminum is particularly good for making aircraft, steel is good for the structures of buildings, uranium is good for fueling nuclear power plants, and paper is good for making books. Not money. If you try to make airplanes out of lead, or money out of paper, you’re in for a crash.

It’s why central bankers around the globe are adding gold to their “monetary” reserves at the quickest pace in 50 years. It’s why Germany has – for the first time since WW II, begun buying gold. And it’s why they are engaged in a multiyear effort to repatriate it from the U.S. and Great Britain, where it’s been stored for security reasons since before WW II.

It’s why Poland not only has been making new purchases lately, but recently took delivery of 100 tons of the yellow metal that had been in “safe-keeping” from London, since just before Germany overran their country in 1939. Why now? Maybe because, well, your gold seems to be so much more secure when you have it “in hand.”

It’s why small scale (artisinal) miners around the world risk their lives and health – often damaging the environment – in order to acquire even the smallest amounts of it.

And it’s why you should hold some too. Reflect on the state of geopolitical affairs around the globe. Look at the trend in motion where banks are – or soon will – charge you for the privilege of saving some of the paper currency you’ve earned.

Forcing you to spend seed corn on things you don’t need, just to keep their own financial Ponzi schemes from falling to earth.

They want to drive you into a non-cash environment where your assets are nothing more than digital entries that can be monitored as to what, when, and where you spend them. That can be “debited” by the government at will. All of which you’ll have the privilege of being penalized for if you don’t spend as much of your savings as edict demands.

What’s the definition of a bull market? In classical technical analysis (TA), when the price of something – in this case gold (and in our discussion silver too, since the two metals’ directional pricing is so closely correlated) – drop below or break up through an area that previously hosted a well-defined price level, chartists see this as something important.

Earlier this year, gold rocketed above $1,360, a level suppressing prices for over 5 years, giving evidence that it could now could move much higher. Sure enough it did, hitting $1,560 just two months later.

A second “tell” was that in breaking above $1,360, it left a large gap (area where no trading takes place), which as of this writing has yet to be filled (traded back into).

But one of the most important clues as to the staying power of a new bull or bear run is when a formation like the one shown for gold nearby is created.

A series of higher highs and higher lows tells anyone who looks at such a chart, that as long as this pattern continues going forward, the bull shows serious intentions of “movin’ on up”!

The fact that gold penetrated $1,400 and then $1,500 so easily on the upside, gives us confidence that the yellow metal has the potential to challenge still higher levels during the first quarter of 2020.

Holding gold and silver in your hand will make you smile. If you’ve already started a gold and silver acquisition program, take out a coin or bar and hold one of each in your hand (As long as it’s not a collectable coin with numismatic value beyond its metal content!).

Rub your thumb and forefinger back and forth on its shiny surface. Feel its weight in your palm. Think about how for much of recorded history these two metals have “been there” as insurance, providing a store of value during the most unpredictable and dangerous times in history.

Think about how they’re recognized and accepted around the world in exchange for goods and services – maybe even for one’s life! (To this day, elite military units operating anywhere on the globe carry a few 1/4 and 1/2 ounce gold coins in their kit – just in case.).

The importance of having some precious metal becomes easy for our minds to grasp, does it not? When you consider having some in your hand, in your pocket, or stored away in some safe space known only to your and trusted family members – there to serve as insurance for loved ones and yourself…

…chances are it will bring a smile to your face, and you will be able to see and feel that a true understanding of what gold and silver represents really does come from the heart.

The Money Metals News Service provides market news and crisp commentary for investors following the precious metals markets.